Beauty-queen entrepreneur and best-selling author Zoe Foster Blake has conquered the world of children’s books, winning a prestigious Australian Book Industry Award for her first title for kids, No One Likes A Fart.
The book about a little fart in search of a friend captured the hearts of young readers and the attention of the Australian Book Industry Award judges, who awarded it Children’s Picture Book of the year.
“Picture book of the Year???!? Reverse –psychology at its very best… seems some people DO like a fart after all,” Zoe tweeted, thanking ABIA her publisher, Penguin, and of course the little ball of gas that made it all possible.
“And thank you, Fart! Gahhhhh!!!”
Zoe was unable to attend the awards but she made her feelings known on social media.
“I’m so chuffed. And such a gushy, dorky fan of the other wonderful authors (and illustrators) nominated,” she said.
The picture book was the judge’s top pick from a shortlist of five that included children’s writing icon Mem Fox. Zoe revealed on Instagram she failed Children’s Literature at university. “Only course I failed,” she wrote.
Zoe comes from prestigious writing stock. Her father David Foster has been the recipient of the Miles Franklin Award, The Age Book of the Year Award and the Patrick White Award.
Earlier this year Zoe announced her wildly popular kids book would also be available in the US, Canada and Japan.
“My book about farts has far(t) outsold all my other far more elegant, grown-up books,” Zoe revealed on Instagram.
The author, whose best-selling novel The Wrong Girl was turned into a TV show of the same name starring Jessica Marais, Kerry Armstrong, Rob Collins, Madeline West, gushed that she loved writing for children.
“I love knowing kids get gigs reading it,” she said.
Madeleine West, Jessica Marais and Craig McLachlan in Zoe’s book made TV series The Wrong Girl.
“Maybe NOW the Australian Fart Commission (AFC) will consider me as their ambassador.”
