3 authors who made it happen, and you can too!
Today’s guests are 3 aspiring authors who have just signed their very first book contracts. They tell us what it’s like working with a publishing team for the first time. They share what they’ve learned about the process and what their expectations are when their books hit the world.
Tracey Dembo, Jemima Shafei-ongu and Kiralee Strong chat openly about their experiences, from rejections to getting that first “Yes!”
Don’t miss the three of them together chatting about their expectations, goals and their awesome new books. How they worked to get their publishing deals and what other aspiring authors can take from it.
Jemimi Shafei-Ongu
Jemima Shafei-Ongu is a Sydney-based writer with a passion for picture books and a strong commitment to promoting inclusiveness and representation in children’s literature. Combining a professional background in psychology and teaching, Jemima explores themes of belonging, connection and wellbeing. Jemima’s first two picture books, Aslan and Benny and A Lemon for Safiya, are publishing in 2024, with Penguin Random House and Hachette, respectively. When she’s not writing, Jemima enjoys long walks, watercolour painting, playing the darbuka and lip-sync battles with her daughters. She resides on unceded Dharug land with her husband, their mini schnauzer and whichever of their three daughters is in the country at the time.
Kiralee Strong
Kiralee lives on the far north coast of NSW in a beautiful seaside town. Amongst the juggle of every day life she likes to make sure she takes time to herself to be creative. As a business owner she finds it's a wonderful way to keep the creative juices flowing and have a little fun. That's not to say writing is easy, as it definitely is not. On weekends you'll most likely find Kiralee somewhere near salt water and sunshine, or stuck in the laundry, blah! Her ultimate outing is a great restaurant and a good book.
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Tracey Dembo
Tracey Dembo is a children’s author who is passionate about encouraging big questions, daring dreams and wild imaginations. She believes in the importance of play, and has a strong interest in children’s early learning and development. Tracey was awarded a mentorship in the 2020 Maurice Saxby Creative Development Program. Her debut picture book is An A to Z of Dreaming Differently.
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