Author | Lightnews

Allison Tait

@allisontaitwriter.bsky.social

210 followers 190 following 56 posts

Bestselling MG author (The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher, Maven & Reeve Mysteries, The First Summer of Callie McGee) | Co-host of Your Kid’s Next Read #podcast | More at allisontait.com

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Allison Tait @allisontaitwriter.bsky.social · Jan 9

About me

I write books for kids, talk about books for kids, read books for all ages, and enjoy procrastiposting.

My favourite people* in the world are writers and I like nothing better than talking about writing, which is easier than actually writing.

*Requisite 'outside the family' footnote

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Dr Anita Heiss @dranitaheiss.bsky.social · Sep 1

Voting is officially OPEN for Radio National's Top 100 Books of the 21st Century!

Select up to 10 of your favourite books published between 1 January 2000 and 31 August 2025

Vote now! top100books.abc.net.au

@austlit.bsky.social

Top 100 Books of the 21st Century | Vote now

Vote now in Radio National's Top 100 Books of the 21st Century

top100books.abc.net.au

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Harry Saddler @harrysaddler.bsky.social · May 12

Very late to the piece but I’m thankful to the organisers of Authors and Artists for Palestine to be able to offer a guided spotlighting trip as part of their huge online auction. Groups welcome (as long as you can all fit in my car!), bidding closes this Wednesday: airauctioneer.com/authors-and-...

Night-time trip to Badger Weir (Vic) to look for nocturnal animals with nature writer Harry Saddler

Nature writer Harry Saddler will take you and a small group of friends on a night-time trip to Badger Weir, in the Yarra Ranges National Park near Healesville, to look for nocturnal animals. Badger We...

airauctioneer.com

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Allison Tait @allisontaitwriter.bsky.social · May 8

In the latest edition of the Your Kid's Next Read newsletter, I've got tips on how to grow a story, Megan has new book reviews and we're celebrating 200 episodes of the YKNR podcast.

Check it out here: yourkidsnextread.substack.com/p/how-to-gro...

How to grow a story

Insider tips from inspiration to The End

yourkidsnextread.substack.com

Allison Tait @allisontaitwriter.bsky.social · Apr 26

New single from Joe Visser out now!

Perfect for Sunday morning listening. 😊

And yes, Proud Mum alert.

Spotify: open.spotify.com/track/6qKnpb...

Apple: music.apple.com/au/album/aft...

After Lucy's Party

Joe Visser · After Lucy's Party · Song · 2025

open.spotify.com

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Dr Helen Edwards, Psych PhD, Australian Author & Speaker @drhelenedwards.bsky.social · Apr 9

Thanks to Your Kid's Next Read & @altait.bsky.social for this fabulous interview about On Gallant Wings, the history behind it, how I juggle research with story, pigeon voices, character development & more!!
www.yourkidsnextread.com.au/podcast-epis...
#AustralianAuthors #Australianbooks #Writing

Episode 197: 10 minutes with Helen Edwards - Your Kid's Next Read Podcast

Helen Edwards chats to Allison about her latest middle-grade historical fiction novel 'On Gallant Wings', plus Megan has library tips

www.yourkidsnextread.com.au

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Angela Meyer @literaryminded.bsky.social · Apr 7

‘Some of her earnings were spent on riotous living, but Kerry gave a lot of it away without fanfare to those who really needed it: fellow authors down on their luck, impecunious neighbours and, above all, to charities.’ What a legend. Vale, KG.

Australian Society of Authors @asauthors.bsky.social · Apr 7

We are heavy-hearted with news of the passing of accomplished author and lawyer Kerry Greenwood OAM, who was also a longtime member of the ASA.

We extend our condolences to her family, friends, readers and the writing community. Vale Kerry.

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04...

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries creator dies aged 70

Australian author Kerry Greenwood, who died following an illness, was best known for the Phryne Fisher detective series.

www.abc.net.au

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Allison Tait @allisontaitwriter.bsky.social · Apr 7

Oh no!

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BirdLife Australia @birdlifeoz.bsky.social · Apr 7

The 2024 #AussieBirdCount results are in! Together, we counted 4,117,293 birds! 🐦

Read more: birdlife.org.au/news/2024-au...

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Jennifer Mills @jennifermills.net.au · Apr 2

Re-boosting this for the knockoff hour. Please sign our petition & let Nine bosses know they can’t break their promises www.megaphone.org.au/petitions/fr...

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Elise (they/them)🇦🇺 @eliseswritings.bsky.social · Mar 21

Good news for fellow authors disheartened by your books being illegally used to train AI;

"If your book was used by Meta, you’re automatically included in the Kadrey v. Meta class action in Northern California..."

And @authorsguild.bsky.social has some practical steps you can take.

Meta's Massive AI Training Book Heist: What Authors Need to Know - The Authors Guild

Today, The Atlantic published a search tool that allows authors to check if their works are in LibGen, an illegal pirate site AI companies copied for their AI systems. This is a similar tool to the on...

authorsguild.org

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Julie Murphy, Children's Author @juliekidsbooks.bsky.social · Mar 20

Over the moon that DOG BEACH by me, Annie White and the National Library of Australia team has been shortlisted for the Australian Book Industry Association's 2025 Small Publishers' Children's Book of the Year Award. 🎉#ABIA2025

Cover of picture book - Big red title, DOG BEACH. Under the title, a range of dogs are running wild on a sandy beach on a beautiful sunny day, with some dogs in the distant water too.

