Nan Chauncy Award

Wendy Rapee – the 2025 Nan Chauncy Award recipient 

Wendy Rapee is the 2025 recipient of the prestigious Nan Chauncy Award, which honours individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the field of Australian children’s literature. 

Wendy embodies the spirit of this award and deserves to be widely recognised for her passionate advocacy, courageous leadership, and sustained contribution to children’s literature and literacy in Australia spanning more than four decades. 

Driven by her belief in the power of stories to foster strong culture and social cohesion, Wendy is committed to helping young people access quality stories, and ensuring that creators are heard and celebrated. Through her education, publishing, and volunteer roles she has developed strong connections and is a compelling voice for inclusive storytelling and the transformative power of reading. 

Accomplishments 

After achieving academic qualifications in Sociology (BA English/History/Sociology) and Librarianship (BA Library & Information Science), Wendy began her career as a librarian at an independent school. 

Her background in education laid the groundwork for her transition to the educational publishing sector, where she has held diverse roles including in sales, marketing, editorial, and production management.  

She founded her own editorial, design, and production business, working with prestigious clients such as the Australian Museum, The School Magazine, Scholastic Australia, and the NSW  Independent Education Union (IEU). Her portfolio includes the development of acclaimed projects, including: 

  • ‘Yarning Strong’ (Series 1 & 2): A series designed to tell urban Indigenous stories by many esteemed Indigenous creatives, promoting cultural understanding and respect. 
  • ‘My Mum’s Got Cancer’ (Jane Curry Publishing): A sensitive narrative that addresses the challenges faced by families dealing with illness, helping children to understand and process difficult emotions. 
  • ‘A Spectacular Hat’ by Libby Gleeson (NSW Cancer Council): A story that promotes awareness of cancer and encourages discussions around health and wellbeing. 
  • ‘Primary Connections’ (Australian Academy of Science): An award-winning educational program that integrates science and literacy, and received the Australian Award for Excellence in Educational Publishing. 

Wendy is also a former General Manager of the Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA).  

Length of involvement 

A copy of Robert Louis Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verses given to Wendy for her third birthday inspired a lifelong love of children’s literature, and her commitment to promoting and supporting children’s literacy in both professional and voluntary roles over four decades. Her contribution to the sector has been guided by a strong desire to champion reading for pleasure and nurture a culture of storytelling among young people. 

Wendy has been an active member of the CBCA since joining the NSW Branch in 2001. Her extensive contribution was recognised with CBCA NSW Branch Life Membership in 2021. At a branch level, Wendy’s leadership roles include Vice President and editor/designer of several publications including Book Beat, Book Buzz and iREAD. Wendy has twice served as NSW Director on the CBCA Board (2013–2016 and 2020–2024). 

National initiatives 

Wendy’s enduring impact is particularly evident through her inclusive and collaborative leadership as the National Chair of the CBCA from 2020 to 2024.  

She assumed the role at a time of significant change globally, locally and for the CBCA. During her tenure, Wendy faced the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and effectively ensured the continuity and growth of the CBCA’s activities. 

As National Chair, she worked tirelessly to reinvigorate the CBCA with positive change and refocused the organisation by keeping its mission to connect, communicate, celebrate, and advocate for the value of stories central to every action.  

This strengthening of national cohesion by aligning the Board with member branches, by embracing new ideas, and by guiding the development of a new strategic plan all contributed to successfully repositioning the CBCA in a rapidly evolving publishing and education environment. 

Significant among her achievements: 

  • As a champion of innovation, Wendy played a pivotal role in establishing the CBCA Shadow Judging Book of the Year Awards as a national program in 2022 to give young people a voice in the judging process and ensure the Book of the Year Awards remain relevant to young readers.  
  • Wendy’s strong commitment to education and collaboration is illustrated by her collaboration with Alyson Simpson from the University of Sydney in creating a program of online modules that she called Illuminating Australian Children’s Literature ,designed to help adults engage with high-quality Australian children’s literature through discussion based on BOYA shortlisted titles.  
  • Wendy’s proficiency in graphic design and marketing can been seen in a range of innovative Children’s Book Week merchandise which has fostered excitement around reading among children, parents, teachers, and librarians.  
  • Curious Creatures, Wild Minds at Taronga Zoo: Wendy collaborated with the NSW Branch to secure a grant for a virtual event that connected children’s authors and illustrators with young audiences, and ensured that, despite challenging times, literature remained accessible. 

