The Maurice Saxby Award for service to children’s and/or young adult literature is awarded to a person/s or organisation that has displayed excellence and passion in promoting reading and/or writing for young people in NSW. In recognition for his consistently outstanding contribution, the School Library Association of NSW presents the 2025 Maurice Saxby Award to Alex Wharton.
Alex is a dedicated and visionary educator whose passion for promoting literature and fostering a love of reading and writing in the classroom is truly inspiring. His ability to create engaging resources tailored to promote literature has consistently elevated student outcomes. Beyond the classroom, Alex’s passion for literature, coupled with his dedication to teaching excellence, makes him an exceptional educator who inspires both students and peers alike. He embodies lifelong learning, consistently seeking opportunities to refine his craft and share his knowledge with colleagues. He has generously shared this knowledge with members of the School Library Association on many occasions, including online meetups, conferences and special interest groups.
Alex has been a passionate and dedicated advocate for Australian literature through his exceptional involvement with the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA). This was especially the case when he served as a voluntary esteemed Book of the Year Award judge in the Eve Pownall category for the past three years, where Alex has demonstrated a deep commitment to celebrating and promoting Australian stories and authors. He has done this with great flair, participating in radio interviews and guest presentations.
More recently, Alex has taken on the pivotal role of Awards Co-Convenor and serves on the National Awards Subcommittee, where his leadership has been instrumental in shaping the CBCA’s mission to inspire young readers and support the literary community. Through his engaging speaking presentations and convening of three of the six CBCA Book of the Year Award categories, Alex has championed Australian literature to diverse audiences, sharing his expertise and passion for fostering a love of reading to change lives.
Alex’s unwavering dedication to promoting Australian stories ensures that they reach the hands of young readers across NSW and Australia. His contributions to the CBCA continue to leave a profound and lasting impact on the literary landscape. Along with his work with the CBCA, Alex has displayed excellence and passion in promoting reading and writing for young people in NSW by holding numerous pivotal positions, including Secretary for the national Mackellar Poetry Competition and a Board Member of #LoveOZYA. In recognition for the high regard in which he is held, Alex has been a respected judge for the 2020 Red Room Poetry Competition; the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition; and NSW Premier’s Literary Awards for Children’s Literature.
Alex’s passion to promote reading and writing in NSW schools is reflected in his work with teachers and students in the classroom and his involvement in external literature-focused programs and activities. In recognition of his work in literacy education and the promotion of reading, Alex has received several significant awards. As the recipient of the Copyright Agency’s Fellowship for Teachers of English, Alex researched how teaching First Nations literature could be improved through the use of literature frameworks and has been a keynote speaker on this topic at the Educational Publishing Awards and SLANSW. Other awards include the NSW Premier’s Teacher Scholarship; and an ACEL New Voice Scholar in School Leadership Award. In The Educator Magazine’s Hot List (2020), Alex was named one of Australia’s most influential educators for his innovative literacy leadership and profession-wide contributions.
Alex is a very worthy recipient of the Maurice Saxby Award, and he is congratulated on this achievement by all members of the School Library Association of NSW.
Download PDF