The Readings Teen Advisory Board (TAB) is a volunteer group of teenagers that meets once a month to learn about careers in the book industry, chat about recent and forthcoming young adult books, talk with authors, write blog posts and short reviews, and provide feedback to Readings staff members and publishing industry people on a range of subjects.
The Teen Advisory Board are also given the opportunity to judge the Gab Williams Prize for young adult books and attend an in-person work experience day at a publishing house. Select books will be provided free of charge to the board throughout the year and posted out to individual members.
Applications for the 2025 Readings Teen Advisory Board are now open!
We’re currently looking for a new intake of teenagers to join our advisory board, starting in April 2025 and running until early 2026.
The board will be run online via Zoom, and we welcome applications from teenagers aged 14–18 from anywhere in Australia. Meetings will take place online from 5pm-6.30pm on the second Tuesday of every month, beginning on Tuesday April 8, 2025.
We are an equal opportunity bookshop and aim to nurture an inclusive environment for our teen volunteers. We encourage applications from, including but not limited to, First Nations people, those with a disability, and LGBTQIA+ applicants.
Meetings will take place online from 5pm-6.30pm on the second Tuesday of every month, beginning on Tuesday April 8, 2025.
How to apply
To apply, please tell us:
- how you would benefit from participating
- the types of books you like to read
- why you love bookshops.
Your application should be a single-page document of up to 500 words, in either Word or PDF format, addressing the above points and including your name, age and contact details, including address. Please ensure you are available on the second Tuesday (5pm-6.30pm) of each month to attend meetings on Zoom.
Please note that participants will be primarily sent new and forthcoming young adult fiction.
Send your application to [email protected] by 5pm, Monday March 24, 2025. All applicants will be notified if their application has been successful or not.
Download a poster for your school library here.
Testimonials from past board members…
The Teen Advisory Board was the most enriching and inspiring experience, being a part of it was an absolute joy and privilege. Over the course of a year, the board met a myriad of different people in the publishing industry, including authors, editors, agents, illustrators, and booksellers - their expertise and passion for books opened our eyes to so many possibilities for our future endeavours. I am grateful for Angela and Readings for creating a place where young avid readers can belong, meet like-minded individuals, and discuss our favourite thing in the world - books. From judging the Gab Williams prize, meeting passionate individuals who understand the love for reading, writing blog posts for the website, hosting events, and now having work experience from Readings, it truly was an experience of a lifetime, one that I will cherish forever.
– Alicia Vu, 2024-25
The Readings Teen Advisory Board has been, to put it simply, marvellous - opportunities like this one come rarely! I'm so grateful to have been involved in a group of such well-read, intelligent and worldly individuals, hearing from experienced and knowledgeable professionals of the book industry, and exploring some fantastic new Australian YA fiction. We've all made some lovely friendships along the way; it's such an affirming and wonderful feeling to work closely with teens who share your passion for reading.
– Ione, 2023-24
Inspiring, fullfilling and with so much passion, the Teen Advisory Board made the world of books incredibly real. Walking into a bookshop now, I can see the effort it takes to get one book on the shelf! The TAB was a deep-dive into publishing and editing, into careers that take you across the world and to book festivals, publishing houses and to people who are just as appreciative of the written word! I am grateful for the TAB for being such a central part of my year, as it served as the best space to learn, share and talk much about books!
– Alina, 2023-24
This was a great experience, and I am delighted I signed up for the teen advisory board to rekindle my love for books and make friends with those with similar passions!
– Navya, 2023-24
The Teen Advisory Board was such an amazing learning experience for me. Not only did I get to make some incredible new friends and read new books every month, but I also got to meet so many authors and influential people that work in the publishing industry. This helped me finalise what I really want to do in life and reminded me why I fell in love with reading in the first place. I will forever be grateful for this opportunity and all that it has taught me!
– Shania, 2022-23
Being a part of the Readings Teen Advisory Board has been absolutely incredible. I have been able to broaden my knowledge of the Australian (and international) book industry and had the chance to meet and learn from amazing people who work in the world of literature. It is an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything.
– Zach, 2019-20
I believe that being on the Readings Teen Advisory Board has helped me find out more about not only potential careers in the literature industry, but also helped me broaden my horizons and gain a greater insight into all the effort put into making our favourite books available to us.
– Ulysses, 2018-19
