FRANCES WATTS
Frances Watts is the pen name of Ali Lavau, whose love of books is evident in her career path; she has been a bookseller, book reviewer and book editor as well as a writer of children’s books.

Born in Switzerland, Ali moved to Australia when she was three and grew up in Sydney and Melbourne. She studied English literature at Macquarie University, going on to teach in several courses, including Australian literature and children’s literature. After graduating with a PhD, she got her first job in publishing, as an editor for an educational publisher. From there she went to ABC Books as a children’s editor, before being invited to help establish a new children’s publishing house, Little Hare Books, as a commissioning editor. She is now a freelance editor of adult and children’s books, and is writing a series of junior novels, the first of which, Extraordinary Ernie and Marvellous Maud, is due for publication in June 2008..

Ali spent many inspiring years working with some of Australia’s foremost children’s authors and illustrators before, in 2005, writing a book of her own, Kisses for Daddy, under the name Frances Watts. This bestselling picture book - beautifully illustrated by David Legge - was an Honour Book in the 2006 CBCA Book of the Year Awards in the Early Childhood category. Parsley Rabbit’s Book about Books - her second book, and second collaboration with David Legge - was published in August 2007 and has been shortlisted for the 2008 CBCA Awards. Narrated by a remarkably handsome and clever rabbit called Parsley, it is all about…books! As well as introducing young children to all the elements of books - from the title page to the endpapers - it is a celebration of the joy of reading.

The joy of reading is what Frances most enjoys conveying to children, especially infants and primary students. She favours an interactive style of engaging with children, encouraging them to join her in talking about books and reading. As both a writer and editor of children’s books, she is in a unique position to talk about how books are made. As a writer she discusses both the writing process and turning ideas into books. As an editor who has worked on many popular and award-winning books (from Leigh Hobbs’ Old Tom picture books to Little Humpty by Margaret Wild & Ann James and Jan Ormerod’s Lizzie Nonsense and Water Witcher) she can speak knowledgeably about the publishing process - from the moment a book is first commissioned until it finally hits the shelves, including the editing process, bringing words and pictures together, and layout and design.

More information can be found at her website

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