Well, here is more exciting news! A few weeks ago the winner of the Australian Therapists’ Award for Children’s Literature (try saying that ten times really fast) was announced. My publisher contacted me to tell me that Destroying Avalon was highly commended in this award. It’s a terrific honour!
So I googled the Australian Therapists’ Award for Children’s Literature to see who the winner was and found nothing. The website hasn’t been updated (last year it was won by JC Burke for The Story of Tom Brennan)- couldn’t find any information- anywhere.
So then I stumbled across Delwyne Stephens blog (she is an Australian author of YA fiction) and I found this: (I quote)
“WHEELS was listed as a recommended read in the Australian Family Therapists’ Award for Children’s Literature. I was thrilled because WHEELS was one of ten ‘recommended reads’ from a strong field.
The winners in the older readers catergory were Sue Lawson for “Allie McGregor’s True Colours” (Black Dog Books) with highly commended going to “Destroying Avalon” (Kate McCaffrey, Fremantle Arts Centre Press) and “Ten Things I Hate About Me” by Randa Adel-Fattah published by Pan Macmillan.”
Wheels is Delwyne’s book and so I’d like to take the opportunity to say congratulations Delwyne for getting the listing as a “recommended read” and thanks for the information about the award! Also congrats to both Sue Lawson and Randa Adel-Fattah- (all books on my reading list)!!
Kate McCaffrey 
Hi Kate, Delwyne here. Congratulations on your book Destoying Avalon being highly commended. The field was their strongest ever, apparently and there were around 67 entries in the Older Readers section. I was stoked to be a recommended read – your ‘highly commended’ was excellent!!! Great for WA publisher’s too. I’m not from WA (but was born there), my publisher is a WA company.
A breakdown of the award winners has not been announced in BUZZ WORDS or PASS IT ON, the two childrens’ writers networking newsletters I get. I wasn’t sure if I was ‘allowed’ to spread the word myself, because the awards ceremony is not for a while yet. I did mention these sources to someone from the awards and provided contact details of Jackie Hosking and Di Bates, the editors of these newsletters.
Anyway congratulations Kate.