Deb’s adventures in Africa, where she was harassed by monkies and thrown in jail inspired her to write books about spies, soccer, WW2, pesky wolves and kids in flying machines who battle sea monsters and evil harbour lords. Her love of words led to The Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee and The Most Marvellous Spelling Bee Mystery and her crankiness about climate change led to Grimsdon, New City and Final Storm. She’s won awards for her books, but mostly hopes to be as brave as her characters. 

Tristan tells stories for the page and screen. His books for kids and teens include Two Wolves, The Fall and the Tom Weekly series. Two Wolves won Honour Book in the 2015 Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards and was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards. It also won the YABBA and KOALA Children’s Choice Awards, as did his latest thriller, The Fall, a CBCA Notable book. Detention, a gripping new novel about a daring escape and a lockdown in a school, was released July 2019.

Jess Black is an award winning author of children's books and has two new series being released in 2020! 

Jess has written the Tales of Mr Walker series, the Little Paws series and the Keeper of the Crystals series; and is co-author of the hugely successful Bindi Wildlife Adventure series, the Kaboom Kid series and the RSPCA Animal Tales series.

Jess has written two picture books, Moon Dance and The Bold Australian Girl. Jess has been writing stories ever since she graduated from University with a BA Hons in Theatre Directing. She has written for theatre and children’s television. Jess has worked as a book buyer and a book seller. Her stories tend to centre around topics such as – animal welfare, conserving our natural environment, loyalty, resilience and friendship.

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Toni’s love of animals and international travels have inspired her stories about cats, dogs, bears and children who follow their dreams. The DemiChat Series for 9 to 11-year-olds has a cat and dog detective team solving mysteries all over the world but her two picture books are more down to earth, literally, about trees and the environment.

Teaching children of all ages and working with real animals at the zoo was the spark for Christopher's first books but now he writes about anything that ignites his imagination.

Python, Classic Australian Poems, New Gold Mountain and New Year Surprise are some of his titles with One Tree (illustrated by Bruce Whatley) his latest picture book. 

Marjorie has illustrated over twenty children’s books and has been published internationally. Her books appear on the Premier’s Reading Challenge lists and have been shortlisted and won awards, including the CBCA Eve Pownall Award for her first picture book. Her picture books include The Boy in the Big Blue Glasses with Susanne Gervay, Brothers from a Different Mother with Phillip Gwynne, One Christmas Eve with Corinne Fenton, and The Croc and the Platypus with Jacking Hosking. She has several new picture books to be released in 2020, including Say Cheese with Frances Watts, Dinosaur Dads with Lesley Gibbes and Bear in Space, a collaboration with Deborah Abela.

Sharon Dalgleish once wore her shoes on the wrong feet without noticing—until she looked down as she stepped on an escalator. She worked for many years as a children’s librarian, and then a primary school teacher. Now she spends her days writing stories, nonfiction and poetry for children. Shoes optional.

Awarded the Lifetime Social Justice Literature Award, Order of Australia, nominated for Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, you'll find Susanne planting 3000 mangroves in Kiribati; in Istanbul speaking to 1000s of kids about NO bullying; in remote Indigenous schools bringing literacy to kids from pre-schoolers  to young adults. Susanne Gervay’s loved books include her anti bullying I Am Jack books; YA books Butterflies (disability), Shadows of Olive Trees (feminism); picture books Elephants Have Wings (Harmony Day), The Boy in the Big Blue Glasses’ (Vision 2020) and Heroes of the Secret Underground empowering kids to become warriors for change.

Margaret Hamilton AM worked in publishing for many years. Margaret Hamilton Books published many award-winning children’s books.

She was a life member of the CBCA NSW Branch. She ran Pinerolo, the Children’s Book Cottage at Blackheath in the Blue Mountains.

Her first picture book B is for Bedtime, illustrated by Anna Pignataro, was published by Little Hare in 2014, followed by Counting Through the Day in 2016. 

