Anna Battese is a bookworm, baker and children’s book maker. Once a marine biologist, she now spend her days writing children’s stories full of adventure, heart and the occasional (but always friendly) shark.
The first two stories of Anna's first junior fiction series, PD McPem’s Agency for Mysterious Mysteries are out now with Yellow Brick Books, with more to follow in 2023!
Anna lives in Naarm-Melbourne with her small girl, their mischievous labradoodle and an imaginary octopus named Hans Gruber.
WHAT CYA CONFERENCE DID FOR ME
In 2017, I joined a writer's group in Melbourne with bright-eyes, high hopes and precisely no idea about the children's publishing industry. When one of those wonderful group members suggested I go along with them to the CYA Conference, I signed up - thinking it would be a fun weekend talking about books with the added bonus of a small escape to the Brisbane sun.
As it turned out, it was fun and there was certainly sun, but there was also new networks and friends, a huge amount of learning and invaluable encouragement and feedback from publishers. The feedback I received in 2017 encouraged me to turn a picture book I'd submitted into a chapter book, which was then requested by two publishers in 2018. Sadly that one didn't quite make it through BUT the year after, I met with Rowena and Georgie from Yellow Brick about a new junior fiction series I'd written, PD McPem and the Agency for Mysterious Mysteries. Luckily for me, they loved PD and I loved Yellow Brick and so PD will very shortly be making her way into the world!
I'm so grateful that I've had the opportunity to attend CYA - it's the highlight of my writing year (did I mention the fun/sun?) and I've grown so much as a writer from the experiences I've had there. Thanks Tina and the CYA team!
