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MIN READ
Our October Member Spotlight is Beverley McWilliams, multiple award-winning children’s writer based in South Australia.
Beverley has published three historical middle-grade novels: Bandoola (UWAP, 2026), Spies in the Sky (Pantera, 2023) and The Reindeer and the Submarine (Pantera, 2022). Spies in the Sky won the ARA Historical Novel Prize 2024, was shortlisted for the Readings Prize, and longlisted for the Booklinks Award for Historical Fiction. Beverley’s published picture books include Willow’s Gumboots which won Speech Pathology Book of the Year 2025 and was a CBCA notable.
In 2023, Beverley received an Arts SA Project Grant to live with a Karen community in rural Thailand as research for her novel Bandoola. Beverley also received a South Australian History Fund Grant to assist in researching her next historical novel, which is set in South Australia.
Beverley is joint regional coordinator of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SA Branch). She lives near the beach with her family and menagerie of pets, who provide endless inspiration.
Congratulations on the publication of Bandoola! It came from your pitch at one of ASA’s Virtual Literary Speed Dating events, can you tell us a little about that?
Thank you. Yes, I pitched Bandoola to Kate Pickard from UWA Publishing at the ASA Literary Speed Dating in March 2025. Following the event, Kate asked to see the full manuscript, and Bandoola was accepted for publication in May 2025.
What inspired you to begin a writing career?
Although I’ve always loved writing, I had a very different start to my career. I qualified in law and worked in corporate tax (not ideal for the creative spirit). When I moved to Australia from the UK, I had a young family and felt I couldn’t balance a job like that in a new country with four children, so I put my career on hold. Those first few years were very difficult, and I turned to writing as a comfort and to keep my brain active. In my heart, I hoped writing could become something more than a hobby. Then I published a non-fiction article about glow worms in The School Magazine. That validation gave me the confidence to keep going, and shortly after I contracted my first picture book, Born to Fly, with MidnightSun Publishing.
What do you know now that you wish you’d known at the start of your career?
To be honest, a lot of what I know now, I’m glad I didn’t know at the start of my career, or it might have put me off. It’s a tough industry. Most writers work incredibly hard for very little financial reward. You put your heart and soul into your writing, but you’ll still face endless rejections. You’ll constantly question if you’re really any good. You’ll cry when someone gives your book a one-star review on Goodreads. Then they’ll be those incredible moments that will make you feel validated, and that it’s all worthwhile. I’ve always been a bit of a dreamer, and I definitely began my writing career with a romantic notion of a writer’s life. I imagined my books as movies, translated world-wide, huge royalty cheques. Unfortunately, the reality for most of us is a long way from that. But I’ve learned to value what I do. There are still moments when I feel lost and I want to give up, but I know now that there’ll be something wonderful waiting around the corner. I’ve learned to hold on to those magical moments and delight in the fact that I’m writing books for my job (and not sitting in an office doing a company’s tax).
Which Australian authors or illustrators have been influential for you?
I started out writing non-fiction picture books, and I was very much inspired by the work of Claire Saxby. Her picture books cover topics I love to read and write about (animals, nature, history) and I was particularly drawn to her beautiful narrative non-fiction. I’m also passionate about historical fiction, especially stories set in World War Two. I love Katrina Nannestad’s historical middle-grade. Her books are so powerful and filled with warmth and hope.
I should also mention the amazing kidlit community in South Australia. I joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) very early in my writing journey, and they have a wonderful presence in SA. Writing can be an isolated occupation and being part of such a supportive and inspiring writing community has meant so much to me over the years.
Why are you a member of the ASA?
I really appreciate everything that the ASA does to advocate for and support Australian writers: the base rates of pay, the extension of PLR/ ELR and their ongoing work concerning AI. The ASA truly values writers, and it’s reassuring to have a body behind us that has our back and will fight for us. On a personal level, I’ve reached out to the ASA a few times for advice. I’ve also attended online workshops and several speed pitching events. I really value my membership and recommend the ASA to aspiring and published writers.
Find out more about Beverley McWilliams at beverleymcwilliams.com.
