Emma Mactaggart is based in Toowoomba (in South East Queensland), and the Child Writes program is her brainchild. The program began in 2005, as Emma combined her love of children’s literacy with her desire to promote community respect for children by giving them a voice.
Believing everyone has the right to see their words in print has become a slight obsession for Emma. This has inspired her latest publishing project – the ‘how to’ guide for inspiring writers. Child Writes: Creating a Children’s Picture book is Child’s Play, was published in May 2012 and it won a GOLD Best Non-Fiction Adult eBook at the 2012 IPPY Awards. Emma was a finalist in the 2014 Condamine Alliance Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Cultural Heritage and a Finalist in the 2012 QRRRWN Strong Leadership Awards.
Her latest children’s picture book, Imagine, illustrated by Ester De Boer has just won a GOLD Best Children’s Illustrated eBook at the 2015 IPPY Awards in New York, USA and one of the illustrations, ‘Lyrebird’ was selected for exhibition in the Book Illustrated Gallery, for the Asian Festival for Children’s Content in Singapore.
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