Vote for new LoveOzYA committee member

The LoveOzYA committee is seeking one new elected member to join Danielle Binks, Adele Walsh, Amelia Lush and Ambelin Kwaymullina (author representative). We’re looking for someone to help in further developing our wonderful #LoveOzYA grassroots movement.

We’re asking the community to vote one of the below nominees to join committee as new member.

Voting will be open throughout the month of July – ending Friday July 29^th – with announcement of new committee member made on this website.

Voting URL is here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5ZGNBFT

Below are short bios/pitches relating to each nominee.

Thank you!

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• [Ashleigh Barton] Hello! I’m Ashleigh – the Children’s & YA Marketing and Publicity Manager at Hachette Australia. I’m also a very passionate YA reader. I spent a good portion of my teen years devouring as many young adult novels as I could get my hands on and have never stopped. I particularly love contemporary Australian YA novels and have the fondest memories of getting lost in the worlds created by Melina Marchetta, Libby Hathorn and Jaclyn Moriarty. Since entering the publishing industry four years ago, I’ve told anyone who’ll listen just how important Australian YA is. I don’t need to reiterate or explain the reasons to anyone reading this (we’re all here for the same reason!) but I’d love to be able to continue shouting from the rooftops and support a genre that means so much to me. I’d also love to bring a publishing perspective to the LoveOzYA table. I believe my appointment will round out the existing committee which consists of passionate YA readers involved in the community in various capacities. I’ll bring a different perspective on how the YA genre is reaching an Australian readership, including my thoughts on market trends and how the industry is operating day-to-day. Additionally, I am always looking for the most effective way to promote the love of YA among new and existing readers and would love to share my ideas with the broader YA community. Anything else you need to know about me… I am obsessed with food. Particularly Spaghetti Bolognese, Pavlova and lamingtons.
• [Michael Earp] The book industry has claimed my career, with seven years as a children’s specialist bookseller and seven years as a sales and marketing representative for a children’s publisher. I am currently transitioning back to bookselling and will be the manager/buyer at The Younger Sun, the children’s bookshop in Yarraville, VIC. I studied Early Childhood Teaching as an undergraduate and did my Masters in Children’s Literature, my thesis focusing on Young Adult literature in Australia. I have also established the #AusQueerYA tumblr to coincide with the #LoveOZYA campaign. I blog at michaelearp.net
• [Susan Hando] – Head of PR & Marketing Pantera Press. I am passionate about Aussie authors and Aussie stories – part of why I love working to nurture the next generation of both storytellers and readers.  I also have a very personal reason to be actively part of this particular conversation: I have a young son currently embarking on his own discovery of great books by local storytellers and using these to help make sense of the world he is growing up in. He and his friends will be the LOVEOZYA generation and deserve the opportunity to read a diverse selection of books that reflect their experiences, their friends and their communities.  I would welcome the opportunity to assist the committee in spreading the word about #LOVEOZYA on a variety of platforms – using both mainstream and social media.  I would bring to the committee my experience in capturing unexpected opportunities to promote this great initiative, acknowledged at the most recent YA Roundtable as being “publisher agnostic”. I love speaking with the many local book blogger, teacher, librarian and bookstore champions of this genre, and will continue to spread the word about #LOVEOZYA.
• [Jessica Harvie] Hi all, I would like to self-nominate to join the committee. My name is Jessica and I just completed a BA in Children’s Literature. I am currently writing my thesis in Young Adult Literature. I am an extremely driven individual and I have experience sitting on a committee. I first got involved in the #LoveOzYA campaign when I did some designing of posters. Since then, I’ve found myself making new friends, engaging in lively conversation and getting some fantastic Oz YA book recommendations! In this position, for example, I would investigate implementing a social media content plan for #LoveOzYA. Thank you for your consideration
• [Lisa Matley] – Blogger http://sweetlittlepretties.com/ – Hi All, I would like to nominate myself to join the committee. My name is Lisa and I am a blogger and owner of Sweet Little Pretties. I am an extremely driven and have the drive to over-achieve in all my responsibilities as a committee member for #LoveOZYA. I would love to be involved with the #LoveOZYA committee to engage and drive conversations through all social media channels. Whether this is through currently reading engagement, launching new YA novels or even through YA book club engagement and questions. I have many ideas I would like to bring to the committee to continue engagement though YA novels. Thank-you for your consideration in becoming a committee member.
• [Nicola Santilli] – assistant editor, Walker Books – Hello, I’m Nicola and I love Australian YA. I grew up in the worlds of Garth Nix, Isobelle Carmody and Michael Pryor, and never left them behind. I love YA so much I made it my career – I’m the Assistant Editor at Walker Books Australia. Every day I work with amazing local authors and illustrators to bring their fantastic stories to life. (I’m pretty sure I have the best job in the world.) I’ve been a vocal supporter of #LoveOzYA since it began. Supporting Australian creators is the most important thing we can do as Australian readers. I’d like to join the #LoveOzYA committee because I’m passionate about this movement. I would contribute my knowledge and experience as a YA reader and editor, and use my network of contacts (booksellers, bloggers, writers, publishers and readers) to expand the reach of #LoveOzYA. Most importantly I would like to find new ways to reach Australian teens and get Australian YA into their hands and hearts. Thanks for your consideration!
• [Sass Young] – Blogger, supergirl-sass.tumblr.com – Hi, I’m Sass. I find it really difficult to write about myself, but when I asked my friend Kelly, who nominated me for this committee, why she thought I’d be good for the position she called me “passionate about the Australian young adult community. A grassroots supporter of authors, readers and publishers. An advocate for diversity and representation in fiction and supported by the wider young adult reading community.” The good news is, I’m far, far better at talking about books and authors than I am at talking about myself. I think our Aussie authors are some of the best in the world, and it’s been heartening to see the YA community take to the #LoveOzYA campaign. I’d love the chance to be part of the committee responsible for attempting to take that to the next level, through increased communication and strengthening ties with the existing YA community and by promoting the campaign to the wider Australian audience. As an involved member of the online and local YA communities, and as a former bookseller who is still passionate about the local book industry, I think I could be an asset to the Love Oz YA committee. Thank you for your consideration.
• [Augusta Zeeng] – Dear Committee, I am keen to be part of and contribute to the #LoveOzYa Committee and movement. I am a big fan of YA stories in general and Australian stories in particular. I am an avid reader of YA books and share their goodness with the world via @student_soapbox on twitter and with my other communities IRL and online. I am teacher trained and have a background in professional writing and editing among other areas and feel that the more quality and variety of YA lit out there the better. I frequently attend the MWF schools program, and have discussions with teachers of English, Media and Politics etc about using YA novels in the broader education field. I am also encouraging older readers and parents to get on the YA bandwagon to break down the line between adult and young adult books. Thanks for your time