Kylie Dunstan

Author, Illustrator

Kylie Dunstan is an award winning author and illustrator of children’s picture books. Her first book Collecting Colour won CBCA Picture Book of the Year in 2009. She has since written and illustrated two more books and is working on her fourth.

Where were you born?

Broken Hill, NSW. Think corrugated iron houses, poppet heads, cracker dust (does anyone know what that is?) and the freedom to ride bikes around the streets with friends.

What other jobs have you had?

Mostly Arts administration jobs including Commercial Gallery Manager Indigenous Art Centre Officer, Injalak Arts, Arnhem Land and Manager, Museum Accreditation Program, Museums Australia (Victoria). Plus the usual Uni waitressing gigs.

What themes are recurring in your work?

Cross-cultural friendships and exploration of the differences and similarities keep popping up in my books. I also seem to spend quite a bit of time thinking about the idea of ‘home’ and belonging (or not).

What have been the highlights of your career?

Winning CBCA Picture book of the year for Collecting Colour and being shortlisted for the Chrichton Award and the WA and Qld Premiers Awards. Yes, sadly, external validation is important to me.

Where have your works been published?

Australia, and the rights to publish Because You Are With Me have been sold in Korea.

What are you passionate about?

Picture books, definitely, and design. Then, if I can find picture books that are beautifully written, illustrated and designed I’m in heaven. I also feel pretty strongly about children’s books reflecting Australia as the multicultural society it is.

Haven’t I seen you before?

Probably not … I do my very best to spend as much time as possible in my lovely home based studio with my bits of paper, pens and paints. This is where I am happiest!

Anything else you’d like to share with us?

I’ve moved a lot. Most recently our family spent three years in Hanoi, Vietnam. During this time I illustrated Because You Are With Me and wrote and illustrated my most recent book The Red Bridge.