 Tim Harris is the bestselling author of several laugh-out-loud series for kids, including Toffle Towers, Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables and Exploding Endings. 

A former primary school teacher of 15 years, and advocate for creativity and short stories, Tim’s presentations and workshops are dynamic and entertaining. He is a sought-after presenter, having worked in hundreds of schools across Australia.

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Karen creates quirky and heartfelt picture book stories. She hopes her stories empower kids and make them curious in this world.Her books include Go Away, Foxy Foxy, Feathers and Home.

Feathers was shortlisted in the international Rubery Book Awards in 2021. Feathers helps children experiencing grief.Home is listed on the Australian Refugee Council’s webpage and is used in schools as a teaching resource. It is inspired by Karen’s family heritage and is an own voice story.Karen has numerous short stories published in anthologies online and in hardcopy.

Originally from Scotland Cate moved to Australia in 2015. A full-time illustrator, when she’s not drawing children's books, Cate likes to escape the studio and find different ways to be an artist. She was illustrator-in-residence at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh and now volunteers with ArtEx at the Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick, where she also exhibits her work. Cate teaches art to primary-aged children, printmaking to adults and is sometimes a printmaking technician at UNSW. She has illustrated over 25 books in the UK, US, and Australia. Her first book as author/ill Go Home, Little One! was published in 2015. Cate was awarded the Penguin Random House Illustrators’ Showcase Award in 2019. Her next book By the Billabong will be published in May 2020.

Sadami, is a bilingual Japanese-Australian illustrator and painter, who enjoying using her unique watercolour style to depict ordinary people and animals whilst assisting the disadvantaged in non-profit organisations.  

She is a 2020 May Gibbs Fellow and twice Doug Moran semi-finalist. Her publications include the picture books Moon and My Dog Socks, and sociolinguistics book covers, Linguistic Diversity and Social Justice and Intercultural Communication.

Amanda loves books, stories, writing and children. She’s thrown them all into the air (Warning: if you do this, don't stand underneath when they land) this mix has given her the perfect combination to be a passionate children's book author.  So far being an actress has been Amanda’s favourite career, she knows that writing stories for children will be her next new favourite.

Yvonne is a writer, illustrator and award-winning artist, creating picture books, poetry and junior fiction. She was a finalist in the 2021 SCBWI Australian Picture Book Illustrator Awards and won a 2021 ASA/Copyright Agency Mentorship. Her illustrated work includes Lola and Grandpa , The Fastest Ship in Space , A Christmas Menagerie Anthology , Jack of Spades , My Nursery Rhymes Collection by Mark Macleod.  Her poetry, short story and illustration feature in The School Magazine and she is published in Eucalypt: a tanka journal.

Victoria is a picture book author based in Sydney.  She loves to play with language and tell rich and vivid stories that linger long after the covers are closed.  Her debut - the magical and hilarious Ribbit Rabbit Robot - will be followed by her second picture book with Scholastic in August 2020.  Fluent in French and Italian, and visitor of 51 countries and counting, Victoria is a direct descendant of King George III (the one that went mad!).

Natalie is the author of Emmie and the Tudor King (Literary Crush Publishing). A fast-paced YA time-slip romance, Emmie and the Tudor King follows an American high school girl to a reimagined Tudor England, where she meets a doomed, but utterly dreamy, Tudor king. Books 2 and 3 will be published in 2020 and 2021.  Emmie and the Tudor King has already received acclaim from Foreword Reviews, YA Books Central, and popular YA authors Brigid Kemmerer (A Curse So Dark and Lonely) and CJ Flood (Infinite Sky), among others. 

Aura is an exciting new voice in children’s picture books. Aura’s upcoming bedtime book called Goodnight Glow Worms, is out in 2020. Her titles include: Cocoon, Meerkat Splash, and Twig. Twig is her first author/illustrator book and is a 2017 CBCA Notable for Early Childhood. Aura is the illustrator of the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge poster for 2019. Aura is passionate about reading and loves sharing her enthusiasm for words and pictures in lively school visits and guided illustration sessions, specialising in K-2s.

