So Far…
2022

- Boogie Woogie Bird is released!
- The SCBWI Queensland Sunshine Coast Lighthouse Residency dream finally came to fruition after several COVID-related delays in 2021. The best part wasn’t being the first kidlit author-in-residence in this magnificent space; it was sharing it with four talented children’s book creators. Many thanks to the Sunshine Coast Council and the Friends of the Caloundra Lighthouses for making this opportunity available.

2021
- Literary agent Lucy Irvine of Peters, Fraser & Dunlop Literary Agency (PFD) offers representation.
- The Remarkables wins the 2021 Times / Chicken House / IET 150 Prize
- The Remarkables is one of three titles on the 2021Times / Chicken House / IET 150 Prize SHORTLIST
- The Remarkables makes the long list in the 2021 Times / Chicken House / IET 150 Prize. My first INTERNATIONAL award!
- The Remarkables wins First Place in the YA category of the CYA Conference 2021 competition.
- Hosted SCBWI QLD’s Bibliotherapy Symposium – Kids, Helpers & Books that Heal, an online event that unpacked bibliotherapy and the children’s publishing niche devoted to creating books for kids’ helping professionals and social-emotional wellbeing.
- Signed a publishing agreement with Redback Publishing for my picture book manuscript Boogie Woogie Bird, illustrated by Sandra Severgnini
- Historical Novel Society Australasia Elizabeth Jane Corbett Mentorship Prize Winner – The Remarkables, Mentor: Dr Wendy Dunn
- A new resource book, Babysitting Business Secrets by Matt Taylor, is released (I’m a contributing editor)
2020
- Historical Novel Society Australasia Elizabeth Corbett Mentorship Prize Shortlist – The Remarkables
- Kidsit.com Contributor and Editor
- Revamping Saving Arcadia
- New ARA (State Director) of SCBWI Queensland, a division of SCBWI Australia East/ New Zealand
- Presenter at SCBWI QLD Autumn Quarterly Meeting
2019
- SCBWI – QLD ARA (State Director)
- SCBWI – QLD State Conference Executive Committee
- Presenter at SCBWL QLD State Conference
- Awarded arts grant – Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) from Arts Queensland and the Sunshine Coast Council for a mentorship with a top Australian kidlit author – Dee White
- Artist-in-Residence with Kellie Byrnes at the Crows Nest (photo below), Sunshine Coast Council Creative Spaces Initiative
- CBCA NSW Aspiring Writers’ Mentorship Program Longlist – Saving Arcadia
- CBCA Book Week Guest Author & Workshop Presenter – Saving Arcadia

2018
- SCBWI Queensland Sunshine Coast Sub-branch Coordinator
- Launches Sunshine Coast Writers’ Roundtable, building creative community
- CBCA Book Week Guest Author & Workshop Presenter
- Launches full-time writing career
2017
- Winner Australian Society of Authors Mentorship – Emerging Writers’ and Illustrators’ Mentorship Program supported by Copyright Agency Cultural Fund, Children’s category. Mentor: Catherine Bateson
- CBCA Book Week Guest Author & Workshop Presenter
2016
- Winifred Weatherby Saves the Century wins second place in Category 4b (MG) of the CYA Conference Competition.
- CBCA Book Week Guest Author & Workshop Presenter
- The Quest for the Scales of Time wins the runner-up position in WriteAway Spain.
- Ever learning, always revising, Ali rewrites last year’s manuscript, making it a richer Gaslamp Fantasy, best described as a Peter Pan/Indiana Jones mashup. Presenting: The Temple of Lost Time.
- A sequel, Flight of the Thunder Dragon, is well underway.
- Ali outlines a middle grade historical caper with STEM and a YA Rom Com Caper Underdawgs .
- Ali takes up a part-time employment opportunity in Marketing & Communications.
2015
- Screening Screen Use: Preparing Students for Healthy Technology Use published in Screen Education magazine [Issue 77, Autumn 2015]
- Toby Fitzroy & The Quest for the Scales of Time, a middle grade novel, is born and launched into the literary world, receiving requests for full manuscripts from five Australian publishers and one American agent. Unfortunately, no one claims it.
2014
- The Hunting of the Muse ranks 6th in the CYA Conference Competition (Middle Grade Category) and generates full MS requests from an Aussie publishing professional and an agent
- Ali wins a placement with AssistantPress.me as a blogging superhero (aka a Content Press Assistant)
- Ali completes Set for Life Senior Secondary and Middle School Life Skills curriculum package
2013
- Summer of the Silk Dragon is shopped to several major US publishers but doesn’t find a home.
- One Shandy Too Many short-listed and published on Australian Literature Review
- Foul Play at Winterfest submitted to a well-known mystery series for ghostwriting op
- 1:1 Learning with iPads: One Middle School’s Experience is published in Adolescent Success journal [Volume 13, Number 2]
2012
- Scorned won the Gold Coast Writers’ Festival Conference Contest
- Empty Nest got an honourable mention at the Gold Coast Writers’ Fest
- A New York literary agency signed Ali for Summer of the Silk Dragon.
2011
- Saving Aggie Blue placed second in CYA Conference Contest (YA Category)
- A Thousand Miles to Meet wasn’t short-listed in the CYA Contest, but it came in fifth place! (YA Category)
- Alison completes e-Quipped Digital Citizenship & Cybersafety curriculum package
2010
- Photophobia placed third in CYA Conference (YA category)
Pre-2010
- Ali’s Writing Apprenticeship
And while all of the above is going on, Ali is slowly building a freelance content creation business and blogging up a storm here and elsewhere on the web.
Ali is a proud member of:
- SCBWI Australia East\New Zealand
- Australian Society of Authors
- The Historical Novel Society
- Book Links
Ali Applauds
- The Pyjama Foundation – Literacy Mentoring for Kids in Care
Photo by Olia Gozha on Unsplash