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Audience: Teachers
Deborah Abela
Author, Online - Virtual Visits
Dip Teach, BA (Comm)
After completing a teaching degree, Deb went to Africa where she was caught in a desert sandstorm, harassed by monkeys and thrown in jail…twice! She produced and wrote a national kids’ TV show before leaving to become an award-winning, internationally published author. Her books include the Max Remy Superspy series and her best-selling, climate change trilogy, Grimsdon, New City and Final Storm.Teresa A New Australian was inspired by her dad, who, with a million other refugees, made the journey to Australia after surviving WW2. The Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee and The Most Marvellous Spelling Bee Mystery, are about a shy girl whose family encourage her to overcome her fears and was inspired by Deb’s stupendous grade 4 teacher. Her picture books are Wolfie, An Unlikely Hero and the CBCA Notable, Bear in Space. The Book of Wondrous Possibilities is her love letter to booksellers, libraries and librarians everywhere and is about the power of books to save us when we feel lost.
Abdi Aden
Corporate, Inspirational Speaker, Speaking Out
Abdi’s world fell apart when he was only fifteen and Somalia’s vicious civil war hit Mogadishu. Unable to find his family and effectively an orphan, he fled with some sixty others, and joined another 300 heading to Kenya. On the way, death squads hunted them and they daily faced violence, danger and starvation. After almost three months, they arrived in at refugee camps in Kenya – of the group he’d set out with, only five had survived.
» Read more about Abdi Aden
David Astle
Author, Corporate, Inspirational Speaker, Speaking Out
Clue by clue, chapter by chapter, David Astle’s Puzzled meanders through the maze of a cryptic crossword, showing you the dark secrets and wondrous tricks of wordplay. ‘He’s the Sergeant Pepper of cryptic crosswords,’ says award-winning Australian actor Geoffrey Rush.
» Read more about David Astle
Amal Awad
Author, Education Consultant, Inspirational Speaker, Social Commentator, Social Issues
Amal Awad is a journalist, author and screenwriter who is focused on issues of society, religion and popular culture. She is the author of four books and is involved in several screenwriting projects. Amal is also a public speaker and has produced and presented for ABC Radio National.
» Read more about Amal Awad
Emilie Zoey Baker
Entertainer, Online - Virtual Visits, Poet, Storyteller/Performer
Emilie Zoey Baker is an international poetry slam champion who will excite and delight all ages about poetry written for both page and stage.
» Read more about Emilie Zoey Baker
Tristan Bancks
Author, Online - Virtual Visits
Tristan Bancks tells stories for the page and screen. His books for kids and teens include Two Wolves, The Fall, Detention, the Tom Weekly series, Nit Boy and Ginger Meggs, a 100th anniversary book of brand new short stories based on characters created by his great-great uncle, Jimmy Bancks, in 1921. His books have won and been shortlisted for many awards, including a Children’s Book Council of Australia Honour Book, the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, ABIA, YABBA, KOALA, NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and Queensland Literary Awards. His new release for July 2022 is Cop & Robber, a must-read thriller for kids and teens.
Tristan is a writer-ambassador for literacy non-profit Room to Read. He is currently working with producers to develop a number of his books for the screen. He’s excited by the future of storytelling and inspiring others to create. You can find out more about Tristan’s books, play games, watch videos, join his Young Writer’s StorySchool and help him try to change the world at tristanbancks.com
Michael Gerard Bauer
Author
Michael Gerard Bauer is an in-demand speaker and a popular writer for children and young adults. His books have been shortlisted, won numerous awards and are used as class texts in many schools around Australia. He has written drama, comedy and adventure.
» Read more about Michael Gerard Bauer
Amanda Betts
Author, Education Consultant
Amanda (AJ) Betts is an award-winning author, teacher and cyclist, living in Perth. Her novel ‘Zac and Mia’ won the 2012 Text Prize for best unpublished manuscript.
» Read more about Amanda Betts
Tony Birch
Author
Tony Birch is a writer of short fiction, novels and essays. He is also an educator and teacher of writing and history.
» Read more about Tony Birch
Bernard Caleo
Author, Illustrator, Online - Virtual Visits, Storyteller/Performer
Bernard Caleo draws and writes and performs. He loves comic books and what happens when you put words and pictures together.
Illustrator of The History of the City of Melbourne Bowls Club, written by Alex McDermott
Illustrator of You’ll be a Wonderful Dad (Hardie Grant 2022) written by Ailsa Wild
Illustrator of How to Win a Nobel Prize (Black Ink 2018) written by Lorna Hendry
Editor of The Tango Collection (Allen and Unwin 2009)
» Read more about Bernard Caleo
Isobelle Carmody
Author, Illustrator
Isobelle Carmody is a well known Australian author who has written many novels and short stories for children and adults and has a host of award winning novels to her credit. She began the first of her highly acclaimed Obernewtyn Chronicles while she was still at high school and worked on it while completing a Bachelor of Arts and then a journalism cadetship. Obernewtyn was accepted by the first publisher she sent it to and went on to be shortlisted in the “Older Readers” section of the CBC Book of the Year Award. The series and her short stories have established her at the forefront of fantasy writing in Australia.
She has written many award winning short stories and books since then and she also illustrated The Legend of Little Fur and The Kingdom of the Lost series.
She is now completing the last of her Obernewtyn Chronicles, The Red Queen while undertaking a PhD at the University of Queensland.
Website: www.isobellecarmody.net/
Blog: http://theslipstream.com.au/
Mark Carthew
Author, Entertainer, Storyteller/Performer
Dr Mark Carthew is an award winning Australian children’s author, poet, musician and educator well known for his books and series celebrating language, humour and wordplay.
His illustrated play script series VoiceWorks sold over one million titles worldwide. Mark’s rhyme and riddle books Newts, Lutes and Bandicoots, Wicked Wizards & Leaping Lizards and Witches’ Britches, Itches & Twitches! were created in collaboration with renowned UK illustrator Mike Spoor. Mark’s picture books include Five Little Owls illustrated by Crichton award winning illustrator Mini Goss and The Gobbling Tree, winner of Speech Pathology Australia’s 2009 Book of the Year. His anthology, Can You Keep a Secret? Timeless rhymes to share and treasure illustrated by Jobi Murphy was a Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Book.
Anna Ciddor
Author, Illustrator, Online - Virtual Visits
Anna Ciddor inspires audiences with her passion for uncovering historical secrets and turning them into gripping narrative, and her lively presentations are filled with ‘show-and-tell’ and audience participation. In 2021, Anna won the Nance Donkin Award for Children’s Literature. Her newest book, A Message Through Time is coming out in April 2023. It is a gripping adventure that immerses readers in a world filled with excitement, laughter, and amazing (and accurate) historical detail about life in Gaul in ancient Roman times – and also brings a Roman girl into the present! It is a stand-alone companion to The Boy Who Stepped Through Time which was short-listed for the Aurealis Award and long listed for the AHA Historical Novel Prize. Anna has written and illustrated nearly 60 books, including the best-selling Runestone, a historical fantasy, The Family with Two Front Doors, a story based on her grandmother’s childhood in 1920s Poland, and 52 Mondays, inspired by Anna’s childhood memories of 1960s Australia.
Read more at www.annaciddor.com
» Read more about Anna Ciddor
Amanda Cooper
Illustrator
Gallery for a Day is a travelling exhibition of the original illustrations and preliminary artwork from Australian picture books. Interactive workshops give the students an understanding of the planning and process involved in creating art for picture books.
» Read more about Amanda Cooper
Sue deGennaro
Author, Illustrator, Online - Virtual Visits
Sue deGennaro is an author and an illustrator. She has illustrated 20 picture books, and is the author and illustrator of The Pros and Cons of Being A Frog (shortlist for the CBCA 2013 Early Childhood Prize), Eddie Frogbert and her newest picture book Missing Marvin released May 2018. Sue’s illustrations are quirky and infectiously funny. Sue has worked in many careers (including confectionery, circuses and home renovations!), and now (between making books) she often teaches writing & illustration.
To watch the book trailer for Sue’s charming picture book, Missing Marvin, please click here.
» Read more about Sue deGennaro
Paul Dillon (DARTA)
Author, Education Consultant, Online - Virtual Visits, Personal Development, Social Commentator, Well Within
Paul Dillon has a unique investment in the wellbeing of young people. Founder of Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia and a former school teacher, Paul continues to conduct drug information sessions and workshops for school students across Australia and internationally, in countries as diverse as the UK, the Phillipines, and Indonesia.
» Read more about Paul Dillon (DARTA)
Linh Do
Inspirational Speaker, Social Commentator
Linh Do is a Melbourne based activist with a globe-trotting lifestyle, having worked in over 15 countries. She’s done everything from changing one million lightbulbs (and mindsets) in Australia to working at the UN to create social change on environmental issues, and in 2013 was named as Australian Geographic’s Young Conservationist of the Year.
» Read more about Linh Do
Nick Earls
Author, Online - Virtual Visits
Nick Earls is the author of twenty-six books for adults, teenagers and children. Two of his novels have been adapted into feature films, and five have become stage plays. His books have won awards in Australia, the UK and US. He has a PhD in creative writing from the University of Queensland.
» Read more about Nick Earls
Declan Fay
Author, Entertainer, Inspirational Speaker, Podcaster, Storyteller/Performer
Declan Fay is an award-winning writer who co-created the show Ronny Chieng: International Student which screened on ABC, BBC and Netflix. He has written for numerous shows such as The Weekly with Charlie Pickering and the hugely popular kids sketch show, You’re Skitting Me. Declan has also authored articles for The Age, The Guardian, The Herald-Sun and The Big Issue. On radio Declan has hosted shows on ABC, Triple M, Triple J and Triple R. Earlier this year he co-wrote a comedy podcast called Crossbread, which became one of the most popular podcasts in the Australia and the US.
In the media:
https://speakola.com/grad/declan-fay-but-now-you-all-have-a-blank-page-eltham-high-valedictory-2023?rq=declan%20fay
» Read more about Declan Fay
Corinne Fenton
Author
Corinne Fenton has a passion for picture books, especially those that have a connection with history. Her picture books are read by four to ninety-four year olds.
» Read more about Corinne Fenton
Pat Flynn
Author
An ex professional tennis player and teacher, Pat Flynn writes realistic fiction with a dose of humour for 8-16 year olds. His book The Tuckshop Kid won an Honour Book Prize at the CBCA Book of the Year Awards and his new books include The Trophy Kid and How to Get Dumped.
» Read more about Pat Flynn
Archie Fusillo
Author, Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development
Archie is one of the most in-demand and successful presenters of author talks and workshops in Australia. Archie’s versatility means he can communicate to, and cater for, a range of abilities and interests. The fact that he was a teacher and features writer probably helps.
Archie’s latest book, Tribal Lores (2020) has won the Australian Family Therapists’ Award for Children’s Literature for the Older Readers category.