Emma Quay is an illustrator and writer of many award-winning picture books; her memorable characters for Rudie Nudie, Shrieking Violet, Bear and Chook, Not a Cloud in the Sky, Good Night, Me and Scarlett, Starlet are favourites on children's bookshelves all over Australia. Her most recent title for very young children, My Sunbeam Baby, is published by ABC Books.

Pat Simmons lives at Scarborough on the NSW south coast. She’s a writer of poetry, short stories, flash fiction and children’s picture books. Her children’s poetry has been published in children’s literary magazines including the School Magazine and has won awards in the UK and Australia. 

Pat’s latest picture book, Cicada Sing Song was illustrated by Katrin Dreiling with teacher notes by Kellie Nissen and was released by Little Steps in February 2022. 

Julie Thorndyke was a librarian in the education sector for more than thirty years. Now she concentrates on writing fiction and poetry. A contributor to The NSW School Magazine and editor of Eucalypt: a tanka journal since 2017. Julie has published three collections of tanka poetry including Borrowed Riches (2022). Julie’s adult novel, Mrs Rickaby’s Lullaby, was published in 2019 and Divertimento (short stories) in 2021. Her first picture book Waiting for the Night was published in 2018 and a second, Watching through the Day, in 2020. Alice’s Shoe, Julie’s picture book about deafblind Australian girl Alice Betteridge, was published by MidnightSun Publishing in 2023. Julie lives in Sydney with her family and two ragdoll cats and a collie dog.  

Robert Vescio writes picture books and short stories for children. Many of his picture books have been translated into other languages such as German, Italian, Polish and Chinese. Finn and Puss and Eric Finds A Way were shortlisted for the 2018 CBCA Bilby Awards. The Voyage was selected for the 2020 Children’s Book Council Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People. Window of Hope won 2nd Prize in the 2021 Forevability Picture Book Awards. The Polish edition of Under the Same Sky won Main Prize in the 20th Edition of the Child-Friendly World Competition 2022, in Poland.

Sara Acton is an award-winning author and illustrator of children's books. She lives in a small seaside village on the New South Wales coast, where she enjoys writing and illustrating for children in her studio, whilst drinking tea and eating far too many biscuits.
​Her first picture book Ben and Duck won the 2012 Children's Book Council of Australia Crichton Award for new illustrators.

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I am a 23-year-old author/illustrator obsessed with all things weird and wonderful. I have a Bachelor of Natural History Illustration (Honours) which is only available in the southern Hemisphere.

I love to paint using watercolour and white gouache, in order to create realistic flora and fauna that can be described as strange or downright ugly in order to show others that there is in fact, beauty in ugliness.

We must take care of all our creatures, regardless of whether we find them visually appealing or not, as they are all extremely important to our ecosystem.

I hope to continue illustrating and writing for children, exploring the world and all the unusual things hidden within it.

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Jenny is a Newcastle-based author and poet. Her middle-grade historical mystery The Girl in the Mirror appeared from Eagle Books in 2019 and is long-listed for the Davitt Award. Her poems and stories for children are regularly published in the School Magazine and have appeared in Our Home is Dirt by Sea: Australian Poetry for Australian Kids, Stories for Nine Year Olds and other great anthologies. Pitt Street Poetry has published three collections of her poetry: The Loyalty of Chickens and The Duties of a Cat, both suitable for people aged 11+, and The Alpaca Cantos, suitable for adults and Young Adults. Her poetry awards include firsts in the Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Poetry and the Humorous Verse section of the Henry Lawson awards (twice).

Charlotte Calder is the author of two picture books - Stuck! Walker Books) and The 12th Dog Hachette, both CBCA Notable Books. Also historical junior novel The Ghost at the Point (Walker Books), and four YA novels published by Pan MacMillan. She lives with her husband and assorted furry creatures near Orange, NSW.

