{{Short description|German Australian bookseller (1930 – 2018)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = | name = Albert Ullin | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100|OAM}} | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = <!-- just the name, without the File: or Image: prefix or enclosing brackets --> | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1930|4|29}} | birth_place = Frankfurt, Germany | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2018|9|12|1930|4|29}} | death_place = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | citizenship = Australian | education = | alma_mater = | occupation = Bookseller | years_active = | employer = | known_for = }} '''Albert Henry Ullin''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|OAM}} (29 April 1930 – 12 September 2018) was a German Australian bookseller and the founder of Australia's first children's bookstore, The Little Bookroom. He nurtured emerging children's writers and illustrators.
==Early years== Ullin was born in Frankfurt, and arrived in Melbourne in 1939 as a nine-year-old, escaping pre-war Germany via Italy with his family.<ref name="Horn Book">{{cite web |last1=Kett |first1=Margaret Robson |title=Foreign Correspondence: The Little Bookroom |url=https://www.hbook.com/2017/11/using-books/foreign-correspondence-little-bookroom/ |website=The Horn Book |access-date=13 September 2018 |date=14 November 2017}}</ref>
==Career== Ullin developed his interest in children's picture-books while working for booksellers Robertson & Mullens in Melbourne.<ref>{{cite web |title=Albert Ullin and The Little Bookroom | website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SHV72yV4LU |access-date=14 September 2018 |date=27 July 2015}} Interview with Jennifer Byrne (ABC's The Book Club)</ref> Ullin promoted Australian children's books at the Bologna Book Fair.<ref>{{Cite magazine | author1=Ullin, Albert | title=A potpourri of fact and fiction from Down Under. (children's book publishing in Australia) (Bologna '89) | magazine=Publishers Weekly | publication-date=24 March 1989 | publisher=PWxyz, LLC | volume=235 | issue=12 | pages=37–38 | issn=0000-0019 }}</ref> Ullin served as judge on both the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award and the Children's Book Council of Australia Crichton Award.<ref name="Kill your darlings">{{cite web |last1=Binks |first1=Danielle |title=All grown up: a brief history of The Little Bookroom |url=https://killyourdarlings.com.au/2013/12/all-grown-up-a-brief-history-of-the-little-bookroom/ |website=Kill Your Darlings |access-date=13 September 2018 |date=2 December 2013}}</ref>
===The Little Bookroom=== Ullin founded Australia’s first children’s bookstore, The Little Bookroom,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/our-stories/albert-ullin-oam-1930-2018/|title=Albert Ullin OAM (1930-2018)|last=O'Conor|first=Juliet|date=17 January 2020|website=State Library of Victoria blog|language=en-US|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-04-02}}</ref> opening on 13 October 1960.<ref name="ABC">{{cite web |last1=Standish |first1=John |title=Bunyips and dragons: children's books and their illustrations |url=http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2015/07/24/4280352.htm |website=ABC Radio Melbourne |access-date=13 September 2018 |language=en-AU |date=24 July 2015}}</ref><ref name="Kill your darlings"/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Munro |first1=Craig |title=Paper empires : a history of the book in Australia, 1946-2005 |year=2006 |publisher=University of Queensland Press |isbn=0702235733 }}</ref> Ullin sold the business to staff in 2004.<ref name="CBD News">{{cite web |title=Albert is living the fantasy |url=http://cbdnews.com.au/albert-is-living-the-fantasy/ |website=CBD News |access-date=13 September 2018 |date=5 October 2015}}</ref> The bookstore was first established in the Metropol Arcade before moving to an Elizabeth St location, opposite the GPO. The store later relocated to Carlton with a small branch at Degraves Street.<ref name="CBD News"/> The bookstore was named after Eleanor Farjeon's book of short stories "The Little Bookroom" and Ullin wrote to Farjeon to request the use of the name and to illustrator Edward Ardizzone requesting an illustration to be the logo for the bookstore.<ref name="Horn Book"/>