» Read more about Archie Fusillo
Jane Godwin
Author, Online - Virtual Visits
Jane Godwin is a highly acclaimed author of over twenty-five books for young people, across all styles and ages. Her work is published internationally and she has received many commendations, the most recent being shortlistings in the 2020 CBCA Book of the Year Award with her picture book Tilly (illustrated by Anna Walker) and in the 2021 Book of the Year Award with her novel When Rain Turns to Snow, which has also been shortlisted for the 2021 Prime Minister’s Literary Award.
Anna Walker and Jane have created eight bestselling children’s picture books together – Little Cat and the Big Red Bus, All Through the Year, Today we have no Plans, Starting School, What Do You Wish For?, Go Go and the Silver Shoes, Tilly and Don’t Forget. They are currently working on their ninth collaboration.
Jane’s upper-middle grade novels include As Happy as Here and When Rain Turns to Snow, both published by Hachette, and Falling from Grace, published by Penguin.
For many years, Jane worked as the Children’s Publisher at Penguin Books Australia.
Jane is currently working on several picture books and a new upper-middle grade novel, set in the Otway Ranges. A Walk in the Dark will be published by Hachette in September 2022.
Jane often works in schools and the community, running literature and writing programs, making books and encouraging students in their own creative ventures. She is dedicated to pursuing quality and enriching reading and writing experiences for young people, whether it’s as a writer, a publisher or a speaker/facilitator in schools.
» Read more about Jane Godwin
Gus Gordon
Author, Illustrator
Gus Gordon is an internationally acclaimed illustrator and author. He has illustrated and written over 80 books for children. His illustrations are known for their loose and energetic line work, mixed media and humour. His writing is always anthropomorphic, which he attributes this to his love of Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in The Willows.
» Read more about Gus Gordon
Leanne Hall
Author
Leanne Hall is an award-winning author of young adult and children’s fiction. Her most recent YA novel, The Gaps, won the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for young adult literature. Leanne is an experienced teacher and writing mentor who is passionate about youth literature, Chinese Australian history and helping people develop their unique writing voice. She is currently a PhD candidate at RMIT – her research explores the use of Australian archives to write fiction about Chinese Australians.
» Read more about Leanne Hall
Anthony Hill
Author
Anthony Hill is an award-winning author of historically accurate books for children and young adults. They include Soldier Boy (NSW Premier’s Award), about the youngest Anzac; and The Burnt Stick (CBCA Honour Book) a powerful story from the ‘Stolen Generations.’
» Read more about Anthony Hill
Lia Hills
Author, Poet, Storyteller/Performer
Lia Hills is a poet, novelist and translator. Her work has been published, performed, and translated both locally and internationally, and nominated for numerous awards, including the Miles Franklin Literary Award.
» Read more about Lia Hills
Elizabeth Honey
Author, Illustrator
Elizabeth Honey is an award-winning author of poetry, picture books and novels. She is also an artist and illustrates her own books. Her playful humour, originality, and energy strike a chord with children everywhere. Her novels are published in many countries.
» Read more about Elizabeth Honey
Fiona Wood
Author
Fiona Wood is the author of Six Impossible Things, Wildlife and Cloudwish. Six Impossible Things was shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year, Older Readers in 2011. Wildlife won the CBCA Award in 2014 and was shortlisted for numerous other awards. Cloudwish won the CBCA Award in 2016, and the 2016 Indie Book Award for YA fiction. It was also shortlisted for the Gold Inky Award, and the ABIA Award. Her books are published internationally. All three books are Junior Library Guild Selections in the US. Before writing YA fiction, Fiona worked as a screenwriter. She lives in Melbourne with her family.
» Read more about Fiona Wood
Tony Wilson
Author, Corporate, Entertainer, Inspirational Speaker, Speaking Out
Tony Wilson has written two hilarious satirical novels about celebrity and tabloid media. He is also the author of five picture books, and has worked successfully on television (Race Around the World and Santo, Sam and Ed’s Cup Fever!), radio (Triple R’s Breakfasters) and print media (The Age and The Monthly).
» Read more about Tony Wilson
Mark Wilson
Author, Illustrator
Mark Wilson is one of Australia’s most successful author/illustrators of children’s books. He currently has seventeen books in print in Australia and the USA. His picture books have won many awards including two Whiteley Awards for children’s picture books, two Wilderness Society Awards and five CBCA Notable Picture Book awards.
» Read more about Mark Wilson
Lili Wilkinson
Author, Education Consultant, Inspirational Speaker, Online - Virtual Visits
Lili Wilkinson is a reader and writer of YA literature. She is the author of nine books for teenagers, and has a PhD in Creative Writing.
» Read more about Lili Wilkinson
Paula Weston
Author
Paula has worked as a print journalist and government communication specialist, and is now one half of a writer-designer consultancy. She has been writing fiction for many years, finding her niche penning gritty young adult speculative thrillers with an Australian flavour in The Rephaim series and The Undercurrent.
» Read more about Paula Weston
Gabrielle Wang
Author, Illustrator
Gabrielle Wang is an author and illustrator born in Melbourne of Chinese heritage. Her maternal great grandfather came to Victoria in 1853 during the Gold Rush. Her father is from Shanghai. Gabrielle’s stories are a diverse blend of eastern and western culture with a touch of fantasy. She has written more than twenty books for young readers, many of them shortlisted for awards, from the Prime Minister’s Award and Queensland Premier’s Award to children’s choice awards such as the Yabba and Koala as well as CBCA Notables. Two of Gabrielle’s books won the Aurealis Award – The Garden of Empress Cassia and A Ghost in My Suitcase which was also adapted to the stage by Barking Gecko Theatre in 2018. Her latest middle grade novel is Zadie Ma and the Dog Who Chased the Moon which was Shortlisted for the 2023 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, 2023 Queensland Literary Awards, 2023 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and was a Notable in the CBCA Book Awards. Gabrielle is the current Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge Ambassador and was the Australian Children’s Laureate in 2022 and 2023.
» Read more about Gabrielle Wang
Shane Horsburgh
Education Consultant, Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development, Social Issues
Shane Horsburgh is a re-definer of masculinity, constantly challenging the accepted interpretation of what a ‘real man’ is and how this view impacts our everyday lives. From counter-terrorism operative to author, educator and sometime stage actor, Shane’s inspirational and engaging style helps young men become better students, friends, partners and husbands. He has been engaged to speak at the National Press Club and TEDx to national and international audiences.
» Read more about Shane Horsburgh
Michael Hyde
Author, Curriculum Specialist, Journalist, Social Commentator
Michael’s novels for young adults, Hey Joe, MAX and Tyger Tyger have experienced critical success and continue to be widely read and taught in many schools. Hey Joe – about the Vietnam War, the movement against it and the sixties in Australia – was named as a Notable Book in the 2004 CBC Awards. Many of his short stories for younger readers are published in the Trend/Awesome Series including the popular titles: The Footy Coach from Hell, Seal Saves the Island and How I Got a Girlfriend. Michael also edited two senior anthologies for the Australian Association of English Teachers (AATE), Hunger (CBC Notable Book 2004) and The Girl who Married a Fly (CBC Notable Book 2002). Both anthologies feature popular YA Australian writers (including Michael) and like his novels, enjoy significant sales. Michael’s Change the Game series – choose-your-own-adventure sports books became overnight favourites with young readers, 20,000 + copies being sold in one year.
» Read more about Michael Hyde
Bec Kavanagh
Author, Education Consultant
Bec Kavanagh is a writer, literary critic and academic. She has been published in a variety of publications including Overland, The Big Issue, and The Guardian, and writes teaching notes for a number of publishers. Bec is the Youth Programming Manager at the Wheeler Centre, and a sessional tutor at La Trobe University and the University of Melbourne.
https://twitter.com/beckavanagh (@beckavanagh)
» Read more about Bec Kavanagh
Anna Krien
Author, Corporate, Social Commentator, Speaking Out, Women's Rights
Anna Krien is an award-winning Melbourne-based journalist, essayist, fiction writer and poet. Her book Night Games: Sex, Power & Sport, won the 2014 William Hill Sports Book of the Year in the UK, and is being developed into a television mini-series. Other publications include Into the Woods: The Battle for Tasmania’s Forests, Booze Territory, Quarterly Essay 66: The Long Goodbye: Coal, Coral and Australia’s Climate Deadlock and Quarterly Essay 45 Us and Them: On the Importance of Animals.
Anna’s debut novel Act of Grace was published in October 2019 and shortlisted for the 2019 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards.
» Read more about Anna Krien
Julia Lawrinson
Author
Julia Lawrinson has written more than a dozen books for children and teenagers, many of them award-winning. She grew up in the outer suburbs of Perth, Western Australia, not long after the first moon landing. She loves dogs, oceans, and sunsets, and still likes to gaze at the night sky, just in case.
Julia’s new memoir, How To Avoid A Happy Life, is coming out soon and is suitable for senior students and adults. The book has already received wonderful attention and praise:
‘Astute, compassionate, heartbreaking, compelling – and sometimes downright astonishing.’
Kate Evans – ABC Radio National host of The Bookshelf
‘How To Avoid A Happy Life is a potent elixir of heartbreaking incident and astonishing resilience, and I’d have to add redemption. Julia Lawrinson is that rarest of things: a true original voice. Such an inventively irreverent and fearlessly honest memoir! This book is exactly what George Eliot meant when she said, “Literature of the most intimate sublimity can actually tell us how emotionally crowded any given day can be, and yet still have a distinct philosophical vigor and indispensability. ” Julia Lawrinson has dignified the art of memoir.’
Howard Norman – US writer, author of Come to the Window
» Read more about Julia Lawrinson
Maria Tumarkin
Author
Maria Tumarkin is a Melbourne-based writer and historian, and a 2013-2014 Sidney Myer Creative Fellow. She is the author of three critically acclaimed books of narrative non-fiction, which explore some of today’s most pressing issues – identity, immigration, family, moral courage and trauma.
» Read more about Maria Tumarkin
Coral Tulloch
Author, Illustrator
Coral Tulloch has worked on close to 60 books for children for both Australian and International publishers. As an author and illustrator, working in both fiction and non-fiction, Coral brings a wide range of presentations from cartooning to discussions on the environment, for a wide audience group.
Her latest book, One Small Island co-authored and co-illustrated with Alison Lester tells the story of Macquarie Island. She is currently working on two illustrated fictions, which revolve around the continent she loves so well.
Coral is the creator of a syndicated children’s page, The Tales Of Wombat Creek, which appeared for over 20 years in newspapers throughout Australia and Internationally. She has a passion for environmental education and equally, a passion to help others express their own stories through either the written or visual narrative.
Her work for more than a decade has centred on her voyages and experiences of the Antarctic, with several works produced. Antarctica The Heart Of The World won the Wilderness Societies Environment Award for Children’s Literature in 2004 and was named one of the best ten books of the year by US Science Books and Films several years later.
Coral lives in Hobart with her husband, Peter.
