{{Short description|Australian children's writer and book editor}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}{{Use Australian English|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox writer | name = Davina Bell | notable_works = ''The End of the World Is Bigger than Love'' | awards = {{Plainlist| * Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature, 2021 * CBCA Book of the Year Awards — Book of the Year: Older Readers, 2021 }} | birth_place = [[Perth]], Western Australia | alma_mater = [[RMIT University]] }}
'''Davina Bell''' is an Australian literary editor and children's writer. Her 2020 book, ''The End of the World Is Bigger than Love'', won a [[New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards|New South Wales Premier's Literary Award]] in 2021.
== Early life and education == Bell was born in [[Perth]], Western Australia. She graduated in law at university there, but then enrolled in Professional Writing and Editing at [[RMIT University]] in Melbourne.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last= |title=Davina Bell |url=https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A112686 |access-date=2022-04-02 |website=AustLit: Discover Australian Stories |language=en}}</ref>
== Career == With two others, Bell co-founded the literary journal ''[[Harvest (magazine)|Harvest]]'' and published its first edition in 2008.<ref name="uap">{{cite book |author=Edmonds |first=Phillip |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u4bjBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA179 |title=Tilting at Windmills: the literary magazine in Australia, 1968–2012 |date=1 March 2015 |publisher=University of Adelaide Press |isbn=978-1-925261-05-9 |page=179}}</ref>
She was children's editor at Penguin, where she worked on their list with authors including [[Mem Fox]] and [[Margaret Wild]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2013-02-01 |title=A year in children's books: publishers' top junior picks for 2013 |url=https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2013/02/01/26250/a-year-in-childrens-books-publishers-top-junior-picks-for-2013/ |access-date=2022-04-02 |website=Books+Publishing |language=en-AU}}</ref> She subsequently moved [[Affirm Press]] to edit their children's list of writers including [[Alison Lester]] and [[Jane Godwin]]<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2018-07-19 |title=Introducing Affirm Press kids list |url=https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2018/07/19/111733/introducing-affirm-press-kids/ |access-date=2022-04-02 |website=Books+Publishing |language=en-AU}}</ref> and then to Allen & Unwin where she work on their children and young-adult list.<ref name=":0" />
=== Writing === Bell wrote a series of four books set in 1918 about a West Australian girl called Alice, who wanted to be a dancer.<ref>{{Citation |author1=Bell |first=Davina |title=Meet Alice |publication-date=2012 |others=Masciullo, Lucia (illustrator) |year=2012 |publisher=Penguin Group (Australia) |isbn=978-0-14-330629-0}}</ref> The stories part of Penguin's Our Australian Girl series<ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=Our Australian Girl |url=https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C777233 |access-date=2022-04-02 |website=AustLit: Discover Australian Stories |language=en}}</ref> and were republished in 2014 as ''The Alice stories.''<ref>{{Citation |author1=Bell |first=Davina |title=The Alice stories |publication-date=2014 |others=Masciullo, Lucia (illustrator) |date=11 November 2014 |publisher=Penguin Group (Australia) |isbn=978-1-74348-548-4}}</ref>
Her next book, ''The Underwater Fancy-Dress Parade'', won the 2016 Australian Book Industry Awards Small Publishers' children's book of the year,<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2016-05-20 |title=A&U, NewSouth win industry awards at 2016 ABIAs; Szubanski's ''Reckoning'' named Book of the Year |url=https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2016/05/20/57395/a-szubanski-named-book-of-the-year/ |access-date=2022-04-02 |website=Books+Publishing |language=en-AU}}</ref> as well as two book design awards for its illustrator/designer Allison Colpoys.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2016-05-16 |title=Australian Book Design Awards 2016 winners announced |url=https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2016/05/16/57138/australian-book-design-awards-2016-winners-announced/ |access-date=2022-04-02 |website=Books+Publishing |language=en-AU}}</ref>
Her 2018 book, ''All the Ways to be Smart'', won the Children's picture book of the year at the 2019 Australian Book Industry Awards.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2019-05-03 |title=Pan Macmillian and Affirm win at 2019 ABIAs; ''Boy Swallows Universe'' wins book of the year |url=https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2019/05/03/132486/pan-macmillian-and-affirm-win-at-2019-abias-boy-swallows-universe-wins-book-of-the-year/ |access-date=2022-04-02 |website=Books+Publishing |language=en-AU}}</ref>
