The Lady Cutler Award

For Distinguished Service to Children’s Literature in NSW

Call for the 2010 Nominations are now open! Forms must be received by Sept 30th. Lady Cutler Dinner 2010 will be held at the Drummoyne Sports Club, Tuesday October 26.

 Lady Cutler Nomination Form

Background

The Lady Cutler Award commemorates the contribution to the Children’s Book Council NSW Branch by Lady Helen Cutler. Lady Cutler was the first and only patron of the Children’s Book Council NSW Branch, accepting the appointment in 1966, when her husband Sir Roden Cutler became Governor of New South Wales. Lady Cutler had an abiding interest in children and children’s literature and she and Sir Roden were regular visitors to Book Week celebrations, enjoying in particular the children and their spontaneous lack of ceremony. Even after Sir Roden’s retirement, Lady Cutler continued as Patron of the CBC NSW Branch until her death.

 Lady Cutler saw her role as one of service to the community. She recognised the needs of children and encouraged CBC members to advance the cause of children’s literature throughout the state. While many do make a significant contribution in this area, their work is often unrecognised, so, in 1981 the NSW Committee, headed by then President, Edward Coffey, inaugurated the Lady Cutler Award, with sponsorship from Hodder & Stoughton Australia (later Hodder Headline Australia).

 The Award

The Lady Cutler Award is an annual award presented for Distinguished Service to Children’s Literature, the accent being on Service. A recipient of the award, then, will have given service well beyond his or her professional association with children’s literature. Such service may have come in one or more ways:

• Helping raise the standard of children’s literature through activities and vigorous work with the Children’s Book Council and other associated organisations
• Raising consciousness of the value of literature to children through speaking to or working with parents’ groups and community organisations
• Bringing literature to children themselves—working in schools, through literary dinners or luncheons, club activities, Children’s Book Week activities
• Raising standards through involvement in awards—judging, chairing, promoting
• Writing, lecturing, debating on areas of children’s literature, organising seminars and conferences relating to children’s literature
• Personal and professional assistance and encouragement to writers, illustrators and publishers of children’s books
• Being a resource person for the community ie. a bookseller, teacher, librarian to whom parents and interested persons turn for information, guidance and advice.

The recipient will have made a contribution primarily in New South Wales, but services nationally and internationally will be regarded as pluses.

The recipient need not necessarily be a member of the Children’s Book Council, but will be sympathetic to its aims and will always have contributed positively to the promotion of CBC related activities.

 The Lady Cutler Award shall be made annually and shall be announced and presented at a Lady Cutler Award Event.  The Award shall be administered by the committee of the Children’s Book Council of Australia  (NSW Branch) and sponsored by Hodder Headline Australia Pty Ltd.

Selection and Judging

1. The Selection and Judging Committee

1.     Copies of nominations should be sent to the judges for perusal and research three weeks prior to judging.

2.     The Selection and Judging Committee will comprise of the CBC NSW President and one other committee member, plus one representative from the State Library of New South Wales and one previous recipient of the award.

 

2. Alternative Members

1. If any member of the selection committee is unavailable, the CBC committee shall have the power to appoint an alternative.
2. If any member of the judging committee is nominated for the award they must stand down and the committee appoint an alternative.

3. Nominees

1. Nominees shall be or shall have been active in and supportive of the aims of the Children’s Book Council of Australia (NSW Branch) as set out in the constitution.
2. They shall have made a significant contribution to children’s literature in any of its facets, primarily in New South Wales.
3. Should there be a number of nominees in any year whom the judges consider equally meritorious of the Award, the judges shall then give preference to those for whom no other award or honour is available in the field of children’s literature.
4. A nominee who has been unsuccessful may be re-nominated without restriction in subsequent years.
5. The judges may withhold the award if they consider no person of sufficient merit has been nominated.
6. Nominees must be living at the time of nomination. In the event of the recipient dying after nomination, the award may be made posthumously.
7. The judges have the right to hold over nominations from year to year should they consider a nominee particularly outstanding.

Nominations

a.    Nominations should be made on an official nomination form which will be supplied with a stamped addressed envelope  on application to the Secretary of the NSW Branch of the CBC.

b.   Nominations shall be addressed to: The Lady Cutler Award, c/- The Children’s Book Council of Australia (NSW Branch), PO Box 765, Rozelle NSW 2039

c.    Invitation for nominations shall be published in the last newsletter prior to the year of the award and repeated in the first newsletter of the new year.

d.    Nominations must be made and seconded by members of the CBC.

e.    Nominations (which shall be no more than two A4 pages) shall be received up to one month prior to the presentation of the award. The judging panel shall advise the NSW Committee of their decision by no later than two weeks prior to the awards presentation.

Publicity

a.    Prior to the award, publicity will be given to the call for nominations in the CBC newsletter and in the Weekly Book Newsletter.

b.    Immediately after the announcement of the award the secretary shall send out a press release to NSW newspapers, the Weekly Book Newsletter, the APA, the ABA and other relevant organisations.

c.    The press release will name the recipient of the Lady Cutler Award and will give due recognition to the sponsor of the award—Hodder Headline Australia Pty Ltd.

Past Recipients of the Lady Cutler Award

1981        Eve Pownall

1982        Joyce Fardell

1983        Ena Noel

1984        Anne Ingram

1985        Walter Cunningham

1986        Patricia Wrightson

1987        Val Watson

1988        Lydia Pender

1989        Maurice Saxby

1990        Jean Chapman

1991        Margaret Hamilton

1992        June Smith

1993        Myra Lee

1994        Jean Ferguson

1995        Jean Walter Morgan

1996        Glenise Meldrum

1997        Libby Gleeson

1998        Kate Colley

1999        Miranda Harrowell

2000        Helen Sykes

2001        Mark Macleod

2002        Sandy Campbell

2003        Donna Rawlins

2004        Robin Morrow

2005       Val Noake

2006       Ernie Tucker

2007       Susanne Gervay 

2008       Dianne (Di) Bates