» Read more about Coral Tulloch
Penny Tangey
Author, Storyteller/Performer
Penny is the author of three books for young people. Her first novel, Loving Richard Feynman was shortlisted for the 2010 CBCA Book of the Year (older readers).
Penny performed stand-up comedy for many years beginning by winning the Victorian final of Triple J’s Raw Comedy Competition. Most recently she performed a show about education and teaching, Chalk and Talk, in the Melbourne Comedy Festival.
» Read more about Penny Tangey
Anne E. Stewart
Storyteller/Performer
Anne E Stewart is an acclaimed storyteller with an international reputation. A versatile performer Anne has the energy and voice to engage any audience. Her focus is on the shared stories of Australia honouring Indigenous, Celtic, Asian and World stories.
Anne has told stories in some of Australia’s major cultural institutions, art galleries and libraries as well as on ABC radio and TV. She has been invited guest at Storytelling festivals throughout Australia, the UK and in Mexico and Colombia. Anne is a consummate MC with the ability to create shows tailored to audience needs.
» Read more about Anne E. Stewart
Anne Spudvilas
Illustrator
Anne Spudvilas is a multi award-winning illustrator of children’s books. Her work has been awarded the NSW and Queensland Premiers Awards, CBCA Picture Book of the Year, ABIA Award for Younger Readers, the Crichton Award for Illustration and more.
Her passion is bringing to life the characters in her books and this carries over into commissioned portraits and courtroom sketching. Her portrait of much-loved children’s book creator Leigh Hobbs was an Archibald Prize finalist. Anne is in demand for drawing workshops here and overseas and gives presentations about the process of illustrating books for primary and secondary level.
Anne’s visits include a video presentation and chat with students about the process of putting a picture book together. She brings her childhood sketchbooks, current workbooks and the concertina dummy books that are part of the design process. Students love the drawing demonstrations and group workshops creating big drawings with charcoal. An instant exhibition! These workshops are great for primary and secondary level – Anne easily adjusts her presentations to all age groups.
» Read more about Anne Spudvilas
Trent Southworth
Corporate, Personal Development, Social Commentator, Speaking Out
Trent Southworth is a former NSW Police Officer with over fourteen years policing experience, including eight years employed in the Youth Liaison role. In his role, Trent worked closely with numerous government and non government agencies to identify youth related initiatives such as underage drinking programs, truancy, road safety, drug programs, and bullying.
Trent assisted in the implementation and monitoring of the State Governments Young Offenders Act, which targets all young offenders aged between 10 and 18 years of age. Through his experience in the NSW Police, Trent witnessed first-hand the importance of ongoing education of young people in today’s society.
Since leaving the Police, Trent has developed and facilitated numerous seminars for students, teachers, parents and community groups Australia-wide.
» Read more about Trent Southworth
Claire Madden
Corporate, Education Consultant, Speaking Out
Claire Madden is a social researcher, media commentator and next-gen expert, fluent in social media, youth culture, and engagement styles of these global generations, and a professional in interpreting what this means for educators, managers and marketers. Claire is in demand for her skill in effectively identifying the emerging trends and assisting business leaders to strategically respond to them.
Hello Gen Z reveals the critical importance of knowing how to engage this generation of hyperconnected, agile and adaptive digital savants as employees, consumers and emerging leaders. Hello Gen Z is required reading for any organisation wanting to future-proof and unlock the potential of the Post-Millennials.
» Read more about Claire Madden
Ellie Marney
Author, Education Consultant, Online - Virtual Visits
Ellie Marney is a qualified teacher, and a bestselling and multi-award-winning author of YA thrillers. Her titles include the New York Times bestseller NONE SHALL SLEEP and the Kirkus-starred sequel SOME SHALL BREAK, as well as THE KILLING CODE, the EVERY series, WHITE NIGHT, and more. Ellie has researched in mortuaries, interviewed law enforcement personnel, and talked with former spies about how to make explosives from household items, and now she lives quite sedately in the North-Central Goldfields region of Victoria with her family.
» Read more about Ellie Marney
Marc Martin
Author, Illustrator
Marc Martin is one of Australia’s most talented new picture-book creators. Having formally trained as a graphic designer, he splits his time between his design studio and various illustration projects. His first book, A Forest, explores themes of sustainability, growth, and our relationship with the environment.
» Read more about Marc Martin
Glenda Millard
Author
Glenda Millard writes picture books, novels for younger readers and for young adults. Her books have been published in Australia and internationally and have won many accolades.
» Read more about Glenda Millard
Ellen Sandell
Corporate, Inspirational Speaker, Social Commentator, Speaking Out
Ellen has been National Director of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, one of Australia’s largest non-profit climate organisations. During her leadership, the organisation grew from a handful of friends wanting to change the world to a national organisation with over 80,000 members and the ear of politicians and business leaders due to it’s quirky and innovative campaigns.
Ellen has become one of Australia’s leading commentators and campaigners on the issue of climate change. Since leaving the AYCC in late 2012 she has worked in politics, as Campaign Manager for Simon Sheikh’s Senate campaign in the ACT (mobilising thousands of volunteers and just missing out on a Senate seat) and as a Senior Campaigns Advisor for Greens leader Senator Christine Milne.
» Read more about Ellen Sandell
Michael Robotham
Author, Corporate, Speaking Out
Michael Robotham is an internationally celebrated crime writer whose books have been translated into 25 languages and sold more than six million copies around the world.
Born in country NSW, he began his career as a journalist and went on to write for newspapers and magazines in Australia, Britain and America. As a senior feature writer for the UK’s Mail on Sunday he was among the first people to view the letters and diaries of Czar Nicholas II and his wife Empress Alexandra, unearthed in the Moscow State Archives in 1991. He also gained access to Stalin’s Hitler files, which had been missing for nearly fifty years until a cleaner stumbled upon a cardboard box that had been misplaced and misfiled.
In 1993 he quit journalism to become a ghostwriter, collaborating with politicians, pop stars, psychologists, adventurers and showbusiness personalities to write their autobiographies. Twelve of these non-fiction titles were Sunday Times bestsellers in the UK.
Michael’s first psychological thriller, THE SUSPECT, caused a bidding war at the London Book Fair in 2002 and was sold into more twenty languages in less than three hours. It later became only the fifth “International Book of the Month”, making it the top recommendation to 28 million book club members in fifteen countries.
In 2015, Michael’s novel, LIFE OR DEATH, won the coveted Crime Writer’s Association Gold Dagger award for the year’s best novel, beating Stephen King and Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling) who were on the shortlist. He has also twice won Australia’s Ned Kelly Award for best novel and the Australian Book Industry Award for best fiction in 2018 for THE SECRETS SHE KEEPS.
A six-part TV series based on THE SECRET SHE KEEPS has been made for Channel 10 and will screen in early 2020 with an international cast.
» Read more about Michael Robotham
Sally Rippin
Author, Illustrator, Online - Virtual Visits
Sally Rippin was born in Darwin, but grew up mainly in South-East Asia. As a young adult she lived in China for three years, studying traditional Chinese painting. Sally has over seventy books published, many of them award-winning, including two novels for young adults. Her work includes the highly acclaimed Polly and Buster trilogy and the popular Billie B Brown and Hey Jack! books, which became the highest selling series for 6-8 year olds in Australia within the first year of their release. Sally is Australia’s highest selling female author and her books have sold more than 5 million copies in 14 languages.
Sally is a popular presenter in schools and at literary festivals both in Australia and overseas and has a regular program on 3RRR interviewing children’s authors and industry professionals. She is a passionate ambassador for the 100 Story Building, Dymocks Childrens’ Charities and also the Australian Reading Hour. Recently, she and Hardie Grant Egmont have collaborated on a weekly program of book-based activities for kids at home at www.sallyrippin.com
» Read more about Sally Rippin
Wendy Orr
Author
Wendy Orr is the multi-award winning and internationally published author of over forty books ranging from picture books to adult, including Peeling the Onion and the Nim’s Island series, which have also become feature films. She is passionate about her craft and is known for the honesty and inspirational qualities of her sessions.
» Read more about Wendy Orr
Alice Pung OAM
Author, Corporate, Curriculum Specialist, Inspirational Speaker, Online - Virtual Visits, Personal Development, Social Commentator, Speaking Out
Alice Pung OAM is a writer and lawyer who loves teaching. Alice’s books are studied in secondary schools and universities in Australia as well as the United States, and she has taught writing workshops to students from the ages of 8 to 80 in Australia, China and the States. Alice is also an Ambassador for the 100 Story Building Project, a social enterprise which helps promote literature and literacy skills to young people in the Western suburbs.
» Read more about Alice Pung OAM
Michael Pryor
Author, Online - Virtual Visits
Michael Pryor is one of Australia’s most popular and acclaimed authors of Fantasy and Science Fiction. He has published more than thirty-five novels, more than sixty short stories, and has over one million words in print. He is one of the co-publishers of Aurealis, Australia’s longest running Fantasy and SF magazine. He has been shortlisted for the Aurealis Award eleven times, and nine of his books have been CBCA Notable books. His latest book is Graveyard Shift in Ghost Town. His website is www.michaelpryor.com.au
» Read more about Michael Pryor
Ben Pobjie
Author, Journalist, Social Commentator
Ben Pobjie is the author of the Reality Recap of Australian History Error Australis and Aussie, Aussie, Aussie. He is the resident satirist for Medium and TV writer for the Saturday Age, he co-hosts the comedy podcast Gather Around Me, and is a regular voice on ABC radio,Triple R and 3CR as well as writing occasionally for TV.
» Read more about Ben Pobjie
Tim Pegler
Author, Journalist, Social Commentator
Acclaimed YA author Tim Pegler is an award-winning journalist, extensively published in newspapers, magazines and online. Tim’s experience covering social issues, such as homelessness, disability and juvenile justice, provides the foundation for much of his writing for young adults.
» Read more about Tim Pegler
Trace Balla
Author, Illustrator, Inspirational Speaker
- Leaf-Light, from one of Australia’s most unique creative talents, Leaf-Light is a stand-alone companion to Landing with Wings. Join Miri on her quest to help a rescued baby emu find its feet in the world, and as she connects to her community in joyful and unexpected ways.
- Landing With Wings, “Rich in country and family, deep in care for the future.”BRUCE PASCOE
- The Heart of the Bubble – a story with 2020 set in the time of corona – a family’s awakening to what really matters.
Trace enjoys visiting schools, festivals and community centres to inspire people of all ages and abilities with slide show talks as well as workshops. These include nature journaling, making graphic novels, mini books and story catching. Talks and workshops can be tailored to the group’s interests.
» Read more about Trace Balla
Clare Wright
Author, Broadcaster, Historian, Social Commentator, Women's Rights
Professor Clare Wright is an award-winning historian, author, broadcaster and public commentator who has worked in politics, academia and the media. Clare holds a PhD in Australian Studies from the University of Melbourne and an MA in Public History from Monash University and is currently a Professor of History at La Trobe University.
