Formerly the Children’s Book Fellowship, our newly titled Louis Lothian Children’s Literature Fellowship is named in honour of Louis Lothian (1922–2014), who for over 40 years was Managing Director of Lothian Publishing Company, founded in Melbourne in 1888.

The fellowship has been supported by a generous donation from the Lothian family. The Lothian publishing house has played a significant role in children’s book publishing in Australia for many decades. Last year esteemed Lothian editor and publisher Helen Chamberlin was awarded the Dromkeen Medal, which honours outstanding contributions to children’s literature, throughout her career nurturing some of Australia’s most celebrated writers, such as Shaun Tan, Anne Spudvilas and Gregory Rogers.

Each year, the State Library offers creative and academic Fellowships to encourage the original and imaginative use or development of the Library’s collections. Applications for a wide variety of Fellowships are now open, and close on 17 April. Read more about Fellowships at State Library Victoria.