Wendy continues to contribute to the CBCA nationally in her roles as a member of the Awards and Governance subcommittees and National Shadow Judging Convenor. 

Advocacy 

Wendy is a passionate advocate for inclusive storytelling. She has served as a judge for various prestigious awards, including the Australian Awards for Excellence in Educational Publishing and the Australian Publishers Association Design Awards. Through her public commentary and op-eds, she contributes to discussions on the importance of children’s literature in fostering literacy and cultural understanding. 

Conclusion 

Overall, Wendy Rapee’s extensive contributions to Australian children’s literature, her impactful national leadership of the CBCA, and her dedication to advocacy make her a distinguished recipient of the Nan Chauncy Award. Her work celebrates the significance of children’s literature, and enhances its relevance and accessibility, ensuring that young readers are inspired and engaged with stories that matter. 

Download a copy of the citation

About the award

The Nan Chauncy Award honours a person, or a collaborative partnership, who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of Australian children’s literature over a period of years. They could be an editor, publisher, author, illustrator, teacher, librarian, bookseller, researcher, lecturer or other. A collaborative partnership would be a long-term professional association that’s recognised and well-known.

The recipient or recipients of the award must be Australian citizens, or a resident in Australia for at least five years. The recipient does not need to be a member of the Children’s Book Council of Australia.

Financial and life members of CBCA may nominate eligible people. All nominations must use the official form. Nominees must be living at the time nominations close.

Nan Chauncy

Nan Chauncy (1900–1970) was one of the most esteemed children’s writers in Australia. She won the CBCA Book of the Year Award three times and had seven other titles commended.

CBCA Book of the Year Award:

  • Tiger in the Bush (1958 winner)
  • Devil’s Hill (1959 joint winner)
  • Tangara (1961 winner)

Nan Chauncy’s contribution to children’s literature was recognised internationally. She was the first Australian author to receive the Hans Christian Anderson Award diploma of merit.

History

The CBCA instituted the Nan Chauncy Award in 1983, in recognition of the writer’s significance in the history of literature for young Australians.

From 1983 to 1998, the Nan Chauncy Award was presented every five years. At the CBCA’s AGM in 1999 it was decided that the award be given biennially.

Previous winners

2023 – Jenny Stubbs

Jenny Stubbs is the 2023 recipient for the prestigious Nan Chauncy Award, which honours individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the field of Australian children’s literature.

Citation

Jenny personifies all the qualities and attributes to merit this award with her unparalleled commitment and significant achievements in the field. She has dedicated her life to promoting and supporting children’s literature. Jenny is a respected and much-loved legend in the world of Australian children’s literature. She is admired for her achievements and capacity to influence children, older students, authors, illustrators, and educators. 

Jenny has made influential contributions in her roles as a teacher-librarian for over 40 years and as a director, coordinator and member of many organisations and charities, including the CBCA (QLD branch), the Ipswich District Teacher-Librarian Network (IDTLN), Book Links QLD, ASLA and QLD School Library Association.

The nature of her contribution to Australian Children’s literature is multifaceted, as follows:

Advocacy: Jenny actively promotes the dissemination of Australian books and the enjoyment of reading amongst children and their families by providing and supporting inspiring literary experiences such as author/illustrator visits, workshops, festivals, and literary competitions. She has coordinated the writing competitions for aspiring writers and online discussions (Bookraps). She consistently supports independent booksellers, giving them space and visibility at literary events and actively promotes them in social media and other channels. Furthermore, Jenny is a fierce and passionate advocate for diverse voices in literature.

Mentorship: Jenny supports published and emerging book creators with networking and professional development opportunities, as well as channels for authors and illustrators to connect with their readers. She also mentors and guides teachers and other professionals in the library industry creating opportunities that have made an amazing difference for children and book creators. She has influenced successful children’s literature ambassadors such as Yvonne Mes who described Jenny as; “a powerhouse in the industry and her networks wide-reaching in Australia and beyond”. 

