Walker Studios (Walker Books) acquires Shirley Marr Picture Book

I am thrilled to finally break my media embargo and announce ‘One Day’, a philosophical and artsy picture book written by myself and illustrated by the talented Michael Speechley. It was acquired via a two book deal by Walker Books Australia after an intense three-way auction (during which I almost died) and is to be published in a gorgeous oversized format under the prestigious Walker Studio imprint!

Thank you Clare Halifax and Walker for giving us a home and to Books+Publishing for the announcing us in such style. And thank you to everyone who helped us along the way, including Jan Nicholls, Norman Jorgensen, Elizabeth Spencer, Natalya Hawrylak and Kris Williams and the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. Most of all I wish to thank my agent Gemma Cooper for making this a dream a reality.

We can’t wait for you to meet Mayfly and June next year! In the meantime follow the both of us for more exciting upcoming news!

“Walker Books Australia has acquired world rights to the picture book One Day, written by Shirley Marr and illustrated by Michael Speechley, in a two-book deal.

One Day introduces a little girl in a yellow raincoat to a mayfly who is determined to make every moment of her day count.

‘We playfully discussed, during a chance meeting, the hypothetical question of “What would you do if you only lived for one day?”,’ said Marr and Speechley. ‘The idea quickly became something driven primarily by the love of art and prose that neither of us believed would find publication—if not for the support of agent Gemma Cooper of the Bent Agency. We cannot wait for readers to delve into our passion project and meet Mayfly!’”