Are you one of our YA writers? If you weren’t lucky enough to attend the Reading Matters conference from the Centre for Youth Literature at the State Library of Victoria recently, these amazingly in-depth roundups from the Alpha Reader blog will catch you up on all you missed. Make sure you check out day one and two.

There are loads of general resources for the YA inclined amoung us. Here is an interview on writing YA with Sue Lawson Forever Young Adult is a great blog for general news about YA. Diversity in YA is an awesome Tumblr if you like your YA a little less mainstream. Wondrous Reads is a good UK based blog written by a 25 year old. You can also check out YA authors, many of whom have blogs. Some of our favourites are Lili Wilkinson, Holly Black, Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, HJ Harper and Leanne Hall.  Of course, the ultimate YA site to visit is Inside a Dog.

Opportunities and Events

For those in Tasmania, Part I of The Winter Muse: Poetry in Three Parts begins on June 22. The Australian Poetry website has further details. Don’t forget Island magazine is launching on June 21.

Melbourne writers, get yourself along to one of The Wheeler Centre’s Debut Mondays events. There are always excellent writers on offer. Alternatively if you’re an early riser pop along to their Breakfast Club events, where topics like feminism and nature vs nurture are hashed out over a light breakfast.

Nominations for The Deadlys are open! If you know someone deserving of an Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander music, entertainment or community award nominate them now.

Today’s quote is about the essence of writing YA

Too many adults wish to ‘protect’ teenagers when they should be stimulating them to read of life as it is lived – Margaret A Edwards

If you’re a YA writer, share with us what age group you’re pitching your book at…

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