Author(s): MARGARET HAMILTON

Memoir

In this sweeping memoir, Margaret Hamilton shares the story of her life and times. A child of the post-war years, Margaret was at the forefront of Australian publishing as it strove to shake off the dominance of British and American publishers and became an independent force. Her passion for children's books led to Margaret Hamilton Books, a company developed with her husband Max, which created a list of highly regarded successful picture books. Spanning over half a century of publishing change and growth, Margaret Hamilton's memoir is a vital history of late 20th-century and early 21st-century Australian publishing, as well as a record of a vital player in that history. AUTHOR: Margaret Hamilton AM spent a lifetime in books, dominated by her love of children's picture books. Her book career spans eight different occupations, including librarian, editor, reviewer, bookseller, publisher and, most recently, best-selling author. Her eponymous publishing imprint, Margaret Hamilton Books, built a reputation for publishing high quality children's books, many of which won awards and enjoyed considerable international success. Margaret's passion for picture books, her enthusiasm for the world of Australian illustrators, and her recognition of the need for wider promotion of picture books led her to found Pinerolo, the Children's Book Cottage at Blackheath, the only centre for children's books in NSW. She received the Order of Australia in 2008 'for service to the arts through the promotion of children's literature and literacy and through support for authors and illustrators'.