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Julie Murphy, Children's Author @juliekidsbooks.bsky.social · Mar 20

The blobfish has just been named New Zealand's Fish of the Year! Hooray!
Children can learn more about this fascinating fish in CHEER UP, BLOBFISH! by me and Rachel Tribout, Affirm Press, 2024.
And there is so much to discover!!!
#blobfish #nzfishoftheyear #cheerupblobfish

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Nicola Santilli @nicolasantilli.bsky.social · Mar 20

This week I’m celebrating the release of ‘Sunny at the End of the World’ 👏

What a gift, to have another story by Steph. It is every bit as funny, fierce and insightful as her.

Sending love to Danielle and Rhiannon Bowe. Thank you for sharing this with us.

www.textpublishing.com.au/books/sunny-...

A colour photograph of a white person’s hand holding up ‘Sunny at the End of the World’ by Steph Bowe against a backdrop of a bookshelf full of #LoveOzYA including Garth Nix and Isobelle Carmody.

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Allison Tait @allisontaitwriter.bsky.social · Mar 20

Loved it!

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Australian Society of Authors @asauthors.bsky.social · Mar 19

Australia Reads has announced a new live literature initiative, LitUp! Supported by @copyrightagency.bsky.social and Creative Australia, this pilot program will connect authors to communities in regional and outer-metropolitan areas.

Find out more: australiareads.org.au/litup

LitUp - Australia Reads

A new live literature initiative supporting author events in schools and communities across Australia LitUp is a new live literature initiative from Australia Reads, providing opportunities for more A...

australiareads.org.au

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Allison Tait @allisontaitwriter.bsky.social · Mar 13

In today’s YKNR newsletter for paid* subscribers, I take some EXCELLENT writing advice from some of Australia’s top children’s authors and then give practical ways to use their tips with the young writers in your life.

yourkidsnextread.substack.com/p/write-the-...

*Free trial available

Allison Tait @allisontaitwriter.bsky.social · Mar 13

Super excited to be on both the adult and kids’ programs at SWF this year!

www.swf.org.au/writers/al-t...

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CYA Conference @cyaconference.com · Mar 2

Erin Middleton is an in-house editor at Walker Books Australia, where she edits picture books, early reader, middle grade and young adult titles. She will be running online picture book and chapter book/YA writing bootcamps on April 5th and 6th.

Find out more at www.CYAConference.com/bootcamp

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CYA Conference @cyaconference.com · Mar 2

Join the talented Serena Geddes for an inspiring and immersive full-day online Illustration Boot Camp. Dive deep into the art of storytelling through illustrations, refine your skills, and gain valuable insights from Serena’s extensive experience in the industry.

www.cyaconference.com/bootcamp

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The Steph Bowe Prize for Young Writers @stephboweprize.bsky.social · Mar 1

Congratulations to the inaugural winners of The Steph Bowe Prize for Young Writers, Elizabeth Bourke and Lydia Schofield! 🎉

Both winners will receive $1000, a 20-hour mentorship and a professional development package worth $200.

stephboweprize.com

#LoveOzYA

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Michelle Scott Tucker @mst-writes.bsky.social · Feb 28

Did you know that of Australia's total population of First Nations peoples, a massive 8.6% are Torres Strait Islanders?
As a minority within a minority, what do you even know about the Torres Strait? Remedy the situation with an easy read. 'Spirit of the Crocodile' is out next week. Can't wait!

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Allison Tait @allisontaitwriter.bsky.social · Feb 19

In ep 190 of the YKNR podcast, we're stepping inside the School Library!

We look at how school libraries are changing, the role of Teacher Librarians, how kids can engage with their school library – and what to do if you don’t have one.

www.yourkidsnextread.com.au/podcast-epis...

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CYA Conference @cyaconference.com · Feb 12

Cathy Vallance from UQP will do online assessments of Chapter Books, Early Readers,Junior Fiction, MG, YA manuscripts at CYA.

www.cyaconference.com/assessments

#CYA2025 #CYAConference #WritersCommunity #writing #YALit #FictionWriters #WritingTips

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Nicola Santilli @nicolasantilli.bsky.social · Feb 10

The deadline for entries to The Steph Bowe Prize for Young Writers has been extended to 15 February 2025.

Enter now for the chance to win $1000, a 20-hour mentorship with an award-winning YA author, and a professional development package worth $200!

www.stephboweprize.com

#LoveOzYA

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Allison Tait @allisontaitwriter.bsky.social · Feb 5

In the Feb YKNR newsletter, we're looking at the changes to the teaching of reading in the Australian curriculum. What does it look like in the classroom? What does it mean for parents?

Find it here, with a link to full chat on the YKNR podcast: yourkidsnextread.substack.com/p/getting-re...

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