Our 2018 Call for Submissions

Our 2018 Call for Submissions

We are a boutique publishing house for kids' books and young-adult literature in South Africa. Aaaaaand, jumpin' jiminy! We're calling for submissions. Our priority this year is to find young-adult fantasy, science-fiction, and alternative history novels. We're also looking for children's chapter books and picture books that are sophisticated, fun and imaginative. We are not looking for educational, didactic, or moral-focused stories.
June 07, 2018 — Imagnary House
Book Launch: The Straw Giant and the Crow

Book Launch: The Straw Giant and the Crow

Join us as we launch The Straw Giant and the Crow, a truly heartfelt and off-the-wall story of unlikely friendships and of what love really means. Author and artist Jess Bosworth Smith will be doing a live reading of the book, with some fun straw activities to be had at the same time.
May 24, 2018 — Imagnary House
A Bumble Buzz at Cape Town Central Library

A Bumble Buzz at Cape Town Central Library

Bumble Buzz Storytelling is back at the Central Library, and this time in a new venue. If you haven't gone away for the long weekend, here's a great way to entertain the kids. Come and join us at the American Corner for an hour of fun stories read by Aunty B and our talented librarians. A tasty feast of stories to delight both children and adults. 
April 23, 2018 — Beryl Eichenberger
J. K. Rowling on Writing Fantasy Mysteries

J. K. Rowling on Writing Fantasy Mysteries

Has Harry Potter's fantastic magical qualities received false credit for its extreme success? Perhaps not entirely, but there is a great oversight of another element that has added to its literary and commercial success... and that is that Harry Potter is actually a mystery (even more so than a fantasy). Watch this video to find out what we mean.
February 02, 2018 — Imagnary House
A Call for Submissions this July 2017

A Call for Submissions this July 2017

Get excited! On the 1st of July 2017, we're opening up our submissions, and are looking to build up our publication list for the next 2 years. We're looking for stories that are fun and imaginative, but also address current societal issues for children. We want simple stories that mean something and can feed positively into our children's futures. However, we're not after didactic or educational texts, and definitely lean towards manuscripts that can travel.

June 28, 2017 — Imagnary House
Our Collaborative ‘Add Colour’ Arts Campaign

Our Collaborative ‘Add Colour’ Arts Campaign

On the 17th of June 2017, we're collaborating with Sk8 for Gr8 to bring the ‘Add Colour’ campaign to life. The ‘Add Colour’ campaign is about encouraging design thinking and entrepreneurial skills in South African youth by using the arts. Having partnered with the City of Cape Town, this campaign will begin in Atlantis with a collaborative mural, being created by Liebet Jooste of Liebetland: A Colouring Book.

June 16, 2017 — Imagnary House
The State of Youth Education in South Africa

The State of Youth Education in South Africa

To hold valuable discussions about our children and the future of our youth, we need to understand their situation. We need to know the hard stats. So, when we discovered a little web app called Youth Explorer... we were blown away. It's exactly what we've been looking for.  

April 21, 2017 — Imagnary House
Your Local Children's Books for Autumn through Winter 2017

Your Local Children's Books for Autumn through Winter 2017

We've been busy this Summer putting together the best list of children's picture books for your Autumn and Winter in 2017. It's going to be a blast of three awesome kids lit publications. 
March 29, 2017 — Imagnary House
The Favourite 5 Children's Books from a Publisher

The Favourite 5 Children's Books from a Publisher

This was perhaps the hardest list to create... because much like a child, it seems very wrong to name a favourite children's book. Nevertheless, we took ballots and gauged these favourite five books on what we've read and re-read the most, always finding new angles and entertainment inside. We hope you enjoy! 
November 28, 2016 — Imagnary House
How to Write a Children’s Picture Book in 5 Steps

How to Write a Children’s Picture Book in 5 Steps

As with any art form, writing comes in many shapes and sizes. Writing a novel is nothing like writing a children's picture book, and yet they both come from the same raw creative stuff that writers hold dear.  As a publisher of children's literature, we thought it was a rather smart thing to explain how to write a kids' book based on what books we've enjoyed reading.
November 14, 2016 — Imagnary House
Supporting Arts Education in South Africa

Supporting Arts Education in South Africa

Our debut author and illustrator has just involved himself in a wonderful initiative called Sk8 for Gr8. Spending 4 workshops where he tutored Ayanda Koerte (16) in design and illustration, Brad Harris was inspired to create this beautiful skateboard design in honour of the younger designer. 

May 23, 2016 — Imagnary House
B. D. Harris on Writing Children's Books

B. D. Harris on Writing Children's Books

We are so proud to have our debut author featured on South Africa's premier creative journal, Design Indaba, and interviewed on writing and illustrating children's books.
May 22, 2016 — Imagnary House