Her best-selling first book, Beyond the Ladies Lounge: Australia’s Female Publicans (Text) met with both critical and popular acclaim. Her best-selling second book, The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka (Text), was based on a decade of archival research into women’s role in the Eureka Stockade. The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka won the 2014 Stella Prize and the NIB Literary Award (and People’s Choice Award) and was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, the NSW Premier’s History Awards, the WA Premier’s Literary Awards, the Victorian Community History Awards, and long-listed for a Walkely Award.
We Are the Rebels, a Young Adult version of The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka, was published by Text in 2015 and has been shortlisted for the Australian Children’s Book Council Awards.
The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka is currently being developed into a ten-part television drama series with Ruby Entertainment and Hollywood screenwriter/producer, Anne Kenney.
Clare’s latest book is the best-selling You Daughters of Freedom (Text), published in October 2018. It is the second book in her Democracy Trilogy. You Daughters of Freedom was shortlisted for the 2019 Prime Minister’s Literary Award, and is currently shortlisted for the Australian History Association’s Margarey Medal for Biography.
Clare has worked as a political speechwriter, university lecturer, historical consultant and as a broadcaster in both radio and television.
She is a popular public speaker and has presented numerous keynote addresses and dinner talks at academic conferences, AGMs, Writers Festivals, book stores and community and corporate events. Clare is a former Director on the Board of the The Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas.
Clare’s thought-provoking essays, reviews and opinion writing have appeared in The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian, The Conversation, Overland, Crikey and Meanjin as well as leading national and international scholarly journals.
Clare researched, co-wrote and presented the acclaimed television documentary, Utopia Girls: How Women Won the Vote, which first screened on ABC1 in June 2012.
Clare created and co-wrote the four-part documentary series, The War That Changed Us, for Electric Pictures and ABC1. The series premiered on 23 August 2014 as part of the ABC’s centenary of WW1 programming. The War That Changed Us won an ATOM Award for Best Documentary and was nominated for a Logie for Most Outstanding Factual Program.
Clare is the writer and host of the ABC Radio National history series and podcast, Shooting the Past and co-hosts the history podcast, Archive Fever.
As a freelance historical consultant, Clare’s clients include Sovereign Hill Museums Association, the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka and many television production companies. She runs her consultancy practice as Done Gone Productions.
For Clare’s scholarly outputs, see here.
In 2020, Clare was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours list for “services to literature and to historical research”.
Clare is currently Professor of History and Professor of Public Engagement at La Trobe University. Her new book, a history of the Yirrkala Bark Petitions and the third instalment of her Democracy Trilogy, will be published by Text in October 2024.
Angela Pippos
Author, Corporate, Inspirational Speaker, Journalist, Social Commentator, Speaking Out
Angela Pippos is a journalist, TV and radio presenter, columnist and author of The Goddess Advantage – One Year in the Life of a Football Worshipper. It’s as much about love, loyalty, stuffed tomatoes and Greek mythology as it is about Australian rules football.
» Read more about Angela Pippos
Daniel Witthaus
Author, Education Consultant, Inspirational Speaker, Storyteller/Performer, Well Within
» Read more about Daniel WitthausDaniel has spent a quarter of a century challenging homophobia and working on LGBTIQ inclusion one cuppa at a time in schools, rural communities and, occasionally, developing countries like Poland, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. He has also worked with Kids Help Line, VicHealth, the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission and No to Violence, a national men’s family violence organisation.
Daniel is the author of Beyond Priscilla: one gay man, one gay truck, one big idea… (2014), Beyond ‘That’s So Gay!’: Challenging homophobia in Australian schools (2010) and the Pride & Prejudice educational package (2002, 2012) – which won Human Rights Week awards for work in three Tasmanian schools. His latest book, Beyond Debate, is due for release in June 2023.
In 2013 Daniel founded Rural Pride Australia, formerly NICHE, which focuses on the needs of LGBTIQ people in regional, rural and remote Australia. For the last 7 years Rural Pride Australia has worked in partnership with the Victorian State Government and its Commissioner for LGBTIQ+ Communities to deliver the LGBTIQ Equality Roadshow, Regional Communities of Practice and Rainbow Ready Roadmap to 29 regional and rural Victorian communities.
He is also semi-obsessed with abandoned buildings and is an international gay gold medallist in tennis.
Sally Warhaft
Author, Corporate, Journalist, Speaking Out
Sally Warhaft is a Melbourne broadcaster, anthropologist and writer and the host of the Wheeler Centre’s live journalism series, The Fifth Estate, now in its third year. She is a former editor of The Monthly magazine and the author of the bestselling book Well May We Say: The Speeches that Made Australia. Sally is a regular host and commentator on ABC radio and has a PhD in anthropology. She did her fieldwork in Mumbai, India, living by the seashore with the local fishing community.
» Read more about Sally Warhaft
Claire Dunn
Author, Inspirational Speaker
Claire Dunn is a writer, journalist, educator, barefoot explorer and author of My Year Without Matches, the memoir of her extraordinary journey living in the bush for a year learning wilderness survival skills. Her latest book is Rewilding the Urban Soul, a memoir about searching for the wild in the city, set for release in June 2021.
» Read more about Claire Dunn
Sian Prior
Author, Corporate, Entertainer, Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development, Speaking Out
Sian Prior is probably best known as an ABC radio presenter, a columnist and critic for The Age, and a musician. But this accomplished public performer is also the author of two acclaimed works of non fiction, ‘Shy: a memoir and ‘Childless: a story of freedom and longing’ (shortlisted for The Age Book of the Year in 2022). Her first memoir ‘Shy’ solves the riddle of how someone who has grappled for decades with debilitating social anxiety has nevertheless managed to carve out a series of successful careers in the public eye.
» Read more about Sian Prior
Michael Camilleri
Illustrator
Michael Camilleri is a Melbourne artist who creates books, comics and visual theatre. Michael’s latest illustration work can be seen in One Minute’s Silence by David Metzenthen. His illustration work also features in The Devil You Know by Leonie Norrington and on the album art and accompanying picture book for Martin Martini’s Vienna 1913. He lives with his partner Katherine and their son Ruben.
To check out Michael’s work and read some of his comics, visit www.epicboy.com
» Read more about Michael Camilleri
Kelly Gardiner
Author
Kelly Gardiner writes historical fiction, fantasy, and crime fiction for all ages. Her latest series is The Firewatcher Chronicles and her other books include 1917, shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Young People’s History Prize; Act of Faith and The Sultan’s Eyes, both shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards; and the Swashbuckler pirate trilogy. Goddess, a novel based on the life of the queer, sword-fighting, cross-dressing opera star, Mademoiselle de Maupin, is being adapted for the screen. Her Austen-inspired crime novel, Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective, co-authored with Sharmini Kumar, will be out early 2025.
Kelly taught creative writing for many years and is now writing full-time. She is President of Sisters in Crime Australia and Deputy Chair of the Australian Society of Authors.
» Read more about Kelly Gardiner
Mike Rolls
Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development, Social Issues
Mike is a survivor of one of the deadliest diseases on the planet. His story of courage, determination and pure resilience will inspire, educate and entertain!
» Read more about Mike Rolls
Maxine McKew
Author, Corporate, Education Consultant, Journalist, Speaking Out
Maxine Mckewʼs background is in journalism and politics. For many years she was a familiar face to ABC TV viewers and was anchor of prestigious programmes such as Lateline and 7.30 Report. Her work has been recognised by her peers and she is a recipient of both Logie and Walkely awards. When she left broadcasting and made the switch to politics, she wrote herself into the Australian history books by defeating Prime Minister John Howard in the Sydney seat of Bennelong. In government she was both parliamentary secretary for early childhood, and later for infrastructure and local government.
Following the success of her political memoir, Tales from the Political Trenches, published in 2012, Maxine McKewʼs new book Class Act looks at some of the most important questions in Australian education. Maxine has been a Vice Chancellorʼs Fellow at the University of Melbourne. Located in the Melbourne Graduate School of Education she has drawn on the expertise and substantial research of the school to inform her stories of success and challenge in Australian education.
Maxine now lives in Melbourne where she continues to work on a range of activities at the University of Melbourne. She is a director of three boards, Per Capita, the John Cain Foundation and the State Library of Victoria.
» Read more about Maxine McKew
David McLean
Author, Curriculum Specialist, Education Consultant, Social Issues
Author, educator, actor and broadcaster, David has over a quarter of a century of experience in education, having headed English departments and run workshops for students and professional development for teachers. He has authored novels and developed curriculum resources that are sold nationally and internationally. He has an engaging presentation style encouraging active participation where possible.
» Read more about David McLean
Rebecca Lim
Author
Rebecca Lim is an Australian writer, illustrator and editor and the author of over twenty books, including Tiger Daughter (a Kirkus, Amazon and Booklist Best Book, CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers and Victorian Premier’s Literary Award-winner), The Astrologer’s Daughter (A Kirkus Best Book and CBCA Notable Book) and the bestselling Mercy. Her work has been shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, Queensland Literary Awards, Margaret and Colin Roderick Literary Award and Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards, shortlisted multiple times for the Aurealis Awards and Davitt Awards, and longlisted for the Gold Inky Award and the David Gemmell Legend Award. Her novels have been translated into German, French, Turkish, Portuguese, Polish, Vietnamese and Russian. She is a co-founder of the Voices from the Intersection initiative and co-editor of Meet Me at the Intersection, a groundbreaking anthology of YA #OwnVoice memoir, poetry and fiction.
» Read more about Rebecca Lim
Belinda Murrell
Author
Belinda Murrell worked as a travel writer and journalist before becoming the award-winning author of more than 35 books, ranging from junior fiction to adult non-fiction. Her presentations and writing workshops are energetic and dynamic, inspiring students from kindergarten to year 12. Belinda’s books include Meet Zoe and Zac, popular series The Sun Sword, Lulu Bell andPippa’s Island, and historical novels The Ivory Rose, The Locket of Dreams,The Forgotten Pearl and The Lost Sapphire. Accolades include Honour Book KOALAS, shortlisted nine times for YABBA (Young Australians Best Book Award), CBCA Notable 2012 and 2017 and highly commended in the PM’s Literary Awards. Her latest books include an adult non-fiction bibliomemoir, Searching for Charlotte and The Golden Tower, a timeslip fantasy. www.belindamurrell.com.au
» Read more about Belinda Murrell
Samantha Turnbull
Author, Poet, Storyteller/Performer
Samantha Turnbull is a children’s author, journalist, podcast producer and slam poet.
Her books include Remember the Rainbows (Five Mile), Fierce Girls (Five Mile), and The Anti-Princess Club series (Allen & Unwin). Her podcasts include Fierce Girls, Dino Dome, News Time, and Little Green Pod (all ABC). She has worked as a journalist across newspapers, magazine, TV, radio and online. And she has competed in (and won) loads of poetry slams.
Sam’s favourite thing to do (apart from writing) is visiting schools.
» Read more about Samantha Turnbull
Nicholas Jones
Curriculum Specialist, Education Consultant, Illustrator
Nicholas Jones is a contemporary visual artist specialising in book sculpture. Nicholas is available for different kinds of events including workshops, literary festivals and artist residencies.
» Read more about Nicholas Jones
Neridah McMullin
Author, Storyteller/Performer
Neridah is an inspiring presenter who knows how to connect with her students, making Australian history, Indigenous history and Sport accessible to children in a fun and engaging way.
» Read more about Neridah McMullin
Erin Gough
Author
Clare Atkins
Author
Clare Atkins wrote her first book, Nona & Me, which living in Arnhem Land, and is now based in Darwin. Nona & Me won the 2016 Book of the Year in the NT Literary Awards and was an Honour Book in the 2015 Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Awards. She has worked as a scriptwriter on many successful television series including All Saints, Home and Away, Winners & Losers and Wonderland.
» Read more about Clare Atkins
Nicole Jenkins
Author
Nicole is a fashion historian: an award-winning writer, educator and retailer, the author of two books and curator of perhaps the largest collection of Australian fashion in the world.
She has presented talks and workshops around Australia.
» Read more about Nicole Jenkins
David Burton
Author, Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development, Social Issues
David is a multi-award-winning writer from Queensland. In 2015, David published his funny, sad and serious memoir How to Be Happy, which tackled an adolescence of depression, anxiety and sexual confusion head on. He’s regularly requested for his hilarious and inspiring talks.
» Read more about David Burton
Ailsa Wild
Author, Inspirational Speaker
Ailsa Wild is an author of more than twenty books and a performer with a history in circus and collaboration. She writes for audiences of all ages, both fiction and non-fiction. In her day job, Ailsa facilitates story-making with children and adults in all kinds of circumstances. Her appearances are always interactive, responsive to her audience, and she aims to give people a greater sense of their own creativity and their capacity for craft. She’s written picture books, mystery adventures, science stories, self-help, and a biography/memoir about the nursing in the pandemic.
Ailsa’s first graphic novel The Invisible War (with Scale Free Network) was selected as a ‘Notable of 2017’ by the Children’s Book Council of Australia and won Most Outstanding Educational Resource at the 2017 Australian Educational Publishing Awards. The Invisible War was just released in the USA by Lerner Books, with Korean and Arabic versions scheduled for release in 2020.
Ailsa’s work has appeared in Meanjin, The Monthly, ABC online, #METOO: stories from the Australian movement (Picador) and on stages across Australia. She has spoken at many literary festivals including Melbourne Writers Festival, World Science Festival Brisbane, Ipswich StoryArts Festival. She has also guest lectured at several universities and presented at more than 200 schools around Australia. She has a Masters of Creative Media (creative writing) from RMIT and has collaborated with scientists, musicians, children, nurses and circus performers.
» Read more about Ailsa Wild
Favel Parrett
Author
In 2011, Favel Parrett’s career was launched with her critically acclaimed debut PAST THE SHALLOWS. It was sold internationally and was shortlisted in the prestigious Miles Franklin Award and won the Dobbie Literary Award. Favel won the ABIA Newcomer of the Year Award in 2012. Her next novel, WHEN THE NIGHT COMES, was also critically acclaimed and further consolidated Favel’s reputation with booksellers and readers. THERE WAS STILL LOVE was Favel’s eagerly awaited third novel and it was shortlisted for the Stella Prize and won Book of the Year at the 2020 Indie Book Awards. WANDI was her first novel for children and was published in October 2021. KIMMI is her second novel for children and was published in November 2023.
She lives in Victoria and is passionate about wildlife.
Her research for her latest book makes for fascinating reading. Favel underwent many medical and psychological tests to ensure she could travel to the Antarctic. One of the particular strengths of her writing is her ability to describe the physical sensation of being in this extreme environment – of walking across Antarctic snow for the first time and of the wonder of encountering the vast white landscape.
Favel has also had many short stories published in journals and anthologies, such as Best Australian Short Stories, Meanjin, Griffith Review, and Island.
You can find out more about Favel Parrett at www.favelparrett.com.au
» Read more about Favel Parrett
Ron Murray
Curriculum Specialist, Education Consultant, Entertainer, Social Issues, Storyteller/Performer
Ron is a much loved and highly respected Victorian Indigenous educator, storyteller and musician. He is in demand as a speaker, sharing his knowledge of Indigenous culture with passion, honesty and humour.
» Read more about Ron Murray
Steve Mushin (Stephen Mushin)
Author, Design, Drawing and Creative Thinking Teacher, Education Consultant, Entertainer, Illustrator, Inspirational Speaker, Social Issues, STEM Teacher
Steve Mushin’s graphic novel style STEM book Ultrawild, An Audacious Plan to Rewild Every City On Earth (Allen and Unwin, Nov 2023) was described by The Guardian as:
‘a brain-meltingly intricate and inspiring compendium of the gigantic ideas needed to repair the planet.’
Steve is an industrial designer, hack engineer and illustrator. He collaborates with scientists, and engineers to develop outrageous, but scientifically possible inventions to rewild cities back into jungles.
Steve runs creative thinking, illustration and design workshops with primary and secondary schools, universities and businesses, where he uses his ‘design thought experiments’ as starting points for madcap STEM explorations.
In 2015, he was awarded an Australian Design Honours for work in sustainability design education.
MEDIA LINKS:
Video interview: The Wheeler Centre
Profile: Australian Design Centre
Article: Sydney Morning Herald
» Read more about Steve Mushin (Stephen Mushin)
Jacqueline Harvey
Author, Curriculum Specialist, Education Consultant
Jacqueline Harvey is the author of 40 novels for younger readers and a Children’s Book Council of Australia, award winning picture book. Her bestselling Alice-Miranda, Clementine Rose and Kensy and Max series are all published internationally and have garnered various short listings and awards. Jacqueline travels widely, speaking and teaching in Australia and overseas.
» Read more about Jacqueline Harvey
Jake Wilson
Curriculum Specialist, Education Consultant, Journalist
Jake Wilson is a freelance writer whose film reviews appear weekly in The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and other Fairfax Media publications. His book Mad Dog Morgan, a critical study of the film of the same name, was published in 2015 as part of the Australian Screen Classics series.
» Read more about Jake Wilson
Kirsty Eagar
Author
Kirsty Eagar is the award-winning author of the Young Adult novels: Summer Skin, Raw Blue, Night Beach and Saltwater Vampires. She believes storytelling is a life skill, and her author talks and workshops are structured using tenets of performance psychology to ensure they are distilled, sequenced and practical.
» Read more about Kirsty Eagar
Tim Harris
Author, Online - Virtual Visits, Storyteller/Performer
Tim Harris is the bestselling author of several laugh-out-loud series for kids, including Toffle Towers, Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables and Exploding Endings. A former primary school teacher of 15 years, his stories are filled with quirky scenarios, loveable characters and plenty of imagination. Tim’s ‘humour with heart’ writing style has seen his books receive multiple awards, including two KOALA Honour Books (2017 and 2019) and a CBCA Notable (2018). His books have been published in Australia and the USA, and have been translated into numerous languages.
An advocate for creativity and short stories, Tim’s presentations and workshops are dynamic and entertaining. He is a sought-after presenter, having worked in hundreds of schools across Australia.
» Read more about Tim Harris
Ruth Clare
Author, Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development, Social Issues
Ruth Clare is the author of the award-winning memoir, ENEMY (Penguin, 2016), a three-time TEDx speaker and lived experience mental health coach. In addition to writing for publications such as The Age, Elle, Meanjin and The Good Weekend, Ruth is working on a memoir based on her late life diagnosis with ADHD. Ruth explores serious topics related to mental health, resilience, courage, identity and authenticity using humour and a knack for entertaining developed during her years as a professional actor.
She shares stories of hiding the trauma of her childhood, pretending everything was okay while she struggled alone with anxiety, perfectionism, shame and never feeling good enough, and how she finally got brave enough to share her experience with others. Weaving in polyvagal, mindfulness and breathing exercises, alongside cognitive approaches, Ruth simplifies complex ideas learnt on her own recovery journey and mental health studies, to deliver genuine insights and practical tools participants can immediately use in their own lives.
Ruth’s talks deliver a transformative experience for audiences, showing them how to stop being so hard on themselves and live with more calm awareness, self-compassion, optimism and confidence.
Topics:
• Mental Health
• Resilience and overcoming adversity
• Neurodivergence and Identity
• Owning your stories and rewriting your life
Mark Smith
Author
Mark is an award-winning author who offers a unique insight into reading and writing – he came to both late, but has now published four books, including The Road to Winter, which is taught in schools around Australia. His first adult novel entitled Three Boys Gone, will be published January 2025.
The second book in the Winter Trilogy, Wilder Country, won the 2018 Australian Indie Book of The Year for YA. Mark combines his love of surfing, riding and travelling with adventure stories teens love. An experienced educator, his storytelling, humour and insights will keep students enthralled online or in-person.
Mark is also an award-winning short story writer who offers writing workshops for middle-school and senior students wanting to develop their craft. He is available for residencies, offering the opportunity to engage with students in workshops across multiple year levels.
» Read more about Mark Smith
Jessica Walton
Author, Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development, Social Issues, Storyteller
Jessica Walton is a queer, disabled writer and speaker. They co-wrote an episode of Get Krack!n focused on disability, which aired on ABC in 2019. They are the author of graphic novel Stars In Their Eyes, with artwork by Aśka (Fremantle Press 2021) and Introducing Teddy, illustrated by Dougal MacPherson (Bloomsbury 2016). Jess also has two short stories for teens and kids published in Australian anthologies Funny Bones (Allen and Unwin 2019) and Meet Me at the Intersection (Fremantle Press 2018), as well as poetry in a few anthologies, magazines and journals.
» Read more about Jessica Walton
Alicia Sometimes
Author, Broadcaster, Poet, Storyteller
Alicia Sometimes is a writer, poet and broadcaster. She regularly appears on ABC radio talking books and culture and is often touring with her poetry. She has also appeared on ABC TV’s Sunday Arts, News Breakfast, Recovery and SBS’s Nomad program. Alicia was a 2014 Fellow at the State Library of Victoria and writer and director of the science-poetry show, Elemental that toured extensively in planetariums around the world.
» Read more about Alicia Sometimes
Judy Horacek
Author, Entertainer, Illustrator, Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development, Social Issues, Storyteller/Performer
Judy Horacek is an award winning Australian cartoonist, children’s book illustrator and writer. In 2004, she and Mem Fox created Where is the Green Sheep? which became an instant children’s classic, and winner of the CBCA Gold Medal for Early Childhood. She has since done four books of her own that she has both written and illustrated, and three other books with Mem, Judy is an experienced presenter in schools, both talking about her own work and helping children to make their own drawings and stories. Her classes are always full of laughter and fun, and her enthusiasm is infectious.
