BALLARALPHABET by TAMARA SHEWARD

Eureka!  An absolute delight! Ballaralphabet is the love child of a rainbow unicorn mixed in with an encyclopedia. The text, while simple, is educational and engaging without feeling boring, and the author brings a joyfulness with fun facts and jokes that hold attention. The illustrations are vibrant and tinted with that nostalgic warmth we remember so fondly from our youth. From the little ghosts ice-skating on Sturt Street to the starlit sky of the Universe, children are going to love this book!

If you are looking to teach your children a little bit about sleepy Ballarat, from culture to history to the wonders of Lake Wendouree, definitely snag yourself a copy of Ballaralphabet today. If you’re looking for a non-basic souvenir from your travels, don’t look past this A-Z romp around the gold rush capital of Australia. 

Ballaralphabet is stunning, packed with joy and a beautiful homage to Ballarat! Locals will recognise the quirks of home, while visitors will marvel at all that the town has to offer. Wonderfully written and exceptionally illustrated!

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Celebrated travel writer and journalist Tamara Sheward is set to release her self-publishing debut, Ballaralphabet, at Clunes BookTown 2026 in March 21st. This whimsical alphabet book explores the lively and unique historical riches, homegrown hotspots and offbeat gems of the golden city, Ballarat. Illustrated by local artist Annie Walter, and published in conjunction with Coven Press, it is already creating a buzz among early readers, city tourism and is available for pre-order.

Moving beyond ‘A is for Apple’, Ballaralphabet takes young readers on a (R is for) Ramble through Ballarat. From E for Eureka, to K for Kryal Castle, L for Lake Wendouree to W for Wadawurrung, each page features vibrant illustrations and fun facts designed to spark curiosity about Ballarat’s heritage, culture and uniqueness in children (and even big kids too!), transforming letter learning into fun games and quirky quizzes.

Tamara Sheward is a travel writer, television presenter and journalist turned librarian. Headhunted by Lonely Planet in 2009, she explored the globe contributing to over 25 Lonely Planet books, appearing on multiple documentaries for Al Jazerra’s Earthwise and The Cure and Lonely Planet’s Road Less Travelled, and contributing to an array of articles for National Geographic, BBC Travel, The Independent, Fairfax newspapers and Triple J. Ballaralphabet is her first self-published book.

Annie Walter is a Melbourne-based illustrator with a bold and recognisable style. She has worked with brands such as Campos, Willie The Boatman, Mambo and SXSW, as well as music artists including The Eagles, Kate Miller Heidke and Courtney Barnett.

Ballaralphabet will be available for purchase at Clunes BookTown on the Saturday 21st March 2026 and Sunday 22nd March 2026 and through Tamara’s website: www.tamarasheward.com.

Tamara Sheward is a ludicrously versatile wordsmith, occasional television presenter and slightly unhinged mother of a twelve-year-old smartypants. Since being headhunted by Lonely Planet in 2009 to star as the doofus newbie in their globe-spanning television series Roads Less Travelled, she's contributed to more than 25 LP books and written a head-spinning array of articles on topics ranging from slow travel in Serbia to headless hedgehogs in Bulgaria. In addition to writing for the blue-spined behemoth, her work has been featured in print and online at nationalgeographic.com.au, BBC Travel, The Independent, Fairfax newspapers, Triple J’s magazine, a miscellany of airline magazines, online travel blogs and more. She has also written and presented short documentaries for Al Jazeera’s international Earthrise and The Cure programs, investigating everything from flatulent cows to faecal transplants. 

Tamara has lived all over the shop and travelled in 40+ countries; these days, you’ll find her writing, editing and yukking it up in the gorgeous golden city of Ballarat, Victoria.