At the 2021 [[New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards]] she won the Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature for ''The End of the World Is Bigger than Love''.'''<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last= |date=2021-04-27 |title=NSW Premier's Literary Awards 2021 winners announced |url=https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2021/04/27/185497/nsw-premiers-literary-awards-2021-winners-announced/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427003116/https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2021/04/27/185497/nsw-premiers-literary-awards-2021-winners-announced/ |archive-date=27 April 2021 |access-date=2021-04-28 |website=Books+Publishing |language=en-AU}}</ref>''' She also won the 2021 CBCA Book of the Year for older readers for the same book.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2021-08-20 |title=CBCA Book of the Year 2021 winners announced |url=https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2021/08/20/191847/cbca-book-of-the-year-2021-winners-announced/ |access-date=2022-04-02 |website=Books+Publishing |language=en-AU}}</ref>
Five of her books have been named Notable Books at the CBCA Book of the Year Awards and her works have been shortlisted for many other Australian literary awards.<ref name=":0" />
== Selected works ==
=== Stand-alone ===
* {{Cite book |last1=Bell |first1=Davina |title=The underwater fancy-dress parade |publication-date=2014 |others=Colpoys, Allison (illustrator) |date=29 February 2016 |publisher=Scribe Publications |isbn=978-1-925321-27-2}} * {{Cite book |last1=Bell |first1=Davina |title=Oh, Albert! |publication-date=2016 |author-mask=2 |others=Acton, Sara (illustrator) |date=18 July 2016 |publisher=Penguin/Viking |isbn=978-0-670-07860-8}} * {{Cite book |last1=Bell |first1=Davina |title=Under the love umbrella |publication-date=2017 |author-mask=2 |others=Colpoys, Allison (illustrator) |date=27 February 2017 |publisher=Scribble |isbn=978-1-925321-26-5}} * {{Cite book |last1=Bell |first1=Davina |title=All the ways to be smart |publication-date=2018 |author-mask=2 |others=Colpoys, Allison (illustrator) |date=15 October 2018 |publisher=Scribble |isbn=978-1-925713-43-5}} * {{Cite book |last1=Bell |first1=Davina |title=The secret life of Lola |date=September 2019 |publication-date=2019 |author-mask=2 |publisher=Hardie Grant Egmont |isbn=978-1-76050-403-8}} * {{Cite book |last1=Bell |first1=Davina |title=All of the factors of why I love tractors |publication-date=2019 |author-mask=2 |others=Lovlie, Jenny (illustrator) |date=October 2019 |publisher=Little Hare Books |isbn=978-1-76050-145-7}} * {{Cite book |last1=Bell |first1=Davina |title=How to be a Real Ballerina |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/239737387 |publication-date=2020 |author-mask=2 |others=Lovlie, Jenny (illustrator) |publisher=Little Hare Books}} * {{Cite book |last1=Bell |first1=Davina |title=The End of the World Is Bigger than Love |date=2 June 2020 |publication-date=2020 |author-mask=2 |publisher=Text Publishing |isbn=978-1-925923-35-3}} * {{Cite book |last1=Bell |first1=Davina |title=Tomorrow is a brand-new day |publication-date=2021 |author-mask=2 |others=Colpoys, Allison (illustrator) |date=9 November 2021 |publisher=Scribble |isbn=978-1-925849-46-2}}
=== The Alice series ===
* {{Cite book |last1=Bell |first1=Davina |title=Meet Alice |publication-date=2012 |others=Masciullo, Lucia (illustrator) |year=2012 |publisher=Penguin Group Australia |isbn=978-0-14-330629-0}} * {{Cite book |last1=Bell |first1=Davina |title=Alice and the Apple Blossom Fair |publication-date=2012 |author-mask=2 |others=Masciullo, Lucia (illustrator) |date=26 April 2012 |publisher=Penguin Group Australia |isbn=978-1-74253-511-1}} * {{Cite book |last1=Bell |first1=Davina |title=Alice of Peppermint Grove |publication-date=2012 |author-mask=2 |others=Masciullo, Lucia (illustrator) |date=2 July 2012 |publisher=Penguin Group Australia |isbn=978-1-74253-568-5}} * {{Cite book |last1=Bell |first1=Davina |title=Peacetime for Alice |publication-date=2012 |author-mask=2 |others=Masciullo, Lucia (illustrator) |date=22 August 2012 |publisher=Penguin Group Australia |isbn=978-1-74253-642-2}}
=== Corner Park Clubhouse series ===
* {{Cite book |last1=Bell |first1=Davina |title=Sophia and the Corner Park clubhouse |date=September 2020 |publication-date=2019 |publisher=Hardie Grant Egmont |isbn=978-1-76050-397-0}} * {{Cite book |last1=Bell |first1=Davina |title=The secret life of Lola |date=September 2019 |publication-date=2019 |author-mask=2 |publisher=Hardie Grant Egmont |isbn=978-1-76050-403-8}}
=== Lemonade Jones series ===
* {{Cite book |last1=Bell |first1=Davina |title=Lemonade Jones |publication-date=2018 |others=Blair, Karen (illustrator) |date=29 August 2018 |publisher=Allen & Unwin |isbn=978-1-925266-73-3}} * {{Cite book |last1=Bell |first1=Davina |title=Lemonade Jones and the great school fete |publication-date=2019 |author-mask=2 |others=Blair, Karen (illustrator) |year=2019 |publisher=Allen & Unwin |isbn=978-1-925266-74-0}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* {{Official website}} {{Children's Book of the Year Award for Older Readers}}{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Davina}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Writers from Perth, Western Australia]] [[Category:Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology alumni]] [[Category:Australian children's writers]]