Briony Stewart

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Briony Stewart
Born
Subiaco, Western Australia
NationalityAustralian
Occupation(s)Author and Illustrator
Years active2007–present
Children2
Website http://www.brionystewart.com

Briony Stewart is an Australian writer and illustrator of children's books. [1]

Contents

Career

Stewart's first book Kumiko and the Dragon [2] was published by University of Queensland Press after winning the inaugural Voices on the Coast Youth Literature Festival writing award. [3] Inspired by Stewart's Japanese grandmother, Kumiko and the Dragon won the Aurealis Award for Best Children's Short Fiction, [4] and was listed as a Notable book by the Children's Book Council of Australia [5] in 2008. Two sequels, Kumiko and the Dragon's Secret (released in 2010) [6] and Kumiko and the Shadow Catchers (released in 2011) [7] completed the series as a trilogy. Both books continue Kumiko's fantasy adventure, with similar references to folktale and Japanese mythology. In 2012 Stewart's book Kumiko and the Shadow Catchers won the Queensland Literary Awards Children's Book category. [8]

Stewart's first picture book, The Red Wheelbarrow was published by University of Queensland Press in 2012. [9] A wordless picture book inspired by the famous poem by William Carlos Williams, celebrating the beauty in small everyday moments. The book was shortlisted in the Australian Speech Pathology, Book of the Year Awards, [10] was a CBCA notable book, and in 2015 was selected by the International Board of Books for Young People (IBBY) to be part of its international silent books project, a travelling exhibition which was launched in June 2015 in Rome at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni. [11]

Stewart published a second picture book in 2014 entitled Here in the Garden [12] , a gentle book about loss and grief and acceptance as experienced by a child. Since the birth of her children in 2015 and 2017, Stewart has collaborated as illustrator on a number of different titles including a series of three picture books written by Australian Comedian Jimmy Rees. [13]

As a solo creator, Stewart wrote and illustrated two picture books about a cheeky dog named Magoo, [14] the first of which, We Love You Magoo won the 2021 Honour Book prize from the Children’s Book Council of Australia. [15]

Briony Stewart also made Accidentally Kelly Street a picture book adaptation of the 1993 song ‘Accidently Kelly Street’ by Melbourne music group Frente! The book uses the lyrics of the song as written by the group’s bassist, Tim O’Connor. The book has been praised by lead singer Angie Heart, as well as Myf Warhurst and Zan Rowe. [16]

In 2022 Briony Stewart and author Sherryl Clark jointly won the Prime Ministers Literary Award children’s literature category, for their junior fiction verse-novel Mina and the Whole Wide World. [17]

Stewart won the 2024 Children's Book of the Year Award: Early Childhood for her picture book Gymnastica Fantastica!. [18] The judges called it a "vibrant picture book [that] conveys so much energy and life which children will connect with immediately". [19]

Stewart's next picture book, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Tooth Fairy (and Some Things You Didn't) was shortlisted for the Children's Book of the Year Award: Early Childhood in 2025. [20]

Bibliography

As author and illustrator

As illustrator

References

  1. ↑ "Briony Stewart | AustLit: Discover Australian Stories". www.austlit.edu.au. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  2. ↑ Stewart, Briony (30 December 2007). "Kumiko and the dragon". University of Queensland Press. Retrieved 30 December 2022– via National Library of Australia (new catalog).
  3. ↑ "Shire of Kalamunda - Children's Book Week". www.kalamunda.wa.gov.au. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  4. ↑ Kemble, Gary Debut novelist wins top sf awards ABC News Australia . 28 January 2008.
  5. ↑ "Children's Book Council of Australia Notables 2008". Archived from the original on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  6. ↑ Stewart, Briony (30 December 2010). "Kumiko and the dragon's secret". University of Queensland Press. Retrieved 30 December 2022– via National Library of Australia (new catalog).
  7. ↑ Stewart, Briony (30 December 2011). "Kumiko and the shadow catchers". University of Queensland Press. Retrieved 30 December 2022– via National Library of Australia (new catalog).
  8. ↑ Remeikis, Amy (4 September 2012). "Winners announced in reborn literary awards". Brisbane Times . Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  9. ↑ Stewart, Briony (30 December 2012). "The red wheelbarrow". University of Queensland Press. Retrieved 30 December 2022– via National Library of Australia (new catalog).
  10. ↑ "Speak Out August 2013". speechpathologyaustralia.cld.bz. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  11. ↑ "Silent Books: IBBY official website". www.ibby.org. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  12. 1 2 Stewart, Briony (2014). Here in the garden. St Lucia, Queensland: University of Queensland Press. ISBN   9780702250101.
  13. ↑ https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/8649003?lookfor=author:%22Rees,%20Jimmy%22&offset=1&max=2
  14. ↑ https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/8539473?lookfor=magoo&offset=4&max=7
  15. ↑ https://www.cbca.org.au/winners-2021
  16. ↑ https://themusic.com.au/news/accidentally-kelly-street-now-children-s-book/IHc4MjU0NzY/19-11-22
  17. ↑ https://www.uqp.com.au/blog/mina-and-the-whole-wide-world-wins-at-the-2022-prime-ministers-literary-awards
  18. ↑ https://cbca.org.au/winners-2024/
  19. ↑ https://cbca.org.au/book/gymnastica-fantastica/
  20. ↑ https://cbca.org.au/2025-shortlist/
  21. ↑ "Notable Books 2008 Younger Readers". Archived from the original on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  22. ↑ Stewart, Briony (2007). Kumiko and the Dragon, University of Queensland Press, Australia. ISBN   978-0-7022-3619-8.
  23. ↑ Stewart, Briony (2010). Kumiko and the Shadow Catchers, University of Queensland Press, Australia. ISBN   978-0-7022-3780-5.
  24. ↑ "Children's Book Council of Australia Notables 2012". Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  25. ↑ Stewart, Briony (2011). Kumiko and the Shadow Catchers, University of Queensland Press, Australia. ISBN   978-0-7022-3874-1.
  26. ↑ Stewart, Briony (2012). The red wheelbarrow. St Lucia, Qld: University of Queensland Press. ISBN   9780702249259.
  27. ↑ "Early Childhood Notable Books 2013". Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  28. ↑ We love you, Magoo. Penguin Random House Australia. 2020. ISBN   9781760896904.
  29. ↑ https://www.cbca.org.au/winners-2021
  30. ↑ Where Are You Magoo. Penguin Random House Australia. 2021. ISBN   9781760896904.
  31. ↑ Gymnastica Fantastica!. Hachette Australia. 2023. ISBN   9780734421852.
  32. ↑ https://cbca.org.au/winners-2024/
  33. ↑ Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Tooth Fairy (and Some Things You Didn't). Lothian Children's Books. 2024. ISBN   9780734421883.
  34. ↑ https://cbca.org.au/2025-shortlist/
  35. ↑ The lion in our living room. Affirm Press. 2017. ISBN   9781925584226.
  36. ↑ Middleton, Emma; Stewart, Briony (2018). The bear in our backyard. South Melbourne, VIC: Affirm Press. ISBN   9781925584806.
  37. ↑ Nullaboo hullabaloo. North Sydney, NSW: Penguin Random House Australia. 2019. ISBN   9780143787143.
  38. ↑ https://cbca.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2020-BOYA-Notables.pdf
  39. ↑ https://cbca.blob.core.windows.net/documents/BookOfTheYear/2022/2022%20CBCA%20Notables%20-%20Critiques.pdf
  40. ↑ https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/8563903?lookfor=Mina%20and%20the&offset=3&max=787
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