Victorian based Authors and Illustrators

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Ryan Abramowitz

Author/Artist

Author-illustrator Ryan Abramowitz released his picture book ‘Elegy for an Elephant’ in 2023. Timed to be released on World Suicide Prevention Day, the book was inspired by the loss of his father to suicide and the journey of his family to process, accept and repair from this grief.  It follows the story of a whale and two birds who journey between the sea and the stars, seeking their father’s soul - after Elysium the elephant ends his life. Drawing from Ryan’s own lived experience, he learnt that there is little literature to support those who are navigating grief and loss, specifically to suicide.  

In appreciating the sensitives of engaging with this complex and challenging subject matter, Ryan engaged members of the mental health community including grief counsellors, child psychologists, suicide lived experience organisations (Roses in the Ocean and Jesuit Support after Suicide Services) as well as other clinicians to be involved in the peer review of the book. This ensured that the book is thoughtfully considered, sensitive and non-activating.  At its heart, Elegy for an Elephant honours the many ways we can connect with loved ones we have lost and the timeless nature of love. 

Ryan will be donating 18% of every book sold to Lifeline, Movember and Support after Suicide Services. Ryan hopes all those readers who turn its pages will feel seen, soothed and supported in their healing journey.  Elegy for an Elephant is available from all good bookstores or can be ordered online from https://narrativesofnature.com/ 

Ryan's art journey can be followed on Instagram at https://instagram.com/narrativesofnature_ 

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Amy ADENEY

Author 

After working in public relations for five years, and for ten years as a primary teacher, Amy turned her attention to actively pursuing her goal of writing for children. In 2017 she founded Busy Bookworms, a weekly bookclub class for preschoolers, which used picture books to inspire exciting educational activities. Amy is the author of the six-book junior fiction series Tilda Teaches (Five Mile), and the picture book Turning Cartwheels (EK Books). Her new junior fiction series Trick Shot Trevor (Five Mile) is due for release in late 2023, and her next picture book will be published by Affirm Press in 2024.

When she’s not writing, teaching or reading, Amy can be found attempting (semi-successfully) to train her bichoodle Fred, trying (unsuccessfully) to find a recipe that both her children will like, and catching up on the latest goings-on in Summer Bay. She is available for school visits and writing workshops.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Sarah ALLEN

Author/Illustrator

Sarah Allen is an illustrator, visual artist and author based in Melbourne, Australia. Sarah's work has been commissioned for children’s picture books, and everything from murals to Australia Post stamps. Through her bright, colourful children’s books and artwork, she hopes to foster a connection to nature.

Books

- Jumping Joeys, Sarah Allen, author-illustrator, October 2021, Affirm Press. Notable listed for Children’s Book Council of Australia, Book of the Year - Early Childhood 2022.

- Busy Beaks, Sarah Allen, author-illustrator, September 2020, Affirm Press. Shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia, Book of the Year - Early Childhood 2021

- Nosy Lion, Anna Milbourne, illustrator Sarah Allen, August 2021, Usborne Publishing 

- Little Lift and Look Bugs, Anna Milbourne, illustrator Sarah Allen, April 2020, Usborne Publishing 

- Are You There, Little Unicorn?, Sam Taplin, illustrator Sarah Allen, February 2019, Usborne Publishing

- Little Lift and Look Garden, Anna Milbourne, illustrator Sarah Allen, March 2019, Usborne Publishing

- Origami Dinosaurs, March 2017, Usborne Publishing

- Origami Animals, September 2016, Usborne Publishing

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Mary ANASTASIOU

Author/Presenter

With 30 years of design and marketing experience, Mary is responsible for the creation of over 50 titles for Indie publisher, Larrikin House including ‘My Shadow is Pink’, ‘Keeping up with the Dachshunds’, ‘My ExtraOrdinary Mum’ and ‘Heartbeat of the Land’ - Mary works exclusively with authors and illustrators to create books that (she hopes) will one day become classics.

Mary’s own ‘I want to be…’ series of picture books are favoured by children, parents, and educators alike for their imaginative and creative themes - with ‘I want to be a Sports Star’ recently shortlisted for the Speech Pathology Book of the Year Award in 2022.

With three more picture book titles set for release in 2023 ‘Jimmy Bottoms’, ‘Julius Squeezer’ and ‘The Art of Making Friends’, Mary loves creating stories that make kids giggle.

A frequent guest-assessor of both manuscripts and illustrator portfolios for KidLit and CYA,
Mary looks forward to helping others achieve their publishing dreams.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

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Kaye BAILLIE

Author

Kaye began writing stories and making books during the long, hot summer holidays on the orchard where she grew up in Victoria. With her sister, she sat at the kitchen table coming up with ideas and adding her own (not very good) illustrations. Now she writes stories at her kitchen table near the beach, where she lives with her family and their high-maintenance pets. Kaye has a strong interest in researching and writing stories about unique individuals and events.

Kaye has a Diploma in Professional Writing and Editing. In 2022 her book When The Waterhole Dries Up was shortlisted in the Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards and many of her picture books have won or been shortlisted in awards such as the NSW Premier’s History Awards, WAYRBA (West Australian Young Readers Book Awards), Speech Pathology Australia Book Awards and the Children’s Peace Literature Award. Her work has been published in Australia and internationally. One of Kaye’s passions is bringing stories about remarkable people to young readers.

Kaye’s picture book Message in a Sock with Narelda Joy was published in May 2018.

Kaye’s picture book The Friendly Games with Fiona Burrows was published in June 2020.

Kaye’s picture book Mizuto and the Wind with Luisa Gioffre-Suzuki was published in June 2023.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Dale BAKER

Author, Illustrator & Teacher

Award nominated author and illustrator Dale Baker is also a successful practising artist and teacher. Dale’s iconic work has appeared everywhere from Australian Football League (AFL) Team websites & merchandise to The Melbourne Comedy Festival and popular Television shows such as Channel 7’s Sunrise. Dale’s children’s books are fun, bright and engaging with humour and educational aspects.

An experienced artist, illustrator and teacher of over 20 years, Dale’s work as an author has been recognised at the Australian’s Best Book Awards (YABBA Awards) Picture Story Book Category, Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards and the Kids Only Australian Literacy Awards. Dale loves to encourage reading at a young age and enjoys attending school author visits and library author readings when his busy schedule allows.  Dale, also a proud father, is often is heard saying at such events ‘Kids who read succeed!’

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Trace BALLA

Author/Illustrator

Trace's books are about connection to country. She loves to inspire others creativity and  care for the planet and each other, with workshops and talks filled with images. Trace works with all ages and abilities. You can also contact Trace through Allen and Unwin.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Anna BATTESE

Author 

Anna is a bookworm, baker and children's book maker. Once a marine biologist, she now spends her days writing children’s stories full of unconventional families, adventure, heart and the occasional (but always friendly) shark. 

She lives in Naarm-Melbourne with her little girl, their mischievous labradoodle and an imaginary octopus named Hans Gruber.

Her first junior fiction series, PD McPem’s Agency for Mysterious Mysteries is out now with Yellow Brick Books.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

SAMANTHA-ELLEN BOUND

Author 

Sam-Ellen is an author, writer, editor and now podcaster.​ She writes middle grade and junior fiction, but have also written fiction for adults (with a child narrator, of course!) I love short fiction as well, and have been published in various Australian literary journals and won national prizes for her short stories. She's worked with books and stories for a long time, as a bookseller, reviewer, blogger, editor, in education, in marketing, you name it!

She is very much here for #LoveOzYa and #LoveOzMG

You can read all about her books and writing and love of children's literature on this site. You can also listen to her podcast, KidLit Classics.

