Introducing this year's Early Harvest guest author - Amelia Mellor!
Every year, student editors invite a guest author to contribute a piece of writing to our annual Early Harvest publication. This year, we are thrilled to announce that Melbourne-based author (and teacher) Amelia Mellor! Amelia's poem – (How the Wise Old Sea Witch Saved) The Little Mermaid – will sit alongside writing from primary school students across Victoria in this year's anthology. Tales From Deep Below.
“When I was approached to be part of this collection," says Amelia, "my recent trip to the Great Barrier Reef gave me inspiration for a contribution almost immediately." Our student editors have worked with Amelia to get her poem ready for publication, including commissioning an illustration from Grade 5 artist Belle Hart, and providing Amelia with feedback on her poem. "Responding to the students' editorial suggestions was a lot easier than my normal process because I didn't have to change anything about the plot!"
Amelia is a teacher by day, who has been described by one of her students as "the embodiment of enthusiasm!" Since she was wanted to be a writer since she was three years old, and wished to work in a shop surrounded by books she had written. Her novel The Grandest Bookshop in the World was published last year, and won a bunch of awards (maybe she can line the walls of her dream bookshop with her books and trophies!) Amelia is now working on a prequel (The Bookseller's Apprentice) that will be released in 2022, and we can't wait to read it!
Our editors are busy putting the finishing touches on Tales From Deep Below ahead of its launch in November. Looking back over her experience, editor Lexie says “ I loved it so much. I learned how a real book is made and how to advocate for your beliefs. I think I’m more confident now. I used to be really shy and I would never talk about my ideas, so it’s nice to have a sense of self-esteem.”
We can't wait to read Amelia's poem and all of the other wonderful writing from children and young people.