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Jill has written and illustrated three children’s books. She is the Illustrator of other Books, Magazines and Newspaper-Publications plus writing, directing and voice work on my animated experimental films: (Internationally screened). She is a Poet in Residence: Wo-MAP program 2018 RPAH. Poetry in Residence Chris O’Brien Life-House: Sydney 2019.

Winner Don Banks Short Fiction Award 2016 and 2018 Numerous presentations - Schools, Tertiary Institutions etc, Freelance Writer/Illustrator/Artist.  

Elizabeth is an author and teacher. Reading is her favourite escape to places of new possibility and interest. When not reading, Elizabeth loves to write picture books non-fiction narratives and poetry. Elizabeth believes that a child’s perspective can help us all make the world a better place. Her writing centres on themes of resilience, grief, equality, the natural environment, kindness, empowerment, anti-bullying and mental health. Elizabeth spends every moment possible sharing her love of stories with children in Australia and overseas and dreams of a thirty-four hour day.

Carolyn Eldridge-Alfonzetti’s short stories and poems for children have been published in The School Magazine since 2007.  She is the author of a picture book Rainforest Feasts (Wild Eyed Press)  and a verse novella Around the Globe with Gramps (Celapene Press).  A former home economist, food often sneaks into the fiction she now creates.

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Lesley Gibbes is an internationally published children’s author, primary teacher and presenter at the Australian Writers’ Centre.

Her books include CBCA Honour book, Scary Night, Whitley Award Winner Best Young Children’s Book, Fluke and the hilarious chapter book series, Fizz. Her most recent publication is Searching for Cicadas part of Walker Books Nature Storybooks Series.

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Max Hamilton is an award-winning illustrator, graphic designer and most enthusiastically a maker of children’s books. She enjoys noticing the little details in things, loves to get lost in the world of illustration and stories, and through her art aims to raise awareness of the importance of protecting our Australian fauna.

Max lives in Sydney with her partner, two young daughters and a couple of guinea pigs named Dumpling and Noodles.

Pip is an award-winning author, copywriter and magazine journalist. Her young adult novels include I'll Tell You Mine, Head of the River and Because of You. Her middle grade novel The Little Wave won the 2020 Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award for Younger Readers. Pip's second middle grade novel, Are You There, Buddha?, was a 2022 Children's Book Council of Australia Notable Book and was shortlisted for the 2022 NSW Premier's Literary Awards, Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature. Pip's next middle grade novel, August & Jones, was published by Hachette in 2022 and is shortlisted for the CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers 2023.

Libby is the author of numerous books from picture books to poetry books, novels to plays, and film scripts to libretti. Hachette and Harper Collins continue to be her major publishers and Fiona Inglis, Curtis Brown Sydney, her agent. Libby was the recipient of the CBCA NSW Branch Lady Cutler Award for 2020 and 21 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to Australian Children's literature.

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Penny Jaye is a western Sydney based author of books for children and older readers. From YA novels to picture books, her books strive to find beauty, hope, strength and love even in the toughest of settings. (She also writes as Penny Reeve).

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Jan Latta is an author, photographer and publisher of True to Life Books, educating children about endangered animals.

Jan has travelled to India, Uganda, Sri Lanka, Borneo, Costa Rica, China and eleven times to Africa. She follows animals in the wild to tell their story through photographs.

Monica Lizama was born in the longest country in the world. Now she lives on the biggest island in the world. Monica is a bilingual author committed to children’s literature. In between reading and writing, Monica created a super street library in her garden. (FRIENDS-FUR-EVER Library is open 24/7.) Her book Blotch the Dog  won the 2008 Fiction Openbook and has been translated into Spanish. Her picture books are Searching for Bobo and The Empty Dish

Nathan Luff is an author, playwright and storyteller for young audiences. His works are often inspired by the antics he and his four brothers got up to living on a farm in rural NSW. He is the author of Chicken Stu, Bad Grammar, and the upcoming Wooly Bullies series. Nathan’s most recent play was an adaptation of Oliver Phommavanh’s novel Thai-riffic! When not writing, Nathan is also a primary school teacher specialising in the creative arts.