​What else makes her heart goes boom?

Dancing in all its forms, especially latin and ballroom. Returning library books late without fail, hiking, crafting, going all green witch in my garden, splashing around in the ocean

pretending she's a mermaid. You know, the usual.

Her life is ruled by a brown lop rabbit: small in stature but big in attitude.​

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

EMMA BOWD

Author 

Emma is an internationally published (Bloomsbury, UK) and award-winning Australian author of books for adults and children; an experienced presenter; and a passionate literacy advocate with the children’s education charity, Ardoch.

Emma’s love of language, fashion, travel, family life and contemporary culture has seen her write fun, feel-good adventures for children which showcase diversity with a modern twist on traditional themes.

Her debut rhyming children’s picture book, Wonderful Shoes (illustrated by Tania McCartney, Windy Hollow Books, 2021) was awarded a CBCA Notable Book, Early Childhood, 2022; named in a prestigious list of Best Rhyming Books for Little Ones (Children’s Books Daily, 2021); and featured on Play School Story Time (Series 5, ABC Kids TV, 2022). 

Her latest rhyming children’s picture book, The Day You Were Born is published by Affirm Press (August, 2023) with another to follow with Affirm Press in March 2024.

Emma has lived in Asia and many parts of Australia, as well as spending 11 years in London – where she worked as an Occupational Therapist in both the public and private sectors. She is an avid reader, maker, traveller and serial house renovator, and ran her own successful slow fashion business, DEED bags.

Emma lives in Naarm/Melbourne on Boonwurrung land with her family. An active participant in the Australian children’s literature community, she has been featured widely in local, national and international press; and was a guest author on BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour when she lived in London. 

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Jacinta BOYD

Author 

Jacinta Boyd is an artist, author and illustrator. She is a qualified primary school teacher and graphic designer who lives with her husband and two daughters by the seaside. She divides her time between her art career and writing and illustrating. Jacinta is endlessly inspired by nature, in particular her local area, which is a prominent feature in her work.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Sue BURSZTYNSKI

Author 

Sue Bursztynski grew up in Melbourne's beachside suburbs, where she still lives. As a child, she used to sit on the beach to write, but later learned to write anywhere she could sit down with a pen and paper. She was thrilled to get her first computer, which meant she could make changes without having to re-write or re-type the whole story. She was even more thrilled when the Internet came along and made research much easier. Sue sold her first book, MONSTERS AND CREATURES OF THE NIGHT, in 1993 and has sold many more books, short stories and articles since then. Her book POTIONS TO PULSARS: WOMEN DOING SCIENCE was a CBCA Notable Book. Sue works in a school in Melbourne's western suburbs, where she tests out her writing on the students. She reviews children's and young adult books for JANUARY MAGAZINE and reads story submissions for ANDROMEDA SPACEWAYS INFLIGHT MAGAZINE. When not writing, Sue enjoys reading, music, blogging, great movies and handcraft. She also loves history, but has no problem fiddling with it for her fantasy fiction.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

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Mark CARTHEW (PhD)

Author 

Mark Carthew is an award winning Australian children’s author, poet, musician and educator well known for his books and series celebrating music, movement, drama, humour and wordplay.

Mark’s recent picture books include Five Little Owls, The Moose is Loose! The Great Zoo Hullabaloo! and The Gobbling Tree, winner of Speech Pathology Australia’s Book of the Year.

Mark’s creative output includes three new books in the Marvin & Marigold series illustrated by Simon Prescott (UK); Marvin & Marigold The Big Sneeze, Marvin & Marigold: A Christmas Surprise and Marvin & Marigold: A Stormy Night.

His 2020 releases included a special 10^th Anniversary eBook & print edition of his CBCA Notable verse and song anthology Can You Keep a Secret? Timeless rhymes to share and treasure; and an exciting picture book featuring the unique and diverse animals of the Amazon rainforest - The Dingle Dangle Jungle, illustrated by Dave Atze (SA), published by Ford Street Publishing. The Dingle Dangle Jungle was shortlisted in the prestigious 2020 Educational Publishing Awards Australia.

Mark’s latest picture book (Released Feb 1, 2021) is The Thing That Goes Ping! illustrated by Shane McGowan (Shane McG), published by Ford Street Publishing.

Mark is a May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust Fellow (Brisbane, 2013) and more recently (Adelaide, 2020 / 2021). His achievements in writing have also been acknowledged via a Distinguished PhD Award from Swinburne University of Technology. As a highly engaging and sought after national and international presenter, Mark’s early years and primary school presentations and books are interactive, entertaining and fun for all.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Jackie CASE

Author 

Jackie Case is a globally recognised, award-winning, fine artist, based in Melbourne. Through The Rebecca Hossack Gallery London, she has exhibited all over the world including New York, L.A, Miami, London, Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, and across her home country of Australia.

Passionate about the importance of creativity, Jackie shares her struggles and how she overcame these hardships through her writing, drawings, and workshops. Her debut children’s book (Boolarong Press) ‘With a Little Sprinkle of Courage’ was written/illustrated as a guide to help those needing strength through adversity.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Helen CHAPMAN

With over 100 books published in Australia and internationally, Helen is an established writer of fiction and non-fiction.

Her intent is to inculcate a love of reading to equal hers as a child. As far as her readers are concerned, Helen’s books are

liked for their humour, original plots and for their direct appeal. Helen is meticulous in her research, so that readers learn

to trust the information they find. Her expertise includes making difficult and often dry topics relevant and exciting as evidenced

in her latest book ‘Deadly Waters’(Scholastic) a fictionalised account of her father’s life as a young RAN signalman aboard

minesweepers and the battlecruiser HMAS Australia during WWII.

More information is at: www.helenchapman.com

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Anna CIDDOR

Author/Illustrator

Anna Ciddor has always been fascinated by the past. She immerses herself in research and hunts out the tiniest details so she can bring the past to life in her imagination – and in her writing and illustrating. 

Her meticulous work has been recognised by a grant from the Literature Board of the Australia Council, and in 2021 she won the Nance Donkin Award for Children’s Literature. Her novels have been selected as Notable Books by the CBCA and shortlisted for many other awards.

Some of her best-loved books include Runestone, The Family with Two Front Doors, and The Boy Who Stepped Through Time. In 2023 she will celebrate the launch of a new book, A Message Through Time.

Anna Ciddor is an inspiring presenter at schools, libraries and festivals, and she makes research, planning, drafts and editing sound exciting and fun!

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Sherryl CLARK

Author 

Sherryl Clark has more than 70 children's and YA books published. She is available for school visits and writing workshops, and is happy to teach poetry writing across all grades.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Paul COLLINS

Author/Editor/Publisher

Paul Collins has written many books, mostly for younger readers through to young adults. He is best known for his fantasy and science fiction titles: The Jelindel Chronicles (Dragonlinks, Dragonfang, Dragonsight and Wardragon), and The Quentaris Chronicles ─ co-edited with Michael Pryor ─ (Paul wrote: Swords of Quentaris, Slaves of Quentaris, Dragonlords of Quentaris, Princess of Shadows, The Forgotten Prince, Vampires of Quentaris and The Spell of Undoing). His trilogy published in America by TOR was The Earthborn Wars (The Earthborn, The Skyborn and The Hiveborn).

Paul has edited many anthologies which include Trust Me!, Metaworlds, Rich & Rare and Australia’s first fantasy anthology, Dream Weavers. He also edited The MUP Encyclopaedia of Australian SF&F.