===Writing fellowships=== Ullin was the National Mentorship Coordinator for the May Gibbs Literature Trust which supports Australian creators of books for children through fellowships and residencies for authors and illustrators.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Prentice |first1=Jeffrey |title=Creative Fellowships and Residencies – the work of the May Gibbs Literature Trust in Australia |url=http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/ojs/index.php/tlg/article/view/150/149 |magazine=The Looking Glass: New Perspectives on Children's Literature |volume=11 |issue=3 |access-date=13 September 2018 |language=en |date=2007 |issn=1551-5680}}</ref>
===Children's Book Council of Australia=== Ullin held various positions in the Children's Book Council of Australia Victoria Branch between 1979 and 1988.<ref name="CBCA">{{cite web |title=CBCA - Vale Albert Ullin (1930 - 2018) |url=https://www.cbca.org.au/news/vale-albert-ullin-1930-2018 |website=Children's Book Council of Australia |access-date=4 October 2018 |language=en-AU}}</ref> Ullin served as judge on both the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award and the CBCA Crichton Award for New Illustrators.<ref name="CBCA"/> In 2009, he was awarded the Leila St John Award by CBCA Victoria<ref name="CBCA"/> and an honorary lifetime membership, in recognition of his services to children’s literature in Victoria.<ref name="CBCA"/>
==Awards== * 1986 Dromkeen Medal for outstanding achievement in the advancement of Australian children's and young adult literature<ref>{{cite web |title=Previous recipients: Dromkeen Medal |url=https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/about-us/scholarships-awards/dromkeen-awards/dromkeen-medal/previous-recipients |website=State Library Victoria |access-date=13 September 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine| author1=Grieve, Ann | title=A salute to Albert Ullin: winner of the Dromkeen Medal 1987 | magazine=Reading Time | publication-date=1987 | volume=31 | issue=4 | pages=7–9 | issn=0155-218X }}</ref> * 1997 Medal of the Order of Australia for services to children's literature in Australia and beyond<ref name="ABC"/> * 2009 lifetime achievement award by the Australian Booksellers Association<ref>{{cite web |title=Albert Ullin |url=https://www.wheelercentre.com/people/albert-ullin |website=The Wheeler Centre |access-date=13 September 2018}}</ref> * 2009 Leila St John Award by the Children's Book Council of Australia, Victorian branch * Honorary Life Member of the Children’s Book Council of Australia<ref name="Kill your darlings"/>
==Legacy== Ullin donated his personal collection of Australian children’s book illustrations to the National Gallery of Victoria.<ref name="ABC" /> Ullin created the ''Ullin Prize for Children's Illustration'' at the Wheeler Centre for Books Writing and Ideas.<ref name="ABC"/> The inaugural prize was awarded to Andrew McLean in 2020 in recognition of his 40 year career in book illustration.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2020-10-21|title=McLean receives inaugural $10k Albert Ullin Award|url=https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2020/10/21/158270/mclean-awarded-inaugural-10000-albert-ullin-award/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-10-26|website=Books+Publishing|language=en-AU}}</ref> Jane Tanner and Judith Rossell won in 2022 and 2024 respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Albert Ullin Award |url=https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/20493029 |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=AustLit: Discover Australian Stories |publisher=The University of Queensland}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==Further reading== * Goodman, J. (2004). Albert Ullin and his collection of illustrations from children's books. ''Magpies: Talking About Books for Children'', Vol. 19: 8-9. * Goodman, Jo. (2009) Albert Ullin. ''Magpies: Talking About Books for Children'', Vol. 24, No. 4: 18-19. * {{Cite book | author1=Prentice, Jeffrey | title=The little bookroom : fifty years with children's books | year=2010 | publication-date=2010 | publisher=Braidwood Press | edition=1st | isbn=978-0-9593428-8-8 }} *[https://blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/our-stories/albert-ullin-oam-1930-2018/ Albert Ullin OAM (1930-2018)] by Dr. Juliet O'Conor *[http://search.slv.vic.gov.au/permalink/f/1cl35st/SLV_VOYAGER3518772 Records of Albert Ullin and The Little Bookroom] [manuscript], ''State Library Victoria''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ullin, Albert}} Category:1930 births Category:2018 deaths Category:People from Melbourne Category:People from Frankfurt Category:German emigrants to Australia Category:Australian literary critics Category:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia Category:Australian booksellers