In her work as head of the IDTLN, Jenny shares her wealth of knowledge and is an inspiration for its members, always pursuing new ways to engage young readers, enrich their literary experiences and expand the reach of children’s literature. Under her leadership, the IDTLN meetings are occasions for members to seek advice, share successes and ideas and exchange valuable experiences. It is also a space for professional development, as Jenny always engages interesting presenters to further extend the network’s relevance and capabilities.

Jenny is inclusive of other industry workers in the Network and readily welcomes anyone who demonstrates a love for children’s literature and has a commitment to encouraging and supporting young people’s quality reading. 

Education: Generations of children have benefited from Jenny’s contagious enthusiasm for literature and stories, not only as class and library students but also as participants of the many vibrant events that she has created and coordinated over the years, in particular the StoryArts Festival Ipswich, held biennially since 1995. Jenny understands the learning potential of bringing book creators and readers together and established a database to facilitate author visits and workshops well before this became a well-known practice. 

Jenny promotes Australian children’s literature and creators at art exhibits, such as the Book Links Storyart Exhibition at Richard Randall Art Studio, Mt. Coot-tha Gardens, featuring works of several illustrators and the recent Piano Fingers exhibition with Caroline Magerl at The Lighthouse Toowoomba.

Jenny is involved in the Narelle Oliver Lecture, a yearly event featuring prominent ambassadors of children’s literature, this year welcoming Australian Children’s Laureate Gabrielle Wang, Romancing the Stars, an evening where children’s books enthusiasts gather to meet authors and illustrators and learn about their published and upcoming works. Jenny has a leadership role in organizing the Travelling Suitcases Project, The Read In!, Ipswich Poetry Feast, Kids Lit Quiz Australia and more. She also established and developed the state-wide Queensland Readers Cup and has assisted other CBCA branches to organise their own competition.

Furthermore, Jenny works hard every year to produce a quality book of ideas and activities around the Children’s Book Week Theme and its corresponding shortlisted books. Leading a group of IDTLN volunteers, she creates content, edits material, and coordinates this well-known production that helps classrooms and libraries all over Australia to celebrate Book Week. The IDTLN uses the sale proceeds to fund the Storyarts Festival, making it possible for students and families in the Ipswich area to attend a quality literary event, free of charge. Some of the proceeds are also donated to the Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards Foundation. 

Jenny Stubbs has been deservedly recognised with previous awards, including the Dromkeen Librarians Award (2002), the Dame Annabelle Rankin Award (2009) and the Johnno Award (2010). 

Overall, Jenny’s enthusiasm for the promotion of children’s literature is contagious, she understands that children have a natural curiosity about books as no other writing lodges so deeply into their memory as the books they meet in their childhood. Her achievements and dedication are a glimpse of a lifetime of selfless dedication. Jenny Stubbs has made an outstanding contribution to the field of Australian Children’s Literature.

Nan Chauncy Award Coordinator
Leanne Rands (Victorian Branch)

Committee Judges
Claire Jackson (Queensland Branch)
Liz Bowring (NSW Branch)
Erin Young (Tasmanian Branch)

Guidelines

Advice to nominators

It is important to note that nominations can be judged only on the written evidence provided and that the selection panel will decide the winner by comparing the evidence presented in each nomination.

  1. Nominators should use the word limit allowed to provide detailed evidence to do justice to their nominee or nominees.
  2. Nominators should consult appropriate people, if necessary, to give a full account of their nominee or nominee’s achievements. They need to provide all the information they wish to be taken into consideration.
  3. Material from published sources is not admissible, except for brief quotations. The bulk of the nomination must be in the nominator’s own words.
  4. The 1000-word limit will be strictly adhered to. Any additional material will not be considered by the judges.
  5. Nominations are to be accompanied by 2 or 3 testimonials and can include information and links to appropriate social media.
  6. The closing date for nominations (Friday 6 June 2025) will be strictly observed. Late entries will not be accepted.

In order that the Selection Panel can compare the relative merit of nominated candidates for the Award, nominators should address the following criteria.

  1. The nature of the nominees’ contribution to the field of Australian literature for children and young people.
  2. The period over which the contribution has been made.
  3. Any exceptional input to the field above and beyond their remunerated role/s.
  4. An explanation of the impact of the individual on colleagues and the public.
  5. Evidence to support the claims made in the nomination.

Dr Mark Macleod
The Coordinator, Nan Chauncy Award
Email: tas@cbca.org.au

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