Paul has been short-listed for many awards and has won the Inaugural Peter McNamara and the A Bertram Chandler awards, both of which were for lifetime achievement in science fiction, and the Aurealis and William Atheling awards. In 2022 he was awarded the CBCA’s Leila St John Award for services to Victorian children.

His last fantasy series was The Warlock’s Child (six titles) in collaboration with Sean McMullen. His last anthology is Rich & Rare, comprising almost 50 contributors including Shaun Tan, James Roy, Leigh Hobbs, Gabrielle Wang, Justin D’Ath, Scot Gardner and many others. Paul’s latest books are James Gong — The Chinese Dragon and Tarni’s Chance, illustrated by Jules Ober.

His book, Slaves of Quentaris, features in 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Die (UK, 2009).

Paul’s adult books are the anthology The Government in Exile and Cyberskin. His adult horror novel, The Beckoning, Damnation Books (US) is available from Paul’s online shop.

Other than his writing, Paul is the publisher at Ford Street Publishing, publishing everything from picture books through to young adult literature, and he manages Creative Net, a speakers’ agency.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Vikki CONLEY

Author

Vikki is an award-winning author with multiple internationally published picture books. Vikki has worked as a professional writer, photographer and marketer, with diverse communities in Africa, Asia and Australia, for over 20 years. She writes stories that celebrate the spirit of wonder, freedom and adventure that she wishes all children could enjoy.

Vikki has received various Book Of The Year Awards including:

• CBCA

Where The Lyrebird Lives (2023 – Winner)

Amira’s Suitcase (2022 – Honour Book)

Little Puggle’s Song (2020 – Notable Book)

• Speech Pathology Australia

On The Way To School (2023 – Short listed)

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Maree COOTE

Author/Illustrator

Maree Coote is a writer, designer, illustrator, photographer and publisher. She has enjoyed an award-winning career in advertising and understands Melbourne's unique advantage well. Her many creative passions converge in her studies of Melbourne's history, which is the focus of her work in object design and in publishing over the past ten years. Maree is passionate about a sense of place and history, and she brings this to life in multiple platforms for multiple audiences. Her affinity for Melbourne is unique and highly informed. Her skill is bringing ideas to life, and communicating ideas to any audience 'in whatever form gives them most power: books, artwork, song, stories, design, film...". SPEAKING EVENTS & BOOKING DETAILS Click HERE.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Crystal Corocher

Author

Crystal Corocher is an author and editor of stories for children and young adults. 

Named an ABIA finalist in 2022 as a Rising Star of Australian Publishing, Crystal loves

sharing stories and storytelling techniques with students of all ages.  

Her debut picture book, The Naked Sheep, has had young readers (and their parents) laughing since its release in 2022. 

In 2023 her next work will contrast this with an as yet untold Australian migration story in her narrative nonfiction picture book, Giovanni.  

With a dual major in journalism and children's literature from Deakin University, with distinctions, Crystal has written and edited her way across television news, 

radio, print media and online and is a regular contributor and guest mentor for Mona Magazine and literary conferences.  

Bringing lively and informative sessions to students from prep-12, Crystal is also passionate about access and inclusion for regional students - 

so get in touch to bring her wealth of experience across publishing, journalism, authorship and reading engagement to your classroom! 

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Meredith COSTAIN

Author/Editor

Meredith Costain is a versatile writer for children whose work ranges from picture books through to novels, poetry, series fiction and non-fiction.

Her books include CBCA Early Childhood Honour Book Doodledum Dancing, nature series My Life in the Wild, and Musical Harriet, which was adapted for television by the ABC. Meredith’s latest books include the quirky Ella Diaries and its sister series, Olivia’s Secret Scribbles.

She enjoys presenting writing workshops to children and adults around Australia. 

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Angie CUI

Author

Angie Cui is a Melbourne-based freelance writer with a love for children’s literature. Her debut picture book is coming in 2025 with UQP (University of Queensland Press). Her articles have been circulated in publications such as ABC Everyday, SBS Voices, SBS Food, The Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald, Kidspot, Body & Soul, 9Honey and CPA Magazine INTHEBLACK.

Born in China. She came to Australia when she was 18. She now lives in Melbourne with her husband and two children. She calls her family the “ABC family” – four people, three cultures – Australian Bangladeshi and Chinese (her kids are Australian-born, and her husband is originally from Bangladesh).

She loves the rich culture of her family’s languages and enjoys using languages to tell stories. She likes to write about lifestyle, languages, food and cultural parenting. She wants her children to see themselves in the stories they read, as well as children from other multicultural families.

Social media : @angiecuiwrites

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

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Michael EARP

Author/Editor/Bookseller

Michael Earp is a non-binary writer and bookseller living in Naarm (Melbourne, Australia). They are the contributing editor of Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories (2019) and contributor to Underdog: #LoveOzYA Short Stories (2019). The next anthology they are editing is coming from Affirm Press in October 2023 with another from Fremantle Press in June 2024. Their writing has also appeared in Archer, The Age, PopMatters, The Victorian Writer and Aurealis. For twenty years they have worked between bookselling and publishing as a children’s and young adult specialist. In 2021, they were awarded the Australian Booksellers Association Bookseller of the Year for their role managing The Little Bookroom, the world’s oldest children’s bookstore. A passionate advocate for LGBTQIA+ literature for young people, they established the #AusQueerYA Tumblr to catalogue all Australian young adult fiction containing queer content and characters. Representation of all people in the literature available to readers of all ages is the ethos that motivates their entire career. They have a Masters in Children’s Literature and a Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Teaching and previously served as committee chair for the #LoveOzYA campaign. Tea is the source of all their power.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

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Corinne FENTON

Author

Award-winning Australian author, Corinne Fenton, is a passionate creator of picture books that delight readers from 0 -100. From sentimental favourites, nostalgic tales of the past, and whimsical declarations of love, Corinne’s books are underpinned with a sense of warmth and honesty.

Corinne’s name has become synonymous with Christmas, with Little Dog and the Christmas Wish, One Christmas Eve and Christmas Uncancelled, featuring as the Myer Christmas window themes.

When Corinne is not researching or writing, she loves talking to children and adults about her books and is a much sought after presenter.

Corinne is proud to be an Australia Reads Ambassador.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Maura Finn

Author

Maura is a children's author based in Melbourne. She writes stories for children of pre-school age all the way up to the middle-grades, but has a particular fondness for picture books and children's poetry. Her work has been published in Australia, New Zealand, the US, UK, China, and Korea.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Katie FLANNIGAN

Author

Katie is an emerging author/illustrator. She is the author of two picture books coming out shortly with EK books and Little Pink Dog Books.

Her illustrations, using mixed media, hand made figurines and found objects, have been described as quirky and humorous.

She is currently working on further PBs and a fantasy series in her home town of Melbourne.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Kesta FLEMING

Author

Kesta Fleming is a writer and poet, and author of the Marlow Brown chapter book series for seven- to ten-year-olds.

She was born in England but grew up in the Adelaide Hills in a house full of books, bells and music. With a love of stories and a fascination for words she began writing when young. In addition to Marlow Brown, she has had numerous poems, plays, articles and short stories published in The School Magazine and in anthologies.

Kesta is a former teacher and now divides her time between writing for children and her therapeutic work helping people manage stress and anxiety.

She lives in Melbourne with her husband, two teenagers and a Brittany Spaniel.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Rebecca FRASER

Author

Rebecca Fraser is an award-winning author of genre-mashing fiction for children and adults. Her work has won, been shortlisted for, and honourably mentioned for numerous awards including Adaptable, The 2023 Readings Prize, Aurealis Awards, Australian Shadows Awards, Ditmars, and Mornington Peninsula Shire Mayor’s Writing Award. Rebecca’s publications include three middle grade novels: Sea Glass (Wombat Books), Jonty’s Unicorn and Curtis Creed and the Lore of the Ocean (IFWG Publishing), a junior fiction novel: Skippy Blackfeet (Wombat Books, 2024), a collection of short fiction, and over sixty short stories, poems, and articles in various anthologies, journals, and magazines.

Rebecca has served as a convenor and on the judging panel of nationally-recognised literary competitions, and delivers author talks and workshops at schools, literary festivals, libraries, and community centres, in both physical and online capacities. She’s proud to be an Ambassador for Australia Reads, one of the founding directors of the national youth writing competition Little Stories, Big Ideas,  and a participant in the Australian Author Pen Pals program. 

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

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Marjory GARDNER

Illustrator

Marjory Gardner is a freelance artist, illustrating mainly for children’s books.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her partner and a Jack Russell terrier, who sometimes appears in her drawings.

Marjory was born in Malaysia and came to Australia with her family to begin high school. Her favourite subject was Art.

After studying Graphic Design at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology she worked at various design studios before deciding to go freelance, specialising in children’s illustration.

Marjory’s work has appeared in trade and educational publications within Australia and internationally. She also illustrates for magazines, and has designed a range of greeting cards. She uses felt tipped pens, colour pencils, pen, brush and ink, and occasionally, collage.

Marjory is available to visit schools and libraries to give presentations and workshops.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Stef GEMMILL

Author

Stef is the author of several picture books including ‘A Home For Luna’, 'Toy Mountain' and ‘In My Dreams’ and writes imaginative and topical stories of peril and hope with heart. 

She is a qualified Montessori teacher and draws on both her education and creative background when working with children in workshops and schools.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Jane GODWIN

Author/Publisher

Jane Godwin is an Australian author, and is a publisher at Penguin Books Australia for children and young adult books.

Godwin has sole-authored fifteen books which have been published internationally, and she has earned many commendations. Her novel The Family Tree won the 2000 Queensland Premier's Literary Award. Sebby, Stee, The Garbos and Me was shortlisted for the 1999 New South Wales State Literary Award (Patricia Wrightson Prize) and was also a Young Australian Best Book Award finalist. The True Story of Mary was shortlisted for the 2006 CBC Book of the Year Awards in the Younger Readers category. Sing Me The Summer was shortlisted for the Children's prize at the 2021 Indie Book Awards, while When Rain Turns to Snow was shortlisted for the 2021 CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers.

As well as being an author, Godwin loves being creative with students of all ages. She lives in Melbourne with her husband and has two children. Her son is Wil Wagner of The Smith Street Band and her daughter Lizzie Wagner is an accomplished interior and event designer.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Caz GOODWIN

Author

Caz Goodwin is an Australian award-winning author who writes picture books, short stories, poetry and junior fiction for children. Her work has been published internationally and illustrated by Gus Gordon, Shaney Hyde and Kerry Millard (Australia), Ashley King (UK), Low Joo Hong (Singapore) and others. She heads the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) in Victoria and is on the Young Australian Best Book Awards (YABBA) council. Caz is also an Australia Reads ambassador.

Caz was the judge of the 2021 Nance Donkin Award for Children’s Literature. She has been the recipient of an ASA mentorship, a May Gibbs Creative Time Residential fellowship and a resident at the Police Point Artist in Residence Program.

Caz’s debut book,Curse of the Viking Sword, won Singapore’s First Time Writers Award. Her picture book, Dragon’s Egg, won the prestigious Arts Council’s Beyond Words Award for picture books. Caz also wrote the popular ‘Daisy’ picture books, Lazy Daisy and Daisy Runs Wild, featuring Daisy the lazy koala. Her most recent picture book, Little Matilda, was shortlisted for the Book of the Year Awards 2022 by Speech Pathology Australia. Caz’s books have featured on Sarah Ferguson’s Fergie and Friends Show, CBCA Storytime, podcasts, newspapers and radio.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Bob GRAHAM

Author & Designer of 2019 CBCA Book Week Merchandise

Robert Donald Graham, better known as Bob Graham is an Australian author and illustrator of picture books, primarily for very young children.

Graham won the 2002 Kate Greenaway Medal from the British librarians, recognising the year's best-illustrated children's book published in the UK, for the picture book Jethro Byrd, Fairy Child (Walker Books), which he both wrote and illustrated. (He donated the £5000 cash prize to refugees.) The story features a young girl who finds a tiny fairy family "in cement and weeds", contrary to her father's teaching. He also won a 2000 Smarties Prize, ages category 0–5 years, for Max and the 2002 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Picture Book, for "Let's Get A Pup!" Said Kate.

For his contribution as a children's illustrator, Graham was Australia nominee for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 2012

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Michelle GUZEL

Michelle is an author, book collector (biblioholic) and fossil enthusiast (palaeontologist). 

Michelle lives in Victoria with her husband and an endearingly bossy Scottie called Millie.

Michelle’s debut picture book, Two Puggles, published by Ford Street Publishing, is out now.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

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Penny HARRISON

Author

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Anne HARVEY

Author

 https://www.penguin.com.au/authors/anne-harvey 

Anne Harvey is a broadcaster and poetry and literary anthologist. She lives in Ealing and has two children and two grand children.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Elizabeth HONEY

Author

Australian children’s author, illustrator and poet, Elizabeth Honey lives in Melbourne, behind an enormous magnolia tree. Here are the stories about her stories, tips for budding authors and artists, in fact a whole Honey bunch of things to try.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Judy HORACEK

Cartoonist/Artist/Book creator

Judy Horacek became a cartoonist in her mid-twenties, when she was wondering what to do with her life, and someone suggested she try cartooning. That fitted well with her love of drawing and writing and making people laugh, and was also a wonderful way of having her say about issues that were important to her, such as feminism and the environment.

She has drawn cartoons for many books, magazines and campaigns, and has had regular cartooning gigs in The Age, the Australian Magazine (back when the Australian wasn’t quite so rabid), the Canberra Times and then the Age again. Ten collections of her cartoons have been published.

Judy also creates children’s books, both on her own and with Mem Fox, including the incredibly successful Where is the Green Sheep?, which all started with a tiny etching Judy had done of a green sheep that caught Mem’s eye.

She makes and regularly exhibits her watercolours and limited edition prints. Currently she is working on a number of collaborative projects, and thinking about new methods of combining words and images in ways that make people think and try to save the planet.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Jackie Hosking

Author/Poet/Editor

Born in Nigeria, Africa. Jackie lived in Cornwall, UK until the age of ten. She then came with family to live in Australia. She went to school in Ballarat, moved to Melbourne as an adult and ended up on the Surf Coast where she lives now. Moving to the Surf Coast must have unlocked her creativity as this is where she began to write.

Mostly she write rhyming poems for children many of which have been published in The School Magazine.

She also write picture books. Three published with Walker Books Australia, The Croc and the Platypus, An Amazing Australian Road Trip and An Aussie Christmas Gum Tree. One with Larrikin House, Temper Tabitha and one with Scholastic, I Really Want a Pet and another 4 in the pipeline, with Walker Books.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Cheri HUGHES

Illustrator

Cheri Hughes has always known she was an artist. Ever since she was a young girl, her best means of communication was through imagery. Cheri has a knack for drawing you in with her illustrations. She captivates her audience with plenty of emotion, playfulness, and magic. She brings life to characters you will love, and she will lead you into a world you won’t want to leave.

Cheri was born in an American Naval base in Japan. She grew up in both cultures, which has been an essential ingredient to her illustrations. She has been fortunate to experience different cultures worldwide and has settled herself down in Australia, where she enjoys beach life with her beach babies.

