Margaret Hamilton oral history interviews and photograph by Margaret Leask, 2-12 March 2018

fonds

2-12 March 2018

Nonmusical Sound Recordings, Oral Histories, Graphic Materials, Photographs

9607344

7 audio files (10 hr., 36 min.) - digital, WAV (24 bit, 48 kHz)
1 photograph - digital, JPEG, colour

Margaret Hamilton began her career as a children’s librarian before working with publishers Hodder & Stoughton from 1974 where she became a director and was responsible for the entire Australian publishing program. During 14 years at Hodder, more than 300 children's books were produced under her guidance in addition to her role as publishing director. In 1987 she left her position as a director at Hodder & Stoughton Australia to begin Margaret Hamilton Books with her husband, Max Hamilton.

Margaret Hamilton Books won many awards and had considerable success in the Australian and international markets. It became a Division of Scholastic Australia in 1996, where the imprint remains.

Since 2010, Margaret has run Pinerolo, a children’s book cottage at Blackheath in the Blue Mountains. Here she promotes picture books and their creators by offering school tours and talks along with an annual calendar of events. These include having artists and writers in residence and various workshops for authors and illustrators. A regular newsletter is also published for the children’s book community.

Margaret has been involved with the Children’s Book Council of Australia for many years and in 2008 received the Order of Australia Medal – ‘for service to the arts through the promotion of children’s literature and literacy and through support for authors and illustrators’. She has also received the Lady Cutler Award, the Dromkeen Medal, and the Nan Chauncy Award, amongst other honours. Similarly Margaret Hamilton Books has been shortlisted for, and won, numerous awards.

She has also worked as a freelance editor for ABC Books and helped Lincoln Hall prepare his story of survival on Mt Everest, Dead Lucky, for publication in 2007.

She has also edited, written or compiled a number of non-fiction books about illustrators and the Children's Book Council of Australia. She reviewed children’s books for Reading Time for many years and has given many inspirational talks about children’s books.

In March 2018 she began presenting a weekly community radio program in the Blue Mountains on books for children.

Reference
Library correspondence file

ITEM 1
Margaret Hamilton interview by Margaret Leask, 2 March 2018

ITEM 2
Margaret Hamilton interview by Margaret Leask, 3 March 2018

ITEM 3
Margaret Hamilton interview by Margaret Leask, 12 March 2018

ITEM 4
Photograph of Margaret Hamilton, March 2018 / by Margaret Leask

In copyright:
Copyright holder:: State Library of New South Wales
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales