
Category: Awards
Very exciting news!
PRESS RELEASE
September 27, 2020
Christmas Press is absolutely delighted to announce that Jenny Blackford’s fabulous middle-grade novel, The Girl in the Mirror, which we published in our Eagle Books imprint in 2019, is the winner of the Best Children’s Crime Novel category in the 2020 Davitt Awards.
The Awards, which were presented by legendary Scottish crime writer Val McDermid in a virtual ceremony yesterday, Saturday September 26, featured a shortlist of 24 books across six categories. You can find the video of the ceremony here.
Prestigious annual awards with a 20-year history, the Davitts are run by the Sisters in Crime Australia literary organisation and showcase the best crime novels by Australian women writers.
The Girl in the Mirror, an enthralling mix of murder mystery, time slip and ghost story, is the debut middle-grade novel of acclaimed poet and short story writer Jenny Blackford. Illustrated with atmospheric black and white pictures by Fiona McDonald, the novel has received wide acclaim, with reviewers praising its ‘clever storytelling’ (Buzz Words), ‘silky smooth prose’ (Compulsive Reader) and its ‘enjoyable and revelatory’ qualities (ReadPlus). As Geoffrey McSkimming writes in the back cover quote, it is truly a ‘spine-tingling winner.’
Publishing director of Christmas Press, Sophie Masson, said, ‘Jenny initially submitted her novel to us some time ago in one of our open submissions period, and it immediately caught the eye of our commissioning editor Beattie Alvarez, for its haunting atmosphere, gripping narrative and sharp, evocative writing. We loved working with Jenny and are very proud to have published The Girl in the Mirror. We warmly congratulate Jenny on this very well-deserved win and thank the Davitt Awards judges and Sisters in Crime Australia for supporting the best in crime fiction by Australian women writers.’
Lucy Newton, Little Witch, shortlisted for prestigious award!
We are delighted to announce that Phoebe McArthur’s fabulous chapterbook, Lucy Newton, Little Witch, has been shortlisted for the prestigious Book of the Year Awards from Speech Pathology Australia, in the 5-8 year old category. This is wonderful news indeed!
Big congratulations go to Phoebe McArthur for creating such an engaging, lively and fun book–and for the fantastic recognition of the shortlisting.
You can see the official announcement from Speech Pathology Australia, and a list of all shortlisted books, here.
Congratulations, Ingrid!
Congratulations to wonderful illustrator Ingrid Kallick, whose gorgeous illustration for Charlotte McConaghy’s story, Wolfskin and the Huntress, in our Once Upon A Christmas anthology(edited and compiled by Beattie Alvarez, published 2014) has just won the Society of Illustrators (USA) Bronze Medal for Children’s Illustration! It has also been chosen to feature in the Society of Illustrators’ big show in Los Angeles.
We are absolutely delighted!
Fantastic news: we have won a small business grant from Australia Post!

