Love OzYA in the time of COVID-19

In her introduction to Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology, editor Danielle Binks writes, ‘Books are family. Books are community.’

And LoveOzYA fam, now is the time to prove the truth of that statement.

As freelancers and small businesses, local authors and indie booksellers are in need of your support as Australia works to contain the spread of COVID-19; however, with the necessary cancellation of literary festivals and events, authors releasing books in this uncertain time are going to be the hardest hit.

We’ve created a list of new Oz YA titles, beginning with those to be published next month and dating back to December 2019. Many of these authors have spent years crafting their stories and now find themselves in the heartbreaking situation of cancelling their launches and appearances for the good of our community.

Additionally, most Australian authors make the bulk of their writing income not from their books but from related activities such as school visits, workshops and speaking engagements. It’s likely that many of these opportunities will be restricted this year. Please support our authors in any way you can.

We urge you to add their books to your TBR and, if you’re in a position to do so, purchase them via your local book shop (online if you’re self-isolating). Australian Independent Bookseller can help you locate your nearest indie, and many stores are offering free delivery in their local area.

If you’re unable to purchase books, there are many other ways you can help! Here are just a few:

• Give authors a follow and shoutout on social media (we’ve included links to their socials below)
• Recommend books to friends
• Post a review of a book you enjoyed
• Request books from your local library (thanks to Public and Educational Lending Rights, authors earn money from having their books in libraries)
• Share this post and similar content supporting local authors’ work

Our community is strong, and together we’ll get through this. 💪❤️

Follow the link above to view the list of new releases.