Judge’s Pick in the JWFK Pitch It! Competition

In September this year, I entered Grey Finds a Home into Just Write For Kids Australia’s annual Pitch It! Competition — and I was genuinely thrilled (and a little stunned) to receive Judge’s Pick in the non-fiction picture book category.

Pitch It! is open to Australian writers of picture books, non-fiction picture books, junior fiction, and middle grade. The competition asks writers to craft a manuscript pitch worthy of a publisher’s attention. One that is focused, concise, and appealing, while clearly demonstrating voice, marketability, and writing ability. It’s a deceptively challenging task, especially when you’re trying to distil a whole book into a few carefully chosen words.

The judging panel were Kate Gordon, Aleesah Darlison, David Lawrence, Cassy Polimeni, and Katrina Germein. Knowing how experienced and thoughtful this panel is makes the recognition particularly meaningful.

Grey Finds a Home is a narrative non-fiction picture book, and pitching it required walking a careful line between factual clarity and emotional resonance. I wanted the pitch to reflect the heart of the story, grounded in real-world context, but told in a way that trusts young readers to observe, feel, and draw their own conclusions. One piece of advice the competition emphasised was starting with a strong, clear hook, and something I’ll carry forward into future pitches.

I’m incredibly grateful to Just Write For Kids Australia for creating opportunities like Pitch It!, and to the judges for their time, rigour, and encouragement of thoughtful children’s writing. This experience has given me a real confidence boost in both the project itself and my approach to pitching and I’m excited to keep developing Grey Finds a Home as I look ahead to the next steps.