She works with publishers such as Penguin and Big Sky Publishing and collaborates with them on many children related projects. She has illustrated seven children’s books with Big Sky Publishing, focusing on children’s wellbeing, Australian culture, and environmental awareness. Cheri is a part of the Bluey phenomenon through Penguin, creating colouring books with children’s favourite characters from the kid’s show, Bluey. Recently she has worked with the Melbourne Convention Bureau in developing animated avatars for their travel conventions. These avatars invite visitors to see the best of Melbourne and the state of Victoria.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

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George IVANOFF

Author

Written more than 100 books for kids and teens, including the Gamers trilogy, You Choose series, the RFDS Adventures and OTHER WORLDS.  

George drinks too much coffee, eats too much chocolate and watches too much Doctor Who. He has one wife, two children and an uncontrollable imagination.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

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Diane JACKSON-HILL

Author

Diane is a trained primary teacher with a Graduate Diploma in Music Education. She taught for many years in the classroom, later focusing on classroom music, science and special needs. Diane also worked on festivals for many years – managing and programming. She then managed her husband’s entertainment and music resource business.
Diane’s writing career began in her 50’s. She co-authored a series of ukulele books Uke’n Play Ukulele which now has been released worldwide. Her interest in writing picture books was sparked when she became a grandma and she took short courses and workshops to learn the craft.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Ann JAMES

Illustrator

Ann James was a secondary art teacher before she took up children's book illustration over twenty years ago. She has illustrated more than 50 books since then. Some well-loved favourites include the Penny Pollard series by Robin Klein, The Midnight Gang and The Midnight Feast by Margaret Wild, the Hannah series by Libby Gleeson, The Butterfly by Roger Vaughan Carr and most recently Little Humpty by Margaret Wild and Shutting the Chooks In by Libby Gleeson. Ann has written and illustrated two picture books of her own, One Day and Finding Jack. Most of her illustrations feature her own animals and she delights in being playful and experimental with the materials she chooses to work with. She and her friend Ann Haddon run Books Illustrated, a bookshop and gallery for book illustrations in Albert Park. Ann lives right opposite the dog beach in Melbourne, where she spends time thinking and walking with her dogs, Ollie and Kip.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

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Thalia KALKIPSAKIS

Author

Thalia grew up on a farm on the outskirts of Melbourne with a mum who tried to save battery hens by on-selling them as backyard chickens. Her dad worked as an industrial chemist while also growing strawberries, carrots and Christmas trees on the farm. It was not unusual to find plant shoots in the freezer, or the hair dryer missing because it was needed to heat one of her dad's experiments. Thalia's childhood showed her the magic that can happen when science and nature combine with human creativity. These days, Thalia lives in regional Victoria and works as a freelance writer and editor. She has published 20 books for children and teenagers, including many in the best-selling Go Girl series. Her latest release is the final instalment of the Lifespan of Starlight trilogy, where three teenagers discover the secret to travelling through time.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Bernadette KELLY

Author

Bernadette is the author of the Riding High children’s book series and the Pony Patch children’s book series, and many other middle grade fiction novels, junior chapter books and non fiction information books. You might find her books in your school library or classroom.

She's written books about a wide range of subjects and themes. She is a fellow of The May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust, and have been a YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards) council member. School visits and visits to community groups are a great way for her to meet you, and talk to you about how much fun it can be to read and write stories.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

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Sue LAWSON

Author

Award-winning Australian author Sue Lawson writes books for children and young adults. Her books include picture book, The Biscuit Maker, illustrated by Liz Anelli and young adult novels Freedom Ride, shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year and the NSW and WA Premiers’ Literary Awards, and Pan’s Whisper, which won the Australian Family Therapist Award and was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award.

Sue also collaborates with Boonwurrung Elder, Aunty Fay Muir. Their books include acclaimed picture books, Respect and Family, the first two books in the Magabala Books’ Our Place series and NGANGA – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Words and Phrases.

To learn more about Sue, her young adult fiction, junior fiction, non-fiction and picture books, or about her workshops and interviewing roles, take a look around the website.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Liv LORKIN

Author/Illustrator

Liv is a Ballarat based children’s book author and illustrator. Her work encapsulates her love of regional Australia, connecting children to their communities and exploring emotions through her work. Her most recent book Winter in Ballarat was welcomed with enthusiastic acclaim with a follow-up book Christmas in Ballarat soon to be released. Her upcoming projects include a five-part series for 7-10-year-olds exploring grief for children who've posted a parent or guardian. When she isn’t out illustrating on Wadawurrung land she can be found volunteering at the SES, finishing a good puzzle and drinking her third cup of tea. 

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Janette LUCAS

Artist

An artist with decades of experience exhibiting paintings throughout Australia and Indonesia, her work is held in public collections including Museum and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory (MAGNT), Government House & Parliament House Darwin and  many private collections.
Much of her career as an artist was spent in the Northern Territory. She was founding co-ordinator of Babbara Womens Council, Maningrida, lectured in drawing at the Darwin University and was head of art at Batchelor College, Rum Jungle, where she taught indigenous students from the faculties of art, education, linguistics and media.
Having re-discovered a deep affection for children’s books, Lucas wrote her first story ‘Margot and Milligan - Curious as Cats’ on a road trip to the east coast. It was published with her own illustrations in 2021.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

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Lorraine MARWOOD

Author

As an eight year old Lorraine knew that writing was what she wanted to do, but never knew the steps to publication other than to write and to read and to dream. 

As a teenager she was briefly published in some great hippie magazines. Poetry was her first publication and still this genre continues today.

She wishes she’d journaled more as a teenager but am grateful that she now have shelves of notebooks and also a modest shelf of published books.  

She is always looking for writing opportunities and a great way to begin publication is by entering competitions.  

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Karys MCEWEN

Author

Karys McEwen is the current vice president of the Victorian branch of the Children’s Book Council of Australia. She is also a school librarian, and she is passionate about the role libraries and literature play in the wellbeing of young people. She has been a columnist for Books+Publishing and her work has appeared in library journals in Australia and the UK.

All the Little Tricky Things is her debut middle-grade novel. Her second middle-grade novel, The Paperbark Tree Committee, will be published in June 2024.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Kate MCGANN

Author

Kate is an author living in rural Victoria. She loves tackling stories that explore relationships, wellbeing and nature. Kate enjoys writing both fiction and nonfiction. Her picture book The Glint of Gold was released in September 2021. The first day of Spring! It is beautifully illustrated by Patricia Ward and published by Little Pink Dog Books.

​

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Jess MCGEACHIN

Author/Illustrator

Jess grew up in regional Victoria where he spent lots of time in the local library pouring over well-loved DK eyewitness books.  

He has fond memories of visiting the old Melbourne Museum where his mum worked as a scientific illustrator, meticulously drawing strange sea-creatures in glass jars.

Jess studied Communication Design at RMIT and worked as a graphic designer before turning his hand to writing and illustrating picture books.

He loves telling stories about hidden places, like the underground world beneath your feet or a secret library waiting to be found.

