Victorian based Authors and Illustrators
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Abdi ADEN – contact via Booked Out Agency
Amy ADENEY
Amy is a primary teacher and author of picture books and junior fiction.
She is passionate about instilling a love of reading in children, and is available for school visits and writing workshops.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
James AITCHISON - contact via jimbooks@hotmail.com
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Hilary BADGER – contact via Booked Out Agency
Kaye BAILLIE
Children's Author
I write books for children and hope you will join me in discovering amazing characters and people.
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
Chris BELL
Davina BELL
Krista BELL
Tony BIRCH
Emma BOWD
Emma is an internationally published author, experienced classroom presenter and passionate supporter of children's literacy in disadvantaged communities. She loves to write stories with strong positive themes which will appeal to reluctant and enthusiastic readers alike, in both picture books and middle grade fiction.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Lee BURGEMEESTRE
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Mark CARTHEW (PhD)
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 10th 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
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
Rob CLARKE
Author / Writer
Somewhere, somehow, in-between fifty years of engineering and IT I write. Often I write as a reflection on the crazy world we line in, sometimes to escape from it. My hope is you will find some gentle amusement in my work.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Maree COOTE
Author/illustrator
Maree Coote’s love for her home city drives her endeavours. Creator of two award-winning local histories and more than a dozen children’s books with high-concept Design and Art themes, and a notable sense of place, Coote has maintained a prolific output since 2003. She is also renowned for her fresh and playful take on typography that blurs the boundaries between word and image. Her unique ‘Fontigram’ typographic style has generated exciting collaborations in Italy and in South Korea, and won the Non Fiction Mention Prize in Bologna 2017.
Coote’s books have been shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council Awards in Australia; awarded South Korea’s Nami Concours 2017 Distinction prize, the Royal Historical Society of Victoria Gold Award in 2012, won Gold for Best Regional Book in the USA Independent Publisher Awards USA 2014 and 2015, and Silver for Best Illustration in Moonbeam Awards USA, 2018.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Meredith COSTAIN
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
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Cinthia DEL GROSSO
Cinthia is a poet, a dreamer and a Picture Book Author. She has published two books;- Leo’s Moon, and most recently, William said, “Wow!”
A former Primary School Teacher, her stories are entertaining and engaging for small children and adults alike.
Inspired by children and written for children, her stories capture the innocence of childhood, whilst acknowledging that the children of today will be the adults of the world of tomorrow.
She is fluent in English and Italian and enjoys playing with language. Cinthia is a passionate believer in the power of literacy and education to improve humanity.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
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Micheal EARP
Michael Earp is the editor of Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories and contributor to Underdog: #LoveOzYA Short Stories.
He has a teaching degree and a Masters in children’s literature and has worked between bookselling and publishing for over seventeen years as a children’s literature specialist.
His writing has also appeared in The Victorian Writer and Aurealis.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
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Corinne FENTON
Author
When Corinne is not researching or writing, she loves talking to children and adults about her books and is a much sought after presenter.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Maura Finn
Children's 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
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
Kesta writes stories, poems and plays, and is author of Marlow Brown: Scientist in the Making, the first in a humorous junior fiction series about a girl with an enquiring mind and a talent for creating chaos.
Formerly a teacher, Kesta loves talking to children and adults and is available for school and library visits.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Lee FOX – c/- http://www.bookedout.com.au
Archie FUSILLO – c/- http://www.bookedout.com.au
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Marjory GARDNER
Illustrator
Freelance artist, illustrating mainly for children’s books
Marjory is available to visit schools and libraries to give presentations and workshops.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Stef GEMMILL
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
Kristen GILL
Caz GOODWIN
Children's Author
Caz is an award-winning author of books for children, a storyteller and speaker. She writes short stories, poetry, junior fiction and the popular picture books featuring Lazy Daisy the koala. Caz also runs the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) in Victoria, and loves talking to children and adults about the wonderful world of writing and books.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Patrick GUEST
Patrick has been an elephant washer, a cobbler, an accountant, an Anatomy lecturer and an Olympic physiotherapist. Becoming a Dad led him to his other true calling as a children's author, and his first six books are critically acclaimed worldwide.
