Nan Chauncy Award – a Book Week celebration

Maureen Mann shares the highlights of the Nan Chauncy Award and presentation to James Moloney at the 2019 CBCA Book of the Year Awards. Living at Chauncy Vale in the southern Midlands, Nan Chauncy holds a special place in our hearts as her books created a strong sense of place that connected both the Tasmanian landscape and the indigenous inhabitants. 

Well done to James Moloney who was announced as the recipient of the 2019 Nan Chauncy Award. This biennial award honours individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Australian Children’s literature.

The Nan Chauncy Award was created in 1983 in recognition of her input to children’s literature and to continue to acknowledge those who have been significant contributors.

The Award has two parts: a citation written by the judges (this year from Tasmania, ACT and NSW) and a commemorative plaque, traditionally a box made from Tasmanian timbers. I was delighted, as coordinator, to have one of my favourite authors recognised by the judges – and no, I had no say in the selection process.

James and Karen Moloney

Here is this year’s citation:

The recipient of the 2019 CBCA Nan Chauncy Award for outstanding contribution to Australian children’s literature is James Moloney.

A multi award-winning author and passionate advocate for children’s literature, James has encouraged generations of young people, especially boys, to read for pleasure. His commitment to the children's literature industry in Australia is further demonstrated through his participation on the Australia Council and in his advocacy for Public Lending Right and Education Lending Right.

James is more than a creator of excellent children’s literature. He is a passionate advocate for literacy and encouraging children to read. His investigation of the importance of building a reading culture amongst boys and active engagement with young people in a variety of settings has influenced many children by his attendance at literature festivals, school workshops and public library programs, as well as his writings aimed at helping parents. As writer-in-residence in schools he has not only influenced young writers to “respect language and its ability to shape and change lives” while also demonstrating this skill through his own writings, but also the participating educators.

Since the publication of Crossfire in 1992, James’ has published more than forty books, and many of his titles have been recognised through awards and shortlists. His most recent publication The Young Vikings, is included in the 2019 CBCA Notable Books.  He has demonstrated his understanding of young readers: his successful titles range from those for beginning readers through to more sophisticated older teenagers. His influence and impact in encouraging young people to read can be traced beyond his writing career to his time as a Teacher Librarian.

To quote James himself, “The novel is a powerful means of communication in Australian culture.” Through Dougy, Gracey and Angela, James brought insight into the lives and experiences of Aboriginal young people and into the lives of many young Australians.  As a non-Aboriginal writer, he said, “Writing about it, exploring it through story is a valuable way of encouraging intellectual discourse…thinking, discussing, arguing, becoming self-aware and moving, ever so slowly, towards understanding.”

James Moloney - acceptance speech

-James has willingly committed time to encouraging literacy and reading beyond his paid author duties, continually demonstrating his responsiveness, generosity and outreach to others. He has been Quiz Master at Queensland CBCA Readers’ Cup events. He has undertaken online book-gigs to help students in small regional schools, over the last twenty or so years. All papers to do with his writing career have been donated to the State Library of Queensland.

Several of his books have been translated into French, Korean, Lithuanian and Dutch, spreading Australian cultural concepts and proving that many of his themes are universal: family, love, belonging, body image, rites of passage, mateship/friendship, identity, disability and racial issues. His peers hold him in high esteem. As his nominator said “Over four decades, Moloney’s contribution to children's literature has been fundamental to framing an Australian identity. His work is ground-breaking in reflecting race and masculinity. His sense of place and depiction of Australia as character has allowed young readers to identify with this truly unique Australian landscape.”

And the judges concluded with: James Moloney is indeed a very worthy recipient for the 2019 CBCA Nan Chauncy Award for his outstanding and committed contribution to Australian children’s literature.

Have a look at James’ own website to see just how many books he’s written. http://www.jamesmoloney.com.au/index.html Do you have a favourite?

Leanne Rands (CBCA Tasmania President, James Moloney,
& Margaret Hillel (CBCA National Chair)

The next Nan Chauncy Award will be made in 2021 but it’s not too early to start thinking about who you might like to nominate for this prestigious award. You can view past recipients on the CBCA website.

And we mustn’t forget the Book of the Year Awards which were announced at the same function on Friday in Melbourne. If you haven’t already seen them, here’s the link to the list of winners and honour books. https://www.cbca.org.au/winners-2019  Congratulations to all concerned, especially to Daniel Gray-Barnett, Tasmanian-based winner of the Award for New Illustrators.

