Angie Cui is a Melbourne-based author with a love for children’s literature. Her articles have been circulated in publications such as ABC Everyday, SBS, Sydney Morning Herald, Kidspot, and 9Honey. Born in Harbin, China, Angie moved to Australia at 18. Her career path took a creative turn when she became the office manager for the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) VIC Branch, where she promotes reading among children and young adults. She’s also a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI), Writers Victoria and the Australian Society of Authors (ASA).
She calls her husband and two children the “ABC family” – four people, three cultures – Australian Bangladeshi and Chinese (her kids are Australian-born, and her husband is originally from Bangladesh). She loves the rich culture of her family’s languages and enjoys using them to tell stories.
She likes to play with words, twist letter sounds and write about lifestyle, languages, food, and cultural parenting. She wants children from diverse backgrounds to see themselves in the stories they read.
WHAT CYA CONFERENCE DID FOR ME
I attended CYA for the second time last year, and it was an incredible experience. I was thrilled to sign a book deal with Wombat Books following a manuscript assessment with Rochelle Stephens. My book Our Map is due to release on the 2nd of June 2025.
It was a last-minute decision to book that session, but I had a strong feeling Rochelle would connect with the particular manuscript I submitted. During our meeting, she was thorough and asked thoughtful questions, especially about why this manuscript was important to me. By the end of our session, I had a sense that she'd be interested in moving forward with it.
I also received interest from four other publishers via CYA, which really showed me the impact this conference has.
I’d absolutely recommend aspiring authors attend CYA. It's a fantastic platform to meet industry professionals and showcase your work, and the opportunities can be invaluable.