He was CBCA Shortlisted for 'The Second Sky' in 2018 and 'The Dress Up Box' in 2019 and released the COVID-inspired 'Windows', illustrated by Jonathan Bentley, in 2020.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
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CBCA VIC Branch Member
P J Harvey
aka Pam Harvey
PJ Harvey has written over 20 books for middle grade and young adult readers.
She has worked as a physiotherapist, creative writing teacher and is currently an academic in rural health.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Photo to come - CBCA Vic Branch Member
Sunshine HERBERT
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Photo to come - CBCA Vic Branch Member
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Photo to come - CBCA Vic Branch Member
Judy HORACEK
cartoonist, artist, writer and children's book creator
Her cartoons have been pinned up on doors and walls all over the world. She is also sometimes a visiting artist for school children and an after-dinner speaker for grownups.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Jackie Hosking
Author, Poet, Editor & Teacher
Jackie is a children’s poet and picture book author. She has two picture books out, The Croc and the Platypus (Walker Books), Temper Tabitha (Larrikin House) and three in the pipeline, An Amazing Australian Road Trip (Walker Books) due out in January 2021, I Really Want a Pet (Scholastic) due out in February 2021 and another one with Walker at the end of 2021.
Jackie’s poems also frequently appear in The School Magazine.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Cheri HUGHES
Illustrator
Cheri Hughes was born in Japan and raised in both the U.S. and Japan. She studied design in Japan and specialises in illustration. Even as a small child, and prior to any studies, she always knew what she would be doing and that involved creating a world through visual interpretation. Cheri moved around a lot and her travels have contributed to her illustrations and design. Travelling has always been the biggest classroom for her and continues to be so, and where she gathers every little bit of ingredient for her characters and the world they live in. She has worked on theatre and TV set designs. She has also illustrated for publications such as Sydney’s Child, Destinations Victoria, Destinations Australia, and Period Home Renovator.
Cheri's illustrated eight children’s books which include Chasing Rainbows and No Baths Week by Katrina McKelvey, The ForeverKid and Rain Shaker (out soon) by Elizabeth Mary Cummings, Ella Saw the Tree, Barnaby and the Lost Treasure Bunnyville and No Matter Who We’re With by Robert Vescio, and Miriyan by Liam Armstrong (YWA 2018). She now resides in Australia and continues to collect those ingredients for the little creatures, characters and their little worlds.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Meg HUMPHRYS
Michael HYDE
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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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Mark JACKSON
Photo to come - CBCA Vic Branch Member
Diane JACKSON-HILL
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Ann JAMES
Children’s book illustrator
Ann James grew up in Melbourne. Her playful approach to making pictures is reflected in the stories she chooses and the ways she illustrates them, using a variety of materials and techniques.
In a career spanning 40 years, Ann has illustrated over 70 books, including I’m a Dirty Dinosaur and I’m a Hungry Dinosaur, by Janeen Brian; Margaret Wild’s The Midnight Gang, Lucy Goosey, and Little Humpty; Sadie & Ratz by Sonya Hartnett, the Audrey of the Outback series and It’s a Miroocool! by Christine Harris, A Very Quacky Christmas, by Frances Watts, her own Bird & Bear books; and, most recently, Goodbye House, Hello House, by Margaret Wild, which was an Honour Book in the CBCA Early Childhood Book Awards, 2020.
Ann is an Ambassador of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and was the nominated Australian Illustrator for the Hans Christian Andersen Award, 2020.
Ann with her partner Ann Haddon, established Books Illustrated in Melbourne in 1988, specialising in promoting picture books and their creators through exhibitions in Australia and overseas.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
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Dmetri KAKMI
Lisa KENNEDY
Kim KANE – c/- www.booked.out.com.au
Chrissie KEIGHERY –
Geoff KELLY – c/- www.bookedout.com.au
Lisa KENNEDY
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Alison LESTER
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Nean MC KENZIE
Nean McKenzie is a children's writer and optometrist from western Melbourne. Her debut middle-grade novel Cryptosight came out with MidnightSun Publishing in October 2019.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
David METZANTHEN –
David MILLER
Christopher MILNE
Jaquelyn MULLER
Patricia MULLINES
Andy Joy MURPHY
Julie MURPHY
Writer of fiction and nonfiction picture books, info books, articles and verse; Trade and Education. Trained in Zoology and Zookeeping, Julie often writes about animals and nature.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Kirsty MURRAY
A multi-award-winning author of more than 20 books for children and young adults. Her works include eleven novels as well as non-fiction, junior fiction, historical fiction, speculative fiction and picture books. She loves books, libraries, bookshops, readers, writers, and stories of every shape and size.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
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Katrina NANNESTAD
Author
Katrina writes fiction for primary-aged children. She celebrates family, friendship and belonging in her books. She also loves writing stories that make children laugh.
Katrina hides away on a property in country Victoria with her husband, an exuberant whippet called Olive and a cuddly magpie called Otto. But she does venture out into the big wide world from time to time to share her passion for words and stories with school children and adults.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Photo to come
CBCA VIC Branch member
Diem NGUYEN
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Carly NUGENT
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Kate O'DONNELL
Kate O’Donnell is a writer, editor and bookseller specialising in children’s and young adult literature.
She has a BA in History and French from the University of Melbourne and studied Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Wendy ORR
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.
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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Photo to come
CBCA VIC Branch member
Darrell PITT
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Matt PORTER
Matt Porter writes hilarious children's books. He also teaches part-time as a teacher-librarian. When he's not writing or teaching, Matt loves visiting schools to run writing workshops.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
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Andrea ROWE
Andrea Rowe would love to live inside a children’s picture book. Because she’s never figured out how to squeeze into one, she writes stories for children instead.
Her debut children’s picture book Jetty Jumping was released Jan 2021 by Little Hare / Hardie Grant Egmont and she’s a keen writer of children’s, middle grade and YA fiction.
Andrea is also a respected professional copywriter for Australian not-for-profit organisations. She writes and edits the Kids Club newsletter for the Royal Flying Doctors Service, Indigenous Reading Project, Junior Rangers and Kids Teaching Kids content. Her features and profile pieces have been regularly commissioned for Family Travel Magazine, Peninsula Essence, Crinkling News, Victoria Walks, ABC Splash and others. Her writing has appeared in The Victorian Writer, Pendulum Papers and several anthologies.
She’s also the Founder and President of the not-for-profit, The Peninsula Writers Club, and interviews guest authors at the Words After Dark events at Antipodes Bookstore.
Andrea writes from her shack on a blustery beach track, where she yodels along with Dolly Parton and hides her secret stash of Cherry Ripes from her family.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Judith ROSSELL
Penni RUSSON
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Claire SAXBY
Claire writes fiction, non-fiction and poetry for young readers. She writes about Australian animals, history and stories that make her laugh.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
CBCA VIC Branch member
Photo to come
Mike SEXTON
Author
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Erica SMITH
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Meredith THOMAS
Jodi TOERING
As a child, I was fascinated with stories, reading on my own well before I went to school. When I didn’t have my nose in a book, I spent my time drawing or writing. I had two dreams: becoming an English teacher and writing picture books for children. Fast forward several decades, I am now juggling the roles of full time teacher, mother, performer, and author!
I love visiting schools and meeting lots of wonderful, inspiring young authors.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Rachel TONKIN
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Renée TREML
Renée Treml is the author and illustrator of several successful picture books for very young readers, including Ten Little Owls, Sleep Tight, Platypup, and Roo Knows Blue. She is also the creator of the highly engaging and funny junior fiction graphic novel series featuring the intrepid Sherlock Bones. Renee has a degree in environmental science and has a passionate love of natural history.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
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Photo to come
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Michelle VASILIU
CBCA VIC Branch Member
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Annie WHITE
Annie illustrates, and sometimes writes, stories for children.
Some of her books include Beware the Deep Dark Forest, Is It the Way You Giggle, Clementine’s Bath, Gallipoli, My Dad is a Bear, Clementine’s Walk and Mummies are Amazing.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
Dee WHITE
Story Explorer
Author of more than 20 children’s and young adult books.
MG fiction, Beyond Belief and Eddy Popcorn’s Guide to Parent Training due 2020.
CBCA VIC Branch Member
MARGARET WILD
GABRIELLE WILLIAMS – c/- http://www.bookedout.com.au
Fiona WOOD
Author of Young Adult Novels
Six Impossible Things, Wildlife and Cloudwish, and co-author of Take Three Girls with Cath Crowely and Simmone Howell.