Katrina McKelvey is a children’s author, picture book manuscript assessor, former primary school teacher, and wife and mother living in Newcastle, NSW. She’s highly involved in CBCA, SCBWI, Littlescribe, community events, literary conferences and festivals, and loves visiting schools. She’s written many children's picture books and educational readers including her new title Mila and Ivy. Other much loved books include Isla’s Family Tree, Chasing Rainbows, No Baths Week and Up To Something. Katrina’s left-handed, loves tea, scary movies and rollercoasters, and is addicted to mint chocolate. When she was little, a hot air balloon accidentally landed in her backyard.

Belinda Murrell started writing stories filled with magic, wonder, and adventure when she was eight years old. Now she is an award-winning, internationally published author who has written more than 35 books ranging from junior fiction to adult non-fiction. Her books include The Sun Sword trilogy, Pippa’s Island and Lulu Bell series, historical novels such as The Ivory Rose and The Forgotten Pearl, and magical time-slip novels The Golden Tower and The Silver Sea. Accolades include CBCA Notable 2012 and 2017, Honour Book KOALAS, shortlisted nine times for YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Award), and highly commended in the PM’s Literary Awards.  

Yvette Poshoglian has written over 40 books for young people, including the bestselling Ella and Olivia series, and the new Puppy Diary series for ages 6-9. Yvette is an English teacher and also consults to the NSW Department of Education on major projects

Alison Rose has created consistently, ever since she was a little girl sitting on the floor amongst all her art and craft materials. Alison has explored and mastered many different art forms. She has trained and taught visual arts and recently studied art therapy. Now, as she works on writing and illustrating children’s books, she is delighting readers with her charming stories and intricate illustrations.

Kate Simpson is a Sydney-based picture book author and podcast host. Her latest book, Dear Grandpa, celebrates the bond between a boy and his grandfather and their shared love of the world around us. Kate also co-hosts the children's book podcast One More Page, which has featured renowned authors and illustrators such as Leigh Hobbs, Jacqueline Harvey and Kate DiCamillo. 

Debra Tidball is the author of award-winning The Scared Book and When I See Grandma. She has a particular passion for picture books -she believes they are for everyone! Debra’s flash fiction and short stories have been published in anthologies and accepted in The School Magazine. She reviews kid's books on Sydney radio 103.2 and interviews authors on the Just Write For Kids blog. Debra is a qualified social worker with a Master of Arts in Children’s Literature. She lives in suburban Sydney with her fury friend, Archie the Story Hound, who sniffs out good books on Instagram.

Sue Whiting is an award-winning children’s and YA author, editor and former primary school teacher. Sue writes for many age groups, from picture books through to YA, including the bestselling Missing, the acclaimed The Book of Chance and several CBCA Notable Books. Sue’s latest book is Tilda a historical novel for readers 10+. As a storyteller and schools’ performer, Sue has informed, inspired and entertained thousands of kids across the country. Sue is passionate about the power of story and the importance of books and reading and is an advocate for reading and writing for pleasure.

Nat Amoore is an author of middle grade novels such as Secrets of A Schoolyard Millionaire and The Power Of Positive Pranking, with two more books planned for 2021. She is 1/3 of the children's book podcast One More Page where she, along with her cohosts, discuss and review all things kidlit. But most importantly, Nat used to be a trapeze artist, had a pet kangaroo when she was little and her secret super power is making stuff up (not lying, that's totally different!).

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Sonia is a creative, energetic, fun loving children’s author. Her debut picture book Reece Give Me Some Peace! was shortlisted for the 2019 Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards (Birth – 3 years). Kisses in Your Heart was released in 2019. Sonia is a mother to three amazingly inspiring, curious kids, and works with children as a Speech and Language Pathologist. Her expertise has allowed her to support thousands of children to communicate, read, spell and write with success. She reviews books for the CBCA. An advocate for children’s learning and literacy, Sonia is a well-respected speaker, writer, educator, and educational podcaster, Chat about Children with Sonia  Bestulic. 

