Mentorship Program
Dedicated to the discovery of storytellers
The Little Book Press Mentorship Program is an exciting initiative supporting unpublished South Australian creatives.
Participants are selected through a competitive application process and receive a publishing contract to produce a picture book for a baby, toddler or preschool audience.
Garth Cochrane and Andrew Joyner
Guided by acclaimed authors and illustrators
Mentees work under the guidance of some of the industry's most celebrated creatives.
The mentorship program connects participants with an experienced author or illustrator to refine their skills and develop projects ready for publication.
"Meeting Andy and having that connection with him was invaluable. His feedback and encouragement when I was sending off sketches and finished pages gave me confidence that the book was coming together well."
Are you our next mentee? We’re accepting submissions.
Applications close 30 June 2026.
Winners and program mentors will be announced early August.
Published in April 2026
Casey Keys And Her Powerful Sneeze!
By 2025 mentees Meg Riley and Garth Cochrane.
Casey Keys feels like a walking disaster as her sneezes cause chaos all over town! Embarrassed and overwhelmed, Casey runs away in search of peace ... but instead, discovers a wild, whirling power within herself.
Take a look inside
Meet the creators
Meg Riley
Mentored by award-winning South Australian author Phil Cummings.
Born in the UK, Megan Riley's love of language and literature led to an early career teaching English and Drama, but her dream was always to write. She has published poetry, and articles on travel and knitting, while filling countless notebooks with story ideas. After fortuitously emigrating to South Australia, she joined a knitting circle and became one of founding members of Yarn magazine.
A proud recipient of the Little Book Press Mentorship Program 2025, Megan is thrilled that her debut picture book will be published early 2026.
Garth Cochrane
Mentored by acclaimed illustrator and author Andrew Joyner.
Garth Cochrane studied Visual Communications (Illustration) at the University of South Australia and has worked as an animator, freelance illustrator and videogame artist for clients including LucasArts, Warner Brothers and Halfbrick. Now a passionate primary visual arts teacher, Garth brings his love of storytelling and creativity into the classroom every day.
He was the winner of the 2025 Little Book Press Mentorship Program, and this debut picture book marks the exciting beginning of his journey as a children's book illustrator.
Celebrating the launch
The Little Book Press Mentorship Program has been made possible through grant support from the James and Diana Ramsay Foundation.
Updates will be shared to our Submissions page and social media channels.