An Austinmer-based psychology practice is stamping their footprint in publishing with a win at the London Book Fair this month, the only Australian publisher to take home an award.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Quirky Kid received the fair's Educational Initiatives Award for their program Basecamp.
The interactive book takes children on a journey through a fictional national park to help explore their emotions, especially related to anxiety.
“Now more than ever children and families need resources like Quirky Kid’s Basecamp. This engaging, child-centred approach would make a real difference in building children’s resilience,” commented a judge on the win.
Read More: Austinmer’s Quirky Kid honoured in London
The annual fair is one of the world’s biggest publishing trade events, where publishers and distributors assess the competition and negotiate global rights. The clinic was a finalist in the same category in 2016 for their program Best of Friends, which aims to teach kids about belonging.
Quirky Kid co-founder Leonardo Rocker said the number of children suffering anxiety was rising and one of the most common reasons they were referred to their clinic.
“The pressures that we place on kids in modern society, and the expectations people put around them [has led to] anxiety presentations becoming more and more common,” he told Fairfax Media.
“But anxiety is quite easy to treat if you have the right tools and expertise.”
The program had also been shortlisted for a second category at the fair, for the Educational Learning Resources Award.
In the past few years Quirky Kid has started putting its knowledge and techniques into books and kits for children, parents and teachers – now used by thousands of organisations around the world.
The organisation is also a resident company of the Business Incubator iAccelerate Program and via their networks have recently met with Australian officials in Berlin, Germany and in London, to discuss how more support can be provided to the very important causes we support.
Basecamp launched earlier this year and is designed for children aged 7 to 12. It includes a workbook, props and cards – as children work their way around the national park map they learn relaxation techniques and other ways to reduce anxiety and manage its impact on their lives.