Maureen Mann
Nan Chauncy Award Coordinator

Editor's note: There are several posts collated on our blog about Nan Chauncy, her books, Chauncy Vale and the award. 

The CBCA Nan Chauncy Award: Call for Nominations

Call for Nominations for
THE CBCA NAN CHAUNCY AWARD

A BIENNIAL AWARD OF THE CHILDREN’S BOOK COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA 

From the late 1950s until the early 1970s, Nan Chauncy was one of the most esteemed children’s writers in Australia. She distinguished herself by winning the Australian Children’s Book of the Year three times, had three titles commended in the following seven years and gained international recognition, including receiving a Diploma of Merit in the Hans Christian Andersen Award (Eastman, B. 2000; Lees, S. & Macintyre, P. 1993; Niall, B. 1984).

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

The CBCA Nan Chauncy Award has been created to honour a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of Australian Children’s Literature over a period of years. Such a person could be an editor, publisher, teacher, librarian, bookseller, researcher, lecturer, author, illustrator, etc.

The recipient of the Award must be an Australian citizen, no matter where resident, or a person who has been resident in Australia for at least five years. The recipient need not be a member of a Branch of the Children’s Book Council of Australia.

Financial and Life Members of CBCA may nominate eligible people. All nominations must be on the official form, obtainable from the Children’s Book Council of Australia Branches and the National Board. Nominees must be living at the time nominations close.

Nominations close on 31 March, 2017.

If you have any queries, please write to:

The Coordinator, CBCA Nan Chauncy Award,
Level 2, State Library of Queensland,
Stanley Place,
South Brisbane. 4101.

Entry forms and advice to nominators are also available from your Branch office, the National Board and the CBCA web site: http://cbca.org.au/other-cbca-awards

Jenni Connor, Nan Chauncy Award coordinator

Editor's note: Nan Chauncy is dear to the hearts of Tasmanian readers and CBCA members as Chauncy Vale is located in the island state and is the source of inspiration for many of her stories. The following list of previous blog posts about Nan and this award are presented chronologically, starting with the most recent, for those who like to know more about this remarkable writer.

15 May 2016 Finding Nan Chauncy's Lorenny

27 September 2015 A place to call home

8 August 2015 Nan Chauncy Travelling Suitcase comes to Kingston LINC

1 June 2015 Nan Chauncy - A children's author ahead of her time

30 March 2015 Nan Chauncy Award

2 March 2015 Part 1: Nan Chauncy in the Lu Rees Archives of Australian Children's Literature Inc

Finding Nan Chauncy’s Lorenny

Join Richard as he explores the geographical location of Nan Chauncy’s Lorenny series in the deep south west of Tasmania.

One of the unexpected outcomes of the 2015 Nan Chauncy celebrations was my discovery of the Tiger in the Bush / Devils’ Hill / Roaring 40 trilogy (thanks to Patsy for lending me the series). The mingling of fact and fiction certainly had me scouring the maps, Google Earth, and old photos of the area.

The series is about the adventures of Badge Lorenny, (short for badger, a misnomer for wombat) and his family who live in an isolated valley in South West Tasmania. My interest was piqued when I became aware that access to this isolated valley was a wire rope, “The Wire”, over the Gordon River. I immediately (and quite erroneously) thought this was a direct reference to a flying fox over the Gordon River that I had used in 1983 to walk into the Vale of Rasselas.

 

My obsession with the geography of the series began. My first impression that Lorenny farm was approached northwards over a flying fox at Gordon Bend was incorrect; it was approached from Badge’s uncle Link’s farm near Ouse. Is it too long a bow to think Lorenny derived from Lawrenny, a hamlet just south of Ouse? On a map, Badge described it as “the dingy space between the upper bend of the Gordon River and Denison Ranges”.  

Badge’s Dad describes a track from Uncle Link’s place down the Vale of Rasselas to Gordon Bend past Gordon Vale “where Ernie Bond used to live” to Adamsfield. Ernie Bond was a real character who lived in the Vale of Rasselas until 1950. The track is the Frodsham Track, cut in 1896.

Arches Hill where Badge and his sister Iggy walked in Tiger in the Bush are probably inspired by the arch on Mt Wright. The approach to this arch is clearly not bush as in the Tiger in the Bush nor could two children get there in a day from the farm.