Nicola’s first children’s book, You Can't Catch Me, which she wrote, illustrated and self-published, was selected as a Notable - Early Childhood in the 2018 Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards and is also on the list of the 2018 & 2019 NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge. Her second book You Can’t Find Me will be out in March 2020. Both are about her two dogs and are full of fun.

Lynda is an emerging author and has always liked to write. 15 years ago she was challenged to "write something publishable" and began a writing journey that is still ongoing even after completing a Master of Arts in Creative Writing at Macquarie University. She uses her experience as a lover of science fiction and fantasy, mother of two young adult boys, Secondary High School science/mathematics teacher and Scout Leader to write for Middle Grade and Young Adults.

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For many years Diana has painted in a small studio in her back garden in Sydney.

A few years ago she was invited to produce a book cover, then illustrate some picture books for children for Little Red Apple publications, and in recent years has written and illustrated 10 books herself.

The latest of these, Visiting Sydney, was published this year.

All books are about Australian subjects and are printed in Australia.

Although I feel like I’ve spent my whole corporate life storytelling, I’ve just published my first book, Ted goes to hospital, along with my co-founder, Sare Christensen. The story follows our friendly teddy bear, Ted, through his first trip to hospital. It was inspired by personal experience and a desire to help other parents who, like me, often have no idea about how to help their child when they or someone they love end up in hospital.  

I was told once by a very wise lady that you should do what makes your heart sing and for me, that’s writing. 

My first poem was published in the school newsletter when I was nine years old.

As an adult, after gaining my Diploma of Professional Children’s Writing, I had the confidence to explore my writing passion. Now, I write poetry, picture books, chapter books and short stories. My fifth picture book is being released in December this year.

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Paul is a childrens book illustrator and designer from Western Sydney. He has illustrated the Diary of a Roblox Pro series, published by Scholastic Australia. He is an avid reader with a particular love for picture books and graphic novels.

I am a NSW writer interested in children’s books. I am a member of CBCA, Writing NSW, and AWC. As an X-teacher I enjoy giving workshops in schools and bookshops to promote my books.

My previous books are: Catastrophe Girl and the Mystery of the Pie Thief and I Dug a Hole to China.

I live in Sydney on the Northern Beaches and enjoy having my inspirational grandchildren to stay so we can act, write and draw together. They are my first and last editors. If they don’t laugh, cry, or look horrified I abandon it.

Jacqueline loves writing books full of adventure, mystery, quirky characters and lots of laughs. One of Australia’s most popular authors for children she is best known for her Alice-Miranda, Clementine Rose and Kensy and Max series of books. Jacqueline has received numerous short-listings and awards while her picture book, The Sound of the Sea was a CBCA Honour Book. A highly experienced teacher and presenter, she has delivered thousands of talks and workshops at schools and festivals around the world.

Kelli Hawkins (published for children under the name Kelli Anne Hawkins) writes novels for both children and adults and is published by HarperCollins Publishers. She loves writing funny books for kids, usually featuring animals. Her most recent children's book, Birdbrain (March 2022), features a budge who advises the king, while her debut children's novel, The School for Talking Pets, is an adventure set on an island where pets learn to talk to their owners. 

Roxanne uses her creative talents in a variety of fields, including songwriting, poetry and children’s stories.
Recently, she created the Busy Izzy and Friends series, featuring, 12 year old, Busy Izzy, her eight friends and a rescue puppy called, Newly Truly. Three books published to date, have sold in excess of ten thousand copies.
The project uses emotional and educational drivers, focusing on friendship, fun and healthy food, with positive values, award winning songs, video clips, a stage show and picture books, featuring rhythm and rhyme.