Awards: 

2023 CBCA Eve Pownall Award for Deep (Winner) 

2023 Environment Awards for Children's Literature for The Tree at Number 43 (Winner) 

2023 Environment Awards for Children's Literature for Kind (Winner)

2023 Awarded an Australian Antarctic Arts Fellowship 

2023 School Library Association’s Information Book Award for Deep (Longlisted)

2023 CBCA Awards for Kind (Notable) 

2023 2023 Australian Book Designers Association Awards for Kind (Longlisted)

2022 World Illustration Awards for The Tree at Number 43 (Longlisted)

2022 CBCA Awards for Frankie and the Fossil (Notable)

2020 World Illustration awards for Colin Collects Colors (Longlisted)

2020 CBCA (Children’s Book Council of Australia) awards for Fly (Shortlisted)

2020 Queensland Literary Awards for Fly (Shortlisted)

2019 World Illustration awards for Fly (Shortlisted)

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Nean MCKENZIE

Author

Nean McKenzie is a children’s writer and optometrist who lives in western Melbourne. Originally from Bendigo, Nean lived in New Zealand, Europe and North East Africa before returning to Victoria. She lives with her family and a cat called Lemonade who purrs, even when nervous. Nean has had three middle-grade novels out with MidnightSun Publishing: Cryptosight (2019), Xenoflight (2022) and Timefire (2023). She was awarded a Maurice Saxby mentorship in 2016, a fellowship for the KSP Writers Centre for 2023 and has a diploma in Professional Writing and Editing from RMIT. When not writing or testing people’s eyes, Nean enjoys running and travelling to interesting places around the world. She also likes bush-walking and reading books, especially those for 8-12-year-olds

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Heidi McKINNON

Author

Heidi McKinnon is a childen's book author and illustrator. Based in sunny Melbourne, Australia, where she lives with her partner Seamus, daughter Ava, and their very lazy cat Pepé. Her books include I Just Ate My Friend, Baz & Benz, and There's No Such Thing and have been shortlisted for numerous awards, including the Children's Book Council Book of the Year Awards. When she is not writing stories or drawing pictures, Heidi enjoys reading, binge watching her favorite TV shows, and photography--although most of her pictures feature her cat asleep.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Neridah McMULLIN

Author

Neridah McMullin is an Australian author who writes stories and poetry for children. She aspires to write stories that matter; some are long forgotten, some are little known. Her grandfather was a stockman who bred racehorses, so she learned to ride at a young age. When she read about Fabish, she went to meet the trainer at the farm in north-east Victoria. He told her about that terrible time, and how he had to set Fabish and the yearlings free to make their own way through the firestorm. He didn't think he would ever see them again.

Her Fabish shortlisted in the CBCA Book of the Year ( Eve Pownall Award) in 2017.

Other books have been published:

• Fabish: the horse that braved a Bushfire published by Allen & Unwin (2016)
• Knockabout Cricket published by One Day Hill (2015)
• Sweet Baby Magpie Picture Book published by Collingwood Football Club (2013)
• Shoulder to Shoulder (2013) Chapter Book series with Collingwood Football Club
• Side by Side (2012) Chapter Book series with Collingwood Football Club
• Kick it to Me! published by One Day Hill (2012)
• Ponkidoodle self published with Little Steps at New Frontier

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Shelley McRoberts

Author/Illustrator

Shelley uses a mix of traditional and digital mediums to make her illustrations.  Whilst her background is in traditional oil painting and gouache, she enjoys bringing different elements together in Photoshop.

Holding an M.A. in Children’s literature, Shelley spent two years in the M.F.A. program at the University of Southern California in Digital Arts and Animation.  She  has also studied Illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York and spent time in Italy studying figure and plein air landscape.  Her travels internationally have inspired her works and stories.

In the past Shelley has worked as a freelance Illustrator, University Literature Lecturer and as a Museum Arts Educator.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Viarnne MISCHON

Author

Email Vairnne@swichonradio.org

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Tania MOLONEY

Author

Tania Moloney is the Founder of Nurture in Nature Australia and Children’s Book Author of Nature Ninja Save the Natural World.

Since 2012 she has been working and playing with children, educators, and parents from all around the world to help them nurture strong connections with nature and each other.

Through her work and her writing, Tania is on a mission to nurture the next generation of nature heroes, teaching children (and their adults) that by taking even the smallest actions to care for nature where they live, they can make a positive difference for the planet.

Nature Ninja Saves the Natural World is Tania's debut children's book, but she has secretly wanted to be Nature Ninja ever since she was 6 years old. Now she can be – and she can’t wait to see what future adventures Nature Ninja will have (both in the backyard and beyond).

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Julie MURPHY

Author

Julie Murphy is a former zoologist and zookeeper who writes about animals and the environment. Her 20+ fiction and nonfiction picture books for children have been published in Australia and the USA, recognised for awards and lists, and translated into three foreign languages. Her website is www.juliemurphybooks.com.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Kirsty MURRAY

Author

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

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Katrina NANNESTAD

Author

Katrina Nannestad is an Australian writer of books for children.

Following her graduation from the University of New England, Armidale with qualifications in English and education, Nannestad began her career as a school teacher.

Her first book, Bungaloo Creek, was published by ABC Books in 2001.

Annie Waters concluded her review of We Are Wolves saying, "I guarantee that the Wolf children will find a place in your heart".

As of 2022, Nannestad was living in Bendigo, Victoria.

Awards:

The Girl Who Brought Mischief

• Winner, Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Books, New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, 2014

We Are Wolves

• Winner, Children and Young Adult category, Historical Novel Society Australasia, 2021
• Winner, Children's Literature Award, Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature, 2022

Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief

• Winner, Children's book, Indie Awards, 2022
• Winner, Booksellers Choice Award, Children's Book of the Year, 2022
• Winner, Shadowers' Choice Award, Book of the Year: Younger Readers, CBCA Book of the Year Awards, 2022
• Winner, Children and Young Adult category, Historical Novel Society Australasia, 2022

Waiting for the Storks

• Winner, Children's Book Award, Queensland Literary Award

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Sally NANSEN

Author/Illustrator

 Sally’s illustrated book creations and other narrative works are concerned with social, ecological and craft histories. She explores the child within humanity as a bearer of restoration.

Dear Daisy Chain is the portal for a curious narrative vista, a written and visual world rooted in social, ecological and publishing histories. As a storyteller, works by Sally Nansen explore the instinct of humankind to bear or not to bear the wind of their own making, legacies of the past drawing close as cautionary tales or as appeals for redemption. The human story is dealt with sharpness and tenderness by Sally: Time disappears, humanity faces itself.

A series of small run art books by the imprint Morris & Company Press, hand printed illustrations and public narrative artworks are Sally’s works to date. As illustrator, writer, printmaker, designer and book creator, she is mostly making artefacts created and felt by the hand, questioning tides of modern production and the spiritual fallout that has come from disconnection to the natural world. Doggedly the past persists in her, as muse and mentor. History is a mother whose milk is both sweet and bitter to her lips.

In 2022 and 2023 Sally’s books were part of the Melbourne Art Book Fair, National Gallery of Victoria.

Go to Hobsons Bay Homegrown Authors Network for a listing of Sally’s writing and awards.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Liz OXENBURY

Author

Liz had developed the character Charlie the Cheeky Monkey in the late 90’s when she had a children’s clothing business, he was to be the mascot for the fledgling business, but he soon grew a life of his own. He started performing at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Hard Rock Café and Teddy Bears Picnic to name a few, Charlie became very popular in his own right. Liz was very passionate about Charlie and during lockdown decided to write a book about him, and Australian animals. The book Cheeky Charlie Learns his Lesson is aimed to educate kids about the risks of giving into peer group pressure.