In the Author’s Note in Tiger in the Bush, Nan thanks amongst others “the first woman to scale Mt Anne, Eve Masterman”. She omitted to say that Eve was Nan’s sister. I had the honour of meeting Eve at a CBCA picnic at Chauncy Vale in February 2012. Though deaf she was still quite spry and very interested in bushwalking. I expect much of the inspiration for the “geography” of this series was derived from Eve and her bushwalking friends. Much more inspiring than the geography of New York or dystopian Chicago which appears in many YA books (even by Australian authors).

Richard on top of the Arch

Richard Pickup
Bushwalker

A place to call home

Jenni Connor shares her thoughts on special places in children's literature and how this love of home is portrayed in Nan Chauncy's books. In October you can join us with a special visit to Chauncy Vale - information is at the end of the post.

I’ve been pondering the source of the appeal that drew me to my favourite childhood stories – Wind in the Willows, Famous Five and Secret Seven, The Secret Garden, Swallows and Amazons etc. It was of course, partly the fact that children escaped the clutches of the adults who aimed to thwart their instinct for adventure; and that, once released, the children ventured where I could not go and did what was forbidden or impossible for me – sailing , fishing, exploring, risk-taking. These lucky escapees combined adventure with camaraderie; an irresistible allure for an only, lonely child. And, thank heavens I could join them through my imagination and the power of the authors’ words.

Another strong emotional pull came from the fact that many of the stories also featured ‘home-making’, reflecting the human need for a place to call one’s own, to decorate to one’s taste, to cook, eat and relax in. Food, fire, friendship, warmth and safety from ‘the wild out there’; from picture book to adult novel, these qualities draw and reassure us.

In Wind in the Willows, my heart warmed at the description of the gipsy caravan: ‘It was indeed very compact and comfortable. Little sleeping bunks…a cooking stove, lockers, bookshelves and a bird-cage with a bird in it; and pots, pans, jugs and kettles of every size and variety’.

Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit obviously shares my obsession with creature comforts as he describes his hobbit-hole: ‘It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle and carpeted, provided with polished chairs and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats – the hobbit was fond of visitors’.

Cave entrance © D Madden-Hallett

Nan Chauncy’s love of home and hearth comes through in the Horn Book article quoted in the CBCA Tas. brochure about Nan: ‘…I live in the little house I once watched being built. No electricity, only the soft light of the oil lamp and the dogs snoring on the skin mat, the iron kettle singing in praise of simple things – come to think of it, this is what my books for children are all about’.

Back wall of cave © D Madden-Hallett

We get another glimpse of Nan’s affection for both landscape and home-making as she describes Cherry looking around ‘at the now familiar line of open caves, the rugged rocks, and the hollow which held the reedy tarn, and away to the outline of far ranges’. Then, being a female of her times, Cherry goes inside to sweep the cave floor and create shelves for the goat’s milk dairy. (I hope those boys were hunting and gathering!)

Eve's bath © D Madden-Hallett

As a child, I used to ‘adventure’ in the sandstone caves at Howrah Beach. Danielle Madden-Hallett, ecologist, artist and member of the Chauncy Vale Committee, tells me that the caves made famous in the movie They Found a Cave are far more interesting. Danielle tells me that you can see a variety of native orchids in all seasons, Tasmanian Devils – or signs thereof – Wallabies and Pademelons, Eastern-barred Bandicoots, Spotted-tail Quolls, Grey Goshawk, Tasmanian Masked Owl and, if you’re lucky, a breeding pair of Wedge-tailed Eagles. You can watch wrens and robins and wander through interesting remnant eucalyptus vegetation in the amazing fresh air of this distinctive Tasmanian bushland setting.

Day Dawn, Chauncy Vale © D Madden-Hallett

To have these experiences with informed guides at your side and to see Nan’s famous Day Dawn Cottage, come to the Picnic in the Vale on Sunday 11 October, 11 am- 2 pm: www.cbcatas.org – events. It’s the finale of our Year of Celebration of Nan Chauncy, so don’t miss it! Book your place for friends and family - and your picnic hamper - here!

Jenni Connor

Editor’ note: Our thanks to Danielle Madden-Hallett, Senior Ecologist, Danato Environmental Services for the beautiful (copyrighted) images of Chauncy Vale.