Liz is a Sydney-based children’s book author and podcaster. Her latest picture book is Walking Your Human, a fun story written from a dog's point of view about the best ways to go for a walk. She is also the author of picture book Tulip and Brutus, about friendship, differences, teamwork and bugs. A lifetime lover of kids' books, Liz has an MA in Children's Literature via Deakin University.
Liz also co-hosts kids’ book podcast One More Page with friends, authors and book lovers Kate Simpson and Nat Amoore, where she interviews kids’ book industry professionals, reviews the latest books and lapses into the occasional laughing fit. She has lived in Vietnam, Cambodia and Canada, and has a rescue dog named Frankie who acts like a cat. She can typically be found seeking out new cafes or maxing out her library card. 

Bio to come,

Peter usually writes about science, history or both. His hobbies include temporary obsessions; bush walking; bothering plants, insects, venomous animals and other wild things; rocks and volcanoes; science and technology as they existed in the 19th century; chatting to scammers in Latin; reading; creative computing; recreational maths; being a grandfather and writing, assisted by his pet leech. Once a bureaucrat, often a teacher, he now holds all of the papers needed to prove that he is retired, but he refuses to stop.

Alexa Moses writes TV and books for children including her latest middle-grade series, Michaela Mason's Worries. in 2020 her book Bat vs Poss was shortlisted for the CBCA Book of the Year Award. She also contributed to the CBCA shortlisted poetry anthology A Boat of Stars.

Louise draws on a strong background in Education, literacy and publishing to produce her blockbuster bestsellers that include Zac Power Test Drives, Spy Recruit, Boy vs Beast, Harriet Clare series, the D-Bot Squad series, the Star Girl series and the Bella Dancerella series. She has taught primary school, trained teachers in literacy education, created and developed successful reading resources to help children crack the reading code, has been an Education publisher for an international publishing house. Louise has an adult book due to release in Feb 2020, 7 Steps to Get Your Child Reading, and writes under her own name as well as the hugely successful pseudonyms: H. I. Larry, Mac Park and Poppy Rose.

Is an award-winning author of numerous novels for children/YA and adults, including Ghost Boy, set at the Quarantine Station in Manly where there is a special tour for schools based on the novel and A Ring Through Time (convict history on Norfolk Island with a dash of romance!) Her medieval crime series, The Janna Chronicles, follows Janna’s quest to avenge her mother’s death. Wally the Water Dragon and The Little Penguins of Manly were inspired by Felicity’s love of nature. She has many years’ experience talking to both adults and children about researching and writing her novels and conducting creative writing workshops in a variety of genres. She is a May Gibbs Fellow and has an MA in Children’s Literature.

Leila grew up in England and spent her first few years making mud pies with five siblings. Not long after completing an Illustration Degree at Bath Spa University, she hopped on a plane to Australia with her portfolio. 

Leila has now illustrated over ten picture books including three of her own stories. Her writing usually always begins with a sketchbook scribble and she enjoys developing story ideas from her illustrations. 

Her illustrations are a mixture of pencil, paint, paper and any other bits and bobs found in her studio at home. She loves adding collage to her drawings and often spends a bit too long flipping through magazines to find the perfect pattern. 

eila currently lives and works in Newcastle, Australia. 

Paula Stevenson is a farmer and a writer, inspired by her environment and passionate about the natural world. Her debut Picture Book, 'Buster Follows his Nose' has just been released by Little Pink Dog books. It is about the relationship between an old farm dog and a very curious young child and it is set in rural Australia.

Holly Trenaman is an emerging writer of children’s picture books and adult fiction. She’s always worked in childcare and read so many picture books she started to write her own. Having just graduated with a degree in screenwriting/producing, she has since worked across film and TV on programs such as Bondi Rescue, Long Story Short, and her own film projects SISTAS and Dating Violet.  Holly hopes to meet more people in the literary community, to bridge the gap between film and print, and possibly work in book adaptation. Connect with her at @hollytrenaman on Instagram and Facebook.