Liz has recently launched a monthly Subscription called Cheeky Charlie’s Adventures where Charlie sends snail mail (post) to children to educate them about the joys of travel and teach them about different country and cultures.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

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Kate O'DONNELL

Author

Kate O'Donnell is a YA author from Melbourne. She has worked as a bookseller, editor and in digital marketing but it's a fascination for people, music, the future, as well as small, unexplored places that inspires her writing. Her first novel Untidy Towns was published in 2017, and This One is Ours was released in October 2020.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Wendy ORR

Author

With a string of awards including the Prime Minister’s Award for Children’s Literature and CBCA Book of the Year, Wendy Orr has written over 40 books and been published in 27 languages.

Wendy Orr was born in Edmonton, Canada, but with a father in the Air Force, grew up in various places in France, Canada and Colorado. Although Wendy first learned to read and write in French, her family spoke English at home. She clearly remembers the excitement of reading a story in her own language for the first time. She immediately started writing stories, plays and poems, and hasn’t stopped since.

When she was 9, she wrote a story called “Spring Island” about a little girl running away from an orphanage to live on an island. In many ways, this was the first draft of Nim’s Island.

Wendy started writing seriously in 1986. At the end of that year she wrote the picture book Amanda’s Dinosaur, which won an Ashton Scholastic competition for an unpublished picture book text. Her career grew steadily from that point, although she continued working as an occupational therapist until 1991 when injuries from a catastrophic car accident turned her into a full time writer. Her books include Nim’s Island, the first Australian children’s book to become a Hollywood feature film. Wendy believes that every child deserves to find the books that fuel their passion for stories, encourage empathy and connection, and empower them for the future.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

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Prue PITTOCK

Illustrator

Prue was born in Melbourne, Australia. After studying Art and Design she worked in advertising, which lead to her dream job, illustrating and designing album covers for a subsidiary company of  EMI Australia. Working mainly in two colours, Prue developed her own style and the love of a limited palette. During this time, she illustrated a junior fiction novel, The Lilly-Pilly. After years of painting and ceramics, Prue has returned to her passion for illustration.

She has just finished illustrating her fifth book, Matthew Flinders: Adventures on leaky ships by Carole Wilkinson, which was released in July, 2020. 

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

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Jess RACKLYEFT

Author

Jess Racklyeft is an Australian illustrator and author of children's picture books, and creator of artistic works including paintings, prints and stationery. Racklyeft previously worked in publishing before becoming a full-time illustrator.

Awards:

• Won - SCBWI Crystal Kite for Australia New Zealand 2017.
• Notable - CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book Merry Everything (2016) written by Tania McCartney.
• Notable - CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book Smile Cry (2017) written by Tania McCartney.
• Longlisted - Indie Book Awards 2021 Welcome Baby (2020) written and illustrated by Jess Racklyeft.
• Won - CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book Iceberg (2022), written by Claire Saxby.
• Notable - CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Eve Pownall Award for Information Books Iceberg (2022), written by Claire Saxby.
• Notable - CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book Whisper on the Wind (2022), written by Claire Saxby.
• SCBWI International Bologna Scholarship 2023.
• CBCA Book Week 2024 Feature Artist, Theme art creator - Reading is Magic!

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Judith ROSSELL

Author/Illustrator

Judith Russell is an illustrator and author of children's books. Her fisrt job was working as a government scientist. Over time she was drawn into illistrating because she loves drawing pictures. She has written 11 books and illustrated more than 80. Her books have been published in the UK and the USA. Her title Withering-By-the-Sea won an ABIA 2015 Award in the category of Book of the Year for Older Children (0 - 8 years). This same title won a Davitt Awards 2015 in the category of Children's novel. Judith Russell also won an Honour Book at the 2015 Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year Awards with her title Withering-by-Sea: A Stella Montgomery Intrigue.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Andrea ROWE

Author

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Jeanette ROWE

Author

Jeannette Rowe is an award-winning and internationally bestselling preschool children's author, who has sold over 5 million books worldwide. She has published more than 170 children's books into 25 countries and 14 languages. Her books include the Guess Who?, Whose and YoYo series, which all make learning fun.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

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Michael SALMON

Author

Michael Salmon has been involved in graphics, Children’s literature, TV and Theatre since 1967.

He started his career with surfing cartoons and exhibitions of his psychedelic art and then joined the famous marionette troupe ‘The Tintookies’ as a trainee set designer/stage-manager in 1968 (The Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust, Sydney)

Since then his work has been solely for young people both here in Australia and overseas.

In 2010 the ACT Government further recognised his work by commissioning a bronze statue of his first book character ‘Alexander Bunyip’. ‘Unveiled’ in April 2011, it stands next to the new Gungahlin Library in our Federal Capital.

Michael has presented ‘Bunyip-themed history sessions’ for audiences of School Children at the National Library of Australia since 2011.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Claire SAXBY

Author

Claire Saxby is an Australian author of fiction, non fiction and poetry for children. Her books are published widely in Australia and internationally.

Her blog posts range as widely as my work and include book updates, photos, travel, poems and just about anything else that catches her eye, catches her interest.

You can also find her at clairesaxbyauthor on Instagram and @SaxbyClaire on Twitter.

You can contact her via  Booked Out Speakers Agency or Creative Net for talks or workshops.

She acknowledges the traditional owners and first storytellers of Australia and pay my respects to their Elders, past, present and to our shared future.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

JULIET M. SAMPSON

Author

Juliet M. Sampson is an international award-winning author who enjoys writing stories that create curiosity, questioning and wonder. 

Dance Demons, her third young adult novel, won 2016 Book of the Year in the Reader’s Choice Awards in the AusRomToday competition.

Her other young adult books are Behind the Mask, Bon Voyage! and Outback Wonder.

Juliet’s debut picture book Grace’s Mystery Seed was shortlisted for the 2019 Speech Pathology Award, 5 – 8 year old category and honoured as a ‘Finalist’ in the ‘Children’s Picture Book: Softcover Fiction’ category, 2019 International Book Awards. 

Cato’s Can Can is Juliet’s second picture book, inspired by her love for different dance styles and Australian birds.  Follow the Rainbow her third picture book will be in bookstores later this year.

Juliet is a proud Australia Reads Ambassador and loves to inspire others. Her quote ‘spread sunshine and inspiration,’ has reached a global audience.

Formerly a primary teacher Juliet loves visiting libraries, schools, bookshops and meeting and greeting her readers. Storytime with the little ones touches her heart.  

She lives in Melbourne where she is surrounded by family and friends. Her interests include travelling, dancing, growing sunflowers, gardening, exploring cafes and sketching.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

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Jane TANNER

Illustrator

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Karen TAYLEUR

Author/Editor

Karen Tayleur was born in the western suburbs of Melbourne and moved to the eastern suburbs in her tweens. Reading was something she learned to do before she started school and it has helped shape the person she is today.

Karen has had a variety of jobs including present wrapper, bank teller and ward assistant in a nursing home. She was a publisher at the age of 20 for the short story magazine Brave New Word and thinks nothing can replace the rush of writing, except maybe reading a really good story.

Karen has had over 40 books published for children and young adults.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Jodi TOERING

Author

Jodi was born in the Mallee at Hopetoun and grew up on a wheat farm outside a small town called Beulah. As a child, she was fascinated with stories, reading on her own well before she went to school. When she didn't have her nose in a book, Jodi spent her time drawing or writing. She had two dreams: becoming an English teacher and writing picture books for children. Fast forward several decades, we now find Jodi juggling the roles of full timeteacher, mother, and performer. This might seem more than enough for some, but not for Jodi, recently adding one more string to her bow and following her childhood dream of becoming an author. In her spare time, Jodi loves creating artworks and spending time on her bush block with her husband, her two beautiful children and the ever-growing menagerie of chickens, ducks, dogs, and rabbits that share their home.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

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Michelle WRITE

Author

Michelle Write, previously known as Children’s Author Michelle Vasiliu, is best known for her award-winning children’s picture book, My Happy Sad Mummy, now in its second, revised edition, including teachers’ and parents’ notes.

