We’re so proud of Athina Clarke, our Malvern children’s and young adult book buyer, who has been named the recipient of the 2017 ABA Elizabeth Riley Fellowship for Children’s Bookselling. Congratulations Athina!

Athina has worked at our Malvern shop for five years. She was also the children’s and young adult book buyer at our Port Melbourne shop from 2002 to 2008, and then worked at Penguin Books for some years. During her time at Readings, she has been involved in a number of initiatives around children’s books – including acting as a judge for the Readings Children’s Book Prize since its inception in 2014.

Malvern shop manager Bernard Vella says: “Athina’s passion for children’s books and bookselling is infectious. She is a dedicated and valued member of the team here at Malvern, reads widely over all areas of children’s literature, and never fails in her recommendations to our customers. The Elizabeth Riley Fellowship is a wonderful opportunity to both share and broaden her experience.”

The Elizabeth Riley Fellowship is worth $1,500 and is awarded to a children’s bookseller to assist them in furthering their knowledge, or developing their skills in the area of children’s books and bookselling. Thanks to receiving this fellowship, Athina will be attending the next American Booksellers Association Children’s Institute conference in the U.S.

You can read some of Athina’s reviews for children’s and young adult books here, and you can always drop by our Malvern shop for a personal recommendation.