» Read more about Judy Horacek
Kate Mildenhall
Author, Curriculum Specialist, Education Consultant, Podcaster
Kate Mildenhall is an author, writing teacher and podcaster. Her debut novel SKYLARKING was longlisted for Debut Fiction in The Indie Book Awards 2017 and the 2017 Voss Literary Award. Her second novel, THE MOTHER FAULT was longlisted for the 2021 ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year and shortlisted for the 2021 Aurealis Science Fiction Novel of the Year. Her latest novel is THE HUMMINGBIRD EFFECT (2023), shortlisted for the ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year and longlisted for the Stella Prize and the Indie Book Awards Fiction, 2024. She has recently published a Children’s picture book titled To Stir With Love (2024).
Kate has been the recipient of residencies at Varuna, the Writers House, Bundanon Trust and the Michael King Writers Centre in Aotearoa. She is a regular guest at writers festivals and in 2023 was runner up in the Blake-Beckett Trust Scholarship for work on her fourth novel.
For the past six years Kate has co-hosted The First Time Podcast where she has spoken with over 200 Australian and international writers including George Saunders, Behrouz Boochani, Helen Garner, Sarah Winman, Tim Winton, Richard Flanagan and Charlotte Wood. Kate is highly regarded as a festival moderator and speaker and has been a guest at many Australian and International Writers Festivals.
Kate is currently undertaking a PhD in creative practice at RMIT University. Her first picture book will be released in 2024. Kate lives in Hurstbridge on Wurundjeri lands, with her partner and two children.
» Read more about Kate Mildenhall
Tasneem Chopra
Education Consultant, Inspirational Speaker, Online - Virtual Visits, Personal Development, Social Issues, Storyteller, Well Within, Women's Rights
Tasneem is a whole lot of parts, symbolising the hybrid identity of today’s global citizen, which she speaks to with sheer wit. She is an East African born, Indian origin, Bendigo raised, Melbourne loving, daughter, mother, middle-child, karaoke swooning, sleep deprived, vertically challenged, feminist, Muslim, exhausted, activist – and she won’t compromise on any of those titles.
» Read more about Tasneem Chopra
Robyn Davidson
Author, Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development, Social Issues
A charismatic,engaging, intellectually adventurous, deep thinker who also makes her audiences laugh. Talks accompanied by stunning National Geographic photography.
» Read more about Robyn Davidson
Nathan Strempel
Education Consultant, Inspirational Speaker, Online - Virtual Visits, Personal Development
Nathan’s unique blend of humour and sincerity is unanimously well received. He gains an immediate rapport with audiences via his dynamic storytelling and his work as a sports presenter on Channel 9 and Fox Sports having covered NBL & WNBL basketball, AFL footy, Big Bash Cricket, A-League Soccer, Super Rugby and Super Netball.
He retains ongoing engagement and captivation with laughter and entertaining interaction being underpinned by his raw authenticity and integrity. Nathan’s honesty in recounting stories of failure, rejection and grief from his own journey strike a chord with any audience.
15 years of experience as a speaker and working with youth equip Nathan with the ability to tailor the ideal presentation for your group. His current position as a Boarding Duty Master and Director of Basketball at St Ignatius College Riverview ensures he is on point with teen culture and trends.
» Read more about Nathan Strempel
Liv Downing
Inspirational Speaker, Mindfulness, Personal Development, Well Within
Liv is a passionate and engaging speaker with over 15 years of experience working across the corporate and non-profit sectors across both Australia and the US.
As a registered psychologist and qualified meditation teacher, her sessions bring a balance of science and practice and are interactive, fun and practical.
In her role as a mindfulness educator, she brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to her sessions through sharing both her personal and professional experiences.
» Read more about Liv Downing
Manal Younus
Author, Inspirational Speaker, Online - Virtual Visits, Poet, Social Issues, Storyteller/Performer
Manal Younus is a writer, poet, performer, and creative producer. As a young, black Muslim woman of Eritrean origins living in Australia, Manal uses her art forms to create and explore her own identity and spark thought in the minds of the audiences and communities she engages with.
» Read more about Manal Younus
Nicki Greenberg
Author, Illustrator
Nicki Greenberg is an award-winning author and illustrator. Her books include critically acclaimed graphic adaptations of The Great Gatsby and Hamlet (winner, CBCA Picture Book of the Year 2011). She has written and illustrated many books for children, and enjoys giving dynamic workshops and presentations for all age groups. In her past life, Nicki worked as a lawyer.
» Read more about Nicki Greenberg
Shivaun Plozza
Author, New Speakers
Shivaun Plozza’s critically acclaimed debut novel, Frankie, was nominated to ALA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults List, highly commended at the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, shortlisted for the CBCA Book of the Year Awards, and won the Davitt Award for best YA crime novel. Her second novel, Tin Heart, was nominated to ALA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults List and received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly. Shivaun’s most recent YA novel, The Worst Perfect Moment, received three starred reviews and sold into multiple territories. Shivaun’s middle grade debut, The Boy, the Wolf, and the Stars, was a JLG selection. She has written three other middle grade novels: A Reluctant Witch’s Guide to Magic, Meet Me at the Moon Tree and her latest, Summer of Shipwrecks. Shivaun lives in Australia with her cat, Fenchurch.
» Read more about Shivaun Plozza
Ally Watson
Education Consultant, Inspirational Speaker, Social Issues, Well Within, Women's Rights
Ally Watson is the founder and CEO of Code Like a Girl, a social enterprise that provides girls and women with the confidence and tools to take on the world of code and re-imagine the future of technology.
As one who has seen first-hand how traditional gender stereotypes have limited opportunity for women across society at large, she strives tirelessly each day towards breaking these biases.
Recently decorated with an Order of Australia Medal, Watson is a multi-award winning social entrepreneur whose heartfelt motivation is to create innovative learning environments where every woman, from any background, feels included, inspired and capable in the world of technology.
Ally’s unique and refreshing insights and research on gender-diversity within the technology industry allows for the delivery of thought-provoking and action-inspiring presentations.
» Read more about Ally Watson
Shabnam Safa
Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development, Social Issues, Storyteller
Shabnam is a driven community development practitioner who is passionate about cultivating true partnerships between communities and structures of power to create lasting solutions and social change.
She grew up as a Hazara Afghan refugee in Pakistan before arriving in Australia at the age of 15. Inspired by her own experience of forced displacement, she is a strong advocate for meaningful participation of refugees in addressing the complex challenges of resettlement, inclusion, and belonging.
Shabnam has founded and led multiple initiatives in Australia and abroad supporting refugees and host communities. She is part of a small national team at the Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia (CRSA) working to establish a holistic community-led refugee sponsorship program in Australia, building community capacity to welcome newcomers. She is the inaugural Chairperson at the National Refugee-led Advisory and Advocacy Group (NRAAG), a refugee-led organisation creating spaces for effective elevation of voices with lived experience in key decisions, policies, and discourse about refugees.
A Director at the Centre for Multicultural Youth, Shabnam also serves on multiple government advisory boards influencing policy design and program delivery to devise unique solutions for the unique challenges and opportunities facing refugee and migrant communities in Australia. She is an emerging leader in the Afghan Australian community and since the fall of Kabul in August 2021 has been one of the leading voices behind the Action for Afghanistan campaign.
She was recently inducted to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women for her tireless work in promoting refugee rights, social cohesion, meaningful diversity and inclusion. Fun fact about Shabnam: she is also a former Karate champion with multiple national and international titles to her name.
» Read more about Shabnam Safa
Jo Stanley
Author, Entertainer, Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development, Storyteller/Performer
Having started her career as a comedian, Jo is a dynamic and entertaining speaker. She has presented to schools, universities, conferences, the corporate world, and community groups. Her areas of expertise are:
- Gender equality
- Resilience and mindfulness
- Purpose
- Media
- Personal branding
Chris Hammer
Author
Chris is the author of Scrublands– the bestselling Australian crime novel set in a drought-ravaged town – and The River – an account of his journey through the Murray-Darling Basin.
Now a full-time author, Chris was a journalist for more than 30 years, covering federal politics and travelling as a roving foreign correspondent.
» Read more about Chris Hammer
Adam Cece
Author, Online - Virtual Visits, Storyteller/Performer
Adam Cece is an award-winning author of children’s books, including the hilarious Huggabie Falls series, and an SA Premier’s Reading Challenge Ambassador. His mission, which he has chosen to accept, is to travel the country and inspire children to read and write, by sharing his journey, and his world of books and words, and delving into the process of writing and the structure of stories, and, most importantly, having lots of fun in the process.
Follow Adam on Twitter and Instagram @ceceadam or at www.adamcece.com.
» Read more about Adam Cece
Maxine Beneba Clarke
Author, Illustrator
Maxine Beneba Clarke delivers presentations on her short fiction collection Foreign Soil which is a VCE Literature text.
Maxine has written portraits for The Saturday Paper for four years, including profiles of Hugh Jackman, Roxane Gay, Julian Assange, Uncle Jack Charles, Paul Barry, Catherine Deveny, and Tony Abbott. She has guest taught short fiction, profile writing and arts journalism at a number of Australian universities, and also offers talks and workshops on portrait writing.
» Read more about Maxine Beneba Clarke
Meredith Gaston
Author, Illustrator, Inspirational Speaker
Meredith Gaston Masnata is an internationally acclaimed bestselling author, artist, wellness coach and speaker celebrating mindful, joyous and spirited living in a modern world.
Whilst exhibiting her artwork locally and abroad from a young age, Meredith graduated from The University of Sydney, majoring in Art History and Theory and Gender and Cultural Studies. Continuing her education as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach through IIN, New York, Meredith frequently features in the media, educational and corporate spheres inspiring wellbeing in daily life. She is a regular guest on ABC radio. Meredith’s twelve lovingly illustrated books are translated into various foreign languages and her artworks are collected worldwide.
Sumaya Harare
Inspirational Speaker, Online - Virtual Visits, Social Issues, Storyteller/Performer, Well Within, Women's Rights
Coming to Australia at the age of 7 with her family as a refugee, Sumaya and her family were settled in the suburb of Brighton East, a predominantly Caucasian suburb. She started at a nearby primary school, the only English she knew having learnt from Sesame Street. Her experiences of being bullied and ostracized in school caused her to develop social anxiety and a diminished self-worth which she wouldn’t know about until into her mid to late 20s. She connects with students from schools all over the country on topics of bullying and overcoming it, body image issues and integrating as a refugee.
» Read more about Sumaya Harare
Jared Thomas
Author, Education Consultant, New Speakers, Online - Virtual Visits, Social Issues
Dr Jared Thomas is a Nukunu person of the Southern Flinders Ranges and the Research Fellow, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Material Culture and Art at the South Australian Museum, and an internationally recognised author.
» Read more about Jared Thomas
Eleni Hale
Author, Inspirational Speaker, Online - Virtual Visits, Personal Development, Social Issues
Eleni Hale is an author and journalist based in Melbourne. Her debut novel, inspired by real life events, won the Readings Book Prize among other accolades and tells the story of one girl’s journey through institutional care.