My Happy Sad Mummy, along with Michelle’s second picture book, Together Things, tackles the reality of families raising young children where a parent or primary carer is experiencing mental health challenges.

Using her own authentic lived experience, Michelle weaves messages of hope and recovery throughout her narratives to bring light to darkness.

Michelle has also published junior fiction chapter books and children’s non-fiction titles.

More recently, she has ventured out into the world of adult writing, in particular performance writing including spoken work and short film. She finds these mediums to be an exhilarating way to tell her stories in a uniquely artistic and creative manner.

Michelle is a passionate Mental Health Ambassador who uses her experience as an Author, Teacher, Trainer and Mental Health Consumer Consultant to give talks, presentations and performances about Mental Health realities and complex trauma.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Coral VASS

Author/Editor/Presenter

Coral Vass is an award-winning Australian Children’s Author. She has over 20 books published with Scholastic Books Australia, National Library of Australia, Penguin Random House Australia, Larrikin House, Wombat Books, EK Books, New Frontier and Windy Hollow Books.

Her book, Sorry Day won the 2018 Speech Pathology Awards Book of the Year for Language and Literacy Development Indigenous Children and the 2019 CBCA Book of the Year - Eve Pownall Award. Coral also won the Caleb Book of the Year Award in 2021 for Grandma’s Treasured Shoes and has also been shortlisted for the REAL AWARDS (CROC, KOALA and YABBA Awards) voted by the children of Australia.

Coral loves to visit schools, often running writing workshops and inspiring young people with a love for literature. She is an ambassador for Reading Out of Poverty and is passionate about giving all children an equal opportunity to read.

With a background in Media, Coral has always had a passion for telling stories and inspiring children with a love for literature.  She dabbled in script writing, radio drama and video production, before working a decade in marketing and publications. 

Born in Sydney Australia, Coral spent her early years in Bangladesh. She has also lived in Queensland, Japan and currently resides by the beach in Melbourne, Victoria  with her husband and four children.  

Her signature writing style has a splash of rhythm, a dash of rhyme and is stirred with fun!  As well as children's books, Coral loves dark chocolate, good coffee, the theatre and the beach.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

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Di WALKER

Di lives in regional Victoria and teaches English at a secondary college.

She writes middle grade contemporary fiction and has had three novels published: 

Saving Charli (Scholastic Au)

Every Thing We Keep (Scholastic Au)

Unpacking Harper Holt (WBA)

Di also writes a blog about her writing process and the projects she is currently working on.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Gabrielle WANG

Author/Illustrator

Wang was born in Melbourne and is a fourth generation Australian, her ancestors having come to Australia during the Australian gold rushes of the mid-1800s. Wang trained as a graphic designer in Melbourne, then studied painting and language in Taiwan and China. She lectured in Chinese at RMIT University in Melbourne before writing full time. Her work is influenced by her experiences of growing up between two cultures.

Wang's children's novel, A Ghost in my Suitcase, was adapted for the stage by Vanessa Bates of Barking Gecko Theatre and toured in 2019.

In March 2022 she was named the Australian Children's Laureate for 2022–2023.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Judy WATSON

Illustrator

Judy Watson is an artist and illustrator working with mixed media, digital collage and anything to hand. Her books for children have been critically acclaimed, and include Goodnight, Mice! which won a Prime Minister’s Literary Award in 2012. Her illustration approach is flexible and changing and she enjoys working with children to explore their own creative curiosity. She is happy to discuss possible workshops to suit your curriculum needs. 

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Annie WHITE

Illustrator

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Dee WHITE

Author

Dee wanted to be a writer since she was seven-years old. She has published more than 20 books for children and young adults and many articles, short stories and poems.

She has been lucky enough to combine her loves of writing and travel into a career which takes her all over the world writing, researching and presenting workshops. She got to spend a WHOLE MONTH in Paris doing the research and writing one of her latest books,  Beyond Belief. Her writing and writing workshops have taken her to Sharjah and Amsterdam and she is prepared to go almost anywhere (even do a tour of Paris sewers) to track down a good story.

Apart from skydiving and hot air ballooning, the craziest thing she ever did was travel around Australia in tents for nearly two years with her two children under three, her husband and the family dog.

She is a certified writing teacher and mentor, passionate about encouraging new writers. Her blogs Writing Classes for Kids and DeeScribe Writing are full of career and writing tips for writers of all ages.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Carole WILKINSON

Author

Wilkinson was born in Derby, England. The family emigrated to Australia when she was 12 in 1963. She worked as a laboratory assistant until the age of 40, when she decided on a change of career.

To help achieve her goal she studied at a tertiary level. During her time at University she showed some of her writing to a friend who worked in the publishing industry. This sample led to a commission to write her first novel for teenagers.

Since that time she has gone on to write numerous books for educational and trade publishers in Australia. She has also written episodes for children's television production.

In 2011 Carole went to St Ignatius College, Adelaide. Classes Year 5 Red, Yr 5 Gold and Year 5 Blue were reading the books as well.

Wilkinson's daughter Lili Wilkinson also writes for young adults.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Ben WOOD

Illustrator

Ben is a children’s book illustrator based in Melbourne, Australia. Ben has illustrated picture books, junior fiction and non-fiction titles. He has worked with top publishers such as Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing, Scholastic and Penguin Random House. Ben’s work has had notable listings for the Children Book Council Australia, been shortlisted for Readings Children’s Book Prize, and shortlisted for the Australian Book Industry Awards in 2019 and 2020.

Best known as the co-creator of the bestselling series REAL PIGEONS by Andrew McDonald, the series is published in 23 languages and sold in 24 territories. A film and TV series is also in development with Nickelodeon and Fulwell 73 Productions.

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

Fiona WOOD

Author 

Fiona Anna Wood is an Australian writer of young adult fiction. She is a three-time winner of the Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers award. Fiona Wood is a graduate of the University of Melbourne. She worked for 12 years as a scriptwriter for television series, including episodes of Neighbours, Home and Away and MDA, before her first novel, Six Impossible Things, was published in 2010.

Awards and recognition:

• Six Impossible Things
  • Winner, Eleanor Dark Flagship Fellowship for Fiction, 2008
  • Shortlisted, CBCA (Children’s Book Council of Australia) Book of the Year, Older Readers, 2011
  • Shortlisted, YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards), 2014
  • Shortlisted, YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Awards), 2016

• Wildlife
  • Shortlisted, Queensland Literary Awards, Young Adult Book Award, 2013
  • Shortlisted, Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, Young Adult Fiction Award, 2014
  • Shortlisted, NSW Premier's Literary Award, Ethel Turner Prize, 2014
  • Winner, CBCA Book of the Year, Older Readers, 2014
  • Shortlisted, Reading & Enjoying Australian Literature (REAL) Awards, Fiction for Year 7–9, 2015
  • Honour book, Kids Own Australian Literature Awards (KOALAs), Fiction for years 7–9, 2015

• Cloudwish

• • Winner, Indie Award, Best Young Adult (Independent Booksellers Awards), 2016
  • Winner, CBCA Book of the Year, Older Readers, 2016
  • Shortlisted, ABIA Awards (Australian Book Industry Awards)
  • Shortlisted, WA Young Readers' Book Award

• Take Three Girls

• • Winner, CBCA, Book of the Year, Older Readers, 2018
  • Shortlisted, Gold Inky Award
  • Shortlisted, Indie Award (Independent Booksellers Awards)

 CBCA VIC Branch Member

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