» Read more about Eleni Hale
Fiona Harris & Mike McLeish
Drama, Inspirational Speaker, Storyteller/Performer
Married couple, Fiona Harris and Mike McLeish are award-winning performers who have been working full-time in the arts industry for twenty years.
Fiona and Mike have written and acted in two series of the award-winning short-form comedy series; The Drop Off. They have also adapted The Drop Off into an adult fiction novel with Echo Publishing, due for release in 2020. They recently received funding from the ACTF to develop a young adult television series. Fiona also taught drama to teenagers at Stage School Australia for four years.
Fiona and Mike run school sessions for secondary students, as well as script and performance workshops.
» Read more about Fiona Harris & Mike McLeish
Caz Goodwin
Author
Caz Goodwin is an Australian award-winning author who writes picture books, short stories and junior fiction. She is best known for her popular rhyming picture books, which have been published internationally. Her stories have been produced in braille for sight-impaired readers. They have also featured on Sarah Ferguson’s Fergie and Friends show, CBCA Storytime, podcasts, newspapers and radio.
Caz is an animal lover and often features Australian native animals in her stories. She includes fun facts about koalas, wombats and other creatures in her presentations for children and is accompanied by animal puppets and a giant Lazy Daisy koala or big Little Matilda kitten. Her entertaining talks can be tailored to suit the curriculum and different age groups. Caz heads the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) in Victoria and is on the Young Australian Best Book Awards (YABBA) council. She is also an Australia Reads ambassador.
Caz is known for her ability to engage and delight young children with her stories and puppets.
» Read more about Caz Goodwin
Marcia Langton AO
Academic, Author, Curriculum Specialist, Social Issues
Professor Marcia Langton is one of Australia’s most important voices for Indigenous Australia. She first became an Indigenous rights activist at Queensland University in the 1970s, and since then has worked with the Central Land Council, the Cape York Land Council and for the 1989 Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody.
In more recent times, Professor Langton has become an academic and now works at Melbourne University. Professor Langton has received many accolades, including an Order of Australia, and has authored several books. In 1999 Professor Langton was one of five Indigenous leaders who were granted an audience with the Queen to discuss the proposed recognition of Indigenous Australians in the Australian Constitution. She is also a frequent guest on the ABC’s Q&A show.
» Read more about Marcia Langton AO
Alice Bishop
Author, Inspirational Speaker, Social Issues
Alice Bishop is from Christmas Hills, Victoria. Her first book A Constant Hum, tracks the lingering aftermath of Australian bushfire. It was recently shortlisted for the 2019 Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction and recognised in the Penguin Literary Prize. Alice’s work focuses on place, people and climate—often highlighting the quiet moments that make us who we are.
» Read more about Alice Bishop
Danielle Binks
Author, Personal Development, Social Issues
Danielle Binks is a literary agent and author of middle-grade and young-adult fiction books. She is a passionate ‘youth literature advocate’ who champions Australia’s national youth literature and writes compelling contemporary stories for young people.
» Read more about Danielle Binks
Nikki Gemmell
Author, Education Consultant, Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development, Social Issues, Storyteller/Performer, Women's Rights
Nikki is known as Australia’s most honest author. Whether it’s her provocative novel The Bride Stripped Bare; After, her non fiction book about the euthanasia death of her mother, or her highly popular column in the Weekend Australian magazine (which tackles many issues pertinent to educators and students,) she gets the nation thinking. She’s also written two series of books for primary aged school children.
» Read more about Nikki Gemmell
Rawah Arja
Author, Entertainment, Inspirational Speaker, Social Issues
Rawah Arja is a passionate young Muslim author from Western Sydney whose work has featured at the Sydney Writer’s Festival, SBS Voices as well as the Sydney Review of Books. She teaches creative writing workshops at schools, specialising in reluctant readers and writers.
» Read more about Rawah Arja
Lisa Fuller
Author
Lisa is a Wuilli Wuilli woman from south-east Queensland, who has been surviving Canberra winters since 2006. Her debut YA novel, Ghost Bird, has won and been shortlisted in a slew of awards. She teaches creative writing at the University of Canberra, where she is also doing her PhD in creative writing.
» Read more about Lisa Fuller
Astrid Edwards
Education Consultant, Social Issues, Storyteller
Astrid is a bibliophile. She is the host of The Garret: Writers on Writing and has interviewed more than 200 of Australia’s most prominent writers. In 2023 she began a PhD at the University of Melbourne exploring potential and perceived barriers to publishing and selling climate fiction in Australia.
She regularly moderates and participates in panels at literary festivals, and you can read her book reviews in The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Future Women, Kill Your Darlings, The Big Issue, Australian Book Review and Australian Foreign Affairs.
She is one half of Bad Producer Productions, an independent podcast network specialising in arts and sport (she represents the Arts part). Astrid also teaches in the Associate Degree of Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT University and sometimes judges literary prizes.
Astrid is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She served on the Victorian Disability Advisory Council advising the Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers (2019 to 2022). She the former Chair of Melbourne Writers Festival (2019-2022) and the former Deputy Chair of Writers Victoria (2014-2018).
In 2021 Astrid contributed to the anthology Growing Up Disabled in Australia and made her debut appearance on Q+A in 2021. She previously received grants from the Australia Council for the Arts (2017 and 2018) and The Copyright Agency (2017 and 2019).
Before embarking on this creative storytelling career, Astrid was an economics and policy consultant for almost a decade. She specialised in climate and social policy, and to this day she is trying to figure out how stories can help to save the planet.
Astrid is a member of Mensa Australia.
» Read more about Astrid Edwards
Ceridwen Dovey
Author
Ceridwen is a skilled public speaker who is passionate about delving into some of the complexities of the writing process. She loves to provide context and background to her own writing journey so that students (and teachers) feel empowered to engage with her books and with literature in general.
» Read more about Ceridwen Dovey
Dr Jodi Richardson
Anxiety, Author, Education Consultant, Inspirational Speaker, New Speakers, Online - Virtual Visits, Personal Development, Social Issues, Well Within
Dr Jodi Richardson is dedicated to elevating the mental health and wellbeing of others. She empowers parents, educators and other professionals with practical skills and techniques for maximising wellbeing and overcoming the inattention, overwhelm and avoidance that come with anxiety.
» Read more about Dr Jodi Richardson
Chris Daicos
Education Consultant, Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development, Well Within
Dip Tch, BA, BSW, MAPP, FACEL
Chris is a trained teacher and social worker who has also completed the Masters of Applied Positive Psychology. She has over three decades of experience supporting organisations in the public and private sector to enhance functioning and develop wellbeing. Her work was recognized by the Australian Council for Educational Leaders for which she was awarded a fellowship.
» Read more about Chris Daicos
Cath Moore
Author, Social Issues
Cath Moore is an award winning author, filmmaker and academic, specializing in YA and own-voice storytelling for the page and screen. Cath also runs story development workshops for secondary students and new writers.
» Read more about Cath Moore
Gary Lonesborough
Author
Gary Lonesborough is a writer of young adult fiction, with experience working in the Aboriginal health, the disability sector and the film industry.
» Read more about Gary Lonesborough
Claire Saxby
Author, Curriculum Specialist, Social Issues, Storyteller/Performer
Claire Saxby writes poetry, fiction and non-fiction for young people. She speaks (and sometimes sings) about history, humour, our environment, making stories, writing poetry and researching.
» Read more about Claire Saxby
Jonny Shannon
Inspirational Speaker, New Speakers, Online - Virtual Visits, Personal Development, Social Issues, Well Within
I found school extremely difficult, having dyslexia and other disabilities which led to failing all my subjects and being bullied a lot. After overreacting too many times, I was finally expelled for fighting too much.
It wasn’t until my last school that a counsellor took me aside to work through some of the key issues I was facing. The difference for me was from “night to-day”. I quickly turned my academic performance around and focused on my emotional well-being & set some big goals. Surprised in the difference seeing a counsellor made, I committed to doing youth work to help other students like myself for the rest of my life.
» Read more about Jonny Shannon
Alex Dekker
Inspirational Speaker, Social Issues
Alex Dekker is an impact-driven entrepreneur and changemaker, reshaping food relief in Australia through the not-for-profit organization he founded, Alex Makes Meals. At just 24 years old, Alex was named on Forbes’ prestigious 30 Under 30 list for his groundbreaking work in social impact. What began as a small initiative to feed healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic has grown into a powerful movement, delivering over 700,000 meals annually to vulnerable individuals and families across Melbourne.
Alex’s work has garnered numerous accolades, including being nominated for Victorian Young Australian of the Year (2021) and receiving the 2022 Premier’s Sustainability Award and the National Banksia Award. His efforts demonstrate that age is no barrier to making a profound difference.
» Read more about Alex Dekker
Tarang Chawla
Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development, Social Issues
Tarang Chawla is a speaker, writer and founder of Not One More Niki, working to end violence against women. He is a gender equality, human rights and mental health advocate who was named a Young Australian of the Year Finalist and listed as one of Australia’s Top 40 Under 40 Asian Australians.
Dr Joanne Orlando (PhD, M.Ed, B.Ed)
Author, Education Consultant, Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development, Social Issues, Welfare
Dr Joanne Orlando (PhD, M.Ed, B.Ed) is one of Australia’s favourite and most trusted digital wellbeing experts. Through her ground-breaking research she provides specialist advice and solutions to today’s most pressing digital wellbeing issues for children and adults. Joanne is a popular presenter on TV, with over 10 years presenting digital wellbeing segments on Sunrise, Morning Show, Today Show and The Project. She has developed terms such as ‘sharenting’ and ‘zombie scrolling’ which have now entered everyday lexicon. Joanne is the creator of digital literacy and wellbeing education program TechClever, and her most recent book Life Mode On, was released worldwide in 2021.
» Read more about Dr Joanne Orlando (PhD, M.Ed, B.Ed)
Mick Elliott
Author, Entertainer, Illustrator, Inspirational Speaker, Storyteller
Mick Elliott is an author, illustrator, TV producer, screenwriter, literacy ambassador and professional mischief-maker. As well as multiple best-selling books, Mick has written and produced acclaimed children’s TV programmes for Nickelodeon, the Sesame Workshop, Channel TEN and the ABC.
» Read more about Mick Elliott
Sue Whiting
Author, Education Consultant, Storyteller
Sue Whiting is an acclaimed children’s and YA author and editor who has worked in publishing for twenty years. Sue has written numerous books for a variety of age groups, including the bestselling Missing, the award-winning The Book of Chance and a number of CBCA Notable Picture Books. As a storyteller and schools’ performer, Sue has informed, inspired and entertained thousands of kids across the country.
» Read more about Sue Whiting
Mirranda Burton
Author, Illustrator, Social Issues
Mirranda Burton is an artist, writer and author of graphic novels. Her work is fuelled by a passion for history, social issues and a dream of humans finding new ways to understand each other.
» Read more about Mirranda Burton
Emily Gale
Author
Emily Gale has seen the book industry from different sides over more than twenty years. She’s worked in publishing houses, a bookshop, two school libraries and a literary agency, has chaired festival panels and is a vocal advocate for children’s literature wherever she goes. Meanwhile she has written novels for several age groups, with a particular interest in middle-grade and Young Adult fiction.
» Read more about Emily Gale
Katrina Nannestad
Author
Katrina Nannestad is an award-winning children’s author who writes humour, adventure, action, mystery and history. Katrina loves sharing her passion for stories, and encouraging others to read, write and find the joy in life.
» Read more about Katrina Nannestad
Matthew Lin
Entertainment, Illustrator, Manga
Matthew Lin is a graphic designer and illustrator who has over 25 years experience — with the majority of that time in publishing, as well as advertising and promotional design.
Matthew began his career as a MAC operator in a small ad agency in Parramatta. After a year he moved on to be a designer and illustrator for Scholastic, then a senior designer/illustrator at Creata Promotion. He was an Art Director at Horwitz Publications and then Creative Director at Online Media Group. In 2004, Matthew decided it was time to go freelance and since then, hasn’t looked back!
» Read more about Matthew Lin
Paul Kennedy
Author
Paul is an author, investigative journalist, TV and broadcaster with the ABC.
» Read more about Paul Kennedy
Joel McKerrow
Author, Entertainment, Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development, Poet, Social Issues, Storyteller/Performer
Creativity specialist Joel McKerrow is an award-winning author, speaker, educator, and is one of Australia’s most successful and experienced performance poets. For fifteen years full-time he has toured on stages throughout world, including representing Australia at the Individual World Poetry Slam Championships. With seven poetry albums and six poetry books, as well as his first junior-fiction/Graphic novel being published in March 2024 (Urban Legend Hunters: The Dreaded Mr Snipe), Joel brings a wealth of creative experience in both poetry and story-writing sure to inspire and equip your students.
» Read more about Joel McKerrow
Clem Bastow
Author, Inspirational Speaker, Social Issues
Clem is an Autistic advocate, screenwriter and cultural critic who has relished getting in front of an audience ever since they were sent home from a Year 9 birthday party following a tour de force performance of twenty road safety PSAs. Clem is particularly passionate about Autism advocacy and loves to help debunk myths and misconceptions about Autistic people in the workplace, in education, and in general. With more than two decades’ worth of broadcasting and performance under their belt, Clem has extensive public speaking experience, and their screenwriting and standup comedy skills means that addresses delivered by them don’t tend to result in glazed eyes and rushes for the exit. Their various speaking engagements have covered everything from gender liberation to Autism to cult cinema. Clem is also an experienced host and emcee, having chaired panel discussions and hosted Q&As for a wide variety of events and organisations, including Melbourne International Film Festival, Cinema Nova, AFI/AACTA, Festival Of Dangerous Ideas, Melbourne Writers Festival and Amaze.
» Read more about Clem Bastow
Harry Laing
Author, Entertainment, Poet, Storyteller/Performer
Harry is an energetic and engaging comic performer with a love of language. He loves performing for large audiences of children and keeps them spellbound with his poems, (interactive) chants and the magical creatures from his book covers. Harry also has a gift for inspiring teachers around poetry and creative writing in his Professional Learning workshops.
» Read more about Harry Laing
Jess Racklyeft
Author, Illustrator
Jess Racklyeft is an award winning illustrator (and sometimes author) of over 30 picture books. She creates work with a variety of media including watercolour, mono prints, acrylics and digital illustration – resulting in a very messy studio!
» Read more about Jess Racklyeft
Jess McGeachin
Author, Illustrator, Storyteller
Jess is an author and illustrator from Melbourne. Drawing quite literally from a day job at Melbourne Museum, Jess loves sharing stories about nature and encouraging students to draw the world around them.
Lisa Shanahan
Author, Inspirational Speaker, Storyteller/Performer
Lisa is an award-winning writer of picture books, and novels for younger and older readers. Some of her funny, heartfelt books include The Grand, Genius Summer of Henry Hoobler, which received the 2017 Queensland Literary Award for Children’s Fiction, the 2018 Speech Pathology Book of the Year for 8–12-year-olds and was also shortlisted in the 2018 CBCA Book of the Year Award for Younger Readers. Her picture book, Hark, It’s Me, Ruby Lee! (ill. Binny Talib) was a 2018 CBCA Honour Book of the Year for Early Childhood and was also shortlisted in the 2018 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards for Children’s Fiction. Her novel for teenagers My Big Birkett was published to critical acclaim in Australia, where it was shortlisted for the 2007 CBCA Book of the Year for Older Readers and in the United States, where it was a 2008 New York Public Library Best Book for the Teen Age. Her most recent picture book for babies, the delightful Hello World (ill. Leila Rudge) won the 2022 Speech Pathology Book of the Year for Birth-3-year-olds.
Trained as an actor, Lisa is a witty, dynamic, and entertaining presenter, who loves to inspire young people to look at stories, and the world, with a vivid, new freshness.
Hello World
Hark, It’s Me, Ruby Lee!
Laugh Your Head Off 4 Ever
Big Pet Day
Bear & Chook
Bear & Chook by the Sea
The Grand, Genius Summer of Henry Hoobler
My Big Birkett
The Lisa Shanahan Story Collection (Read by Claudia Karvan)
Emma Bowd
Author, Online - Virtual Visits
Emma is an award-winning and internationally published author of books for children and adults; an experienced presenter (both online and in-person); and a passionate Literacy Ambassador for the education charity, Ardoch. A vibrant new voice in Australian children’s literature, Emma’s debut rhyming picture book, Wonderful Shoes was awarded a CBCA Notable Book (Early Childhood, 2022); and featured on Play School Story Time (Series 5, ABC Kids TV, ABC iView, 2022). She is a former Occupational Therapist and has a keen interest in making storytelling props to dovetail with her picture books.
Emma has conducted sessions in Early Learning Centres, Schools, Bookshops and Libraries. She particularly enjoys speaking to Early Childhood and Primary School educators – where she shares her passion and knowledge for choosing and using quality children’s picture books in education settings.
Emma has presented to organisations such as: the School Library Association of Victoria (SLAV – Primary Branch); the CBCA Central Coast Sub-branch, NSW (Early Childhood PD Workshop); and the State Library of NSW.
To find out more about Emma and her new publications, follow her on Instagram/Facebook @emma.bowd.au or visit her website.
The Day You Were Born (illustrated by Hilary Jean Tapper; Affirm Press; August 2023) – picture book.
Wonderful Shoes (illustrated by Tania McCartney; Windy Hollow Books; 2021) – picture book.
The Shoe Princess’s Guide to the Galaxy (Bloomsbury, UK; 2009) – commercial fiction novel for adults.
Lian Tanner
Author
Lian Tanner is an award-winning author of children’s books, as well as an engaging and and entertaining speaker. She uses laughter, storytelling and challenges to inspire students to read, while at the same time providing them with tools they can use to write their own stories.
- Museum of Thieves: The Keepers 1 (2010)
- City of Lies: The Keepers 2 (2011)
- Path of Beasts: The Keepers 3 (2012)
- Ice Breaker: Hidden Series 1 (2013)
- Sunker’s Deep: Hidden Series 2 (2014)
- Fetcher’s Song: Hidden Series 3 (2016)
- Accidental Heroes: The Rogues 1 (2017)
- Secret Guardians: The Rogues 2 (2018)
- Haunted Warriors: The Rogues 3 (2019)
- Ella and the Ocean (illus.Jonathan Bentley, 2019)
- A Clue for Clara (2020)
- Rita’s Revenge (2022)
- Spellhound: The Dragons of Hallow 1 (2023)
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Fledgewitch: The Dragons of Hallow 2 (2024)
-
When the Lights Went Out (illus.Jonathan Bentley, 2024)
All published by Allen & Unwin
» Read more about Lian Tanner
Felicity Castagna
Author, Curriculum Specialist, Education Consultant, Storyteller/Performer
Felicity Castagna is the multi-award winning author of books for young adults and adults, as well as several works for stage and film. She has run popular workshops on writing and creativity everywhere from universities to correctional centres and is passionate about both working with young people and using her extensive experience and research to help schools and teachers to develop creative writing pedagogy.
Small Indiscretions
The Incredible Here and Now
The Incredible Here and Now (the play)
No More Boats
Girls In Boys’ Cars
Charmaine Ledden-Lewis
Illustrator
Charmaine Ledden-Lewis is a proud Bundjalung woman, artist and illustrator, living on Dharug & Gundungurra Country in the Blue Mountains, NSW. Through guidance and demonstration, Charmaine shares her passion and enthusiasm for creativity and visual literacy, and encourages all those she meets to transcend inhibition and engage in artistic expression. Charmaine also takes pride in fostering conversation exploring First Nations perspective, inclusivity and diversity.
Found by Bruce Pascoe (author)
Born to Run by Cathy Freeman (author)
Charlie’s Swim by Edith Wright (author)
Growing Up Wiradjuri by Dr Anita Heiss (author)
» Read more about Charmaine Ledden-Lewis
Anna Fienberg
Author
Anna Fienberg’s favourite subjects are words and stories – reading them, writing them, sharing them. As she spills the secrets behind her books, she encourages her audience to search their own lives for ideas, helping them tap into the imaginative possibilities of everyday life. Interactive and inspiring, she offers inside knowledge into the book world while expanding and enriching students’ own creative powers. Her passion for books is infectious!
Works include: The Tashi series; Monsters; Wicked’s Way; Horrendo’s Curse; Louis Beside Himself; Borrowed Light; The Magnificent Nose and Other Marvels; Ariel, Zed and the Secret of Life; Minton Goes!; Joseph; Madeline the Mermaid; The Witch in the Lake (e book & print on demand); Power to Burn (e book)
» Read more about Anna Fienberg
Zanni Louise
Author
Author of over 35 books for kids, Zanni Louise inspires young people to fall in love with books, as well as tell and write their own stories.
Too Busy Sleeping
Archie and the Bear
Tiggy and the Magic Paintbrush
Errol
Mum For Sale
Stardust School of Dance
Daring Delly
Human Kind
Paris Takes Over The World
Florence and Fox
Wonder Earth
We Are All People
I Feel the World
Pigasus
This Is Love
Queenie In Seven Moves
Lost Bunny (Monsties Book One)
Philip Wilcox
Author, Entertainment, Inspirational Speaker, Poet, Social Issues, Storyteller/Performer
Philip Wilcox is an awarded and published full-time poet, touring nationally and internationally. He is an Australian Poetry Slam champion and two-time New South Wales Poetry Slam champion. He believes poetry is for everyone: sleazy advertising executives, criminals, and even school students. He has made it his mission to share his poetry in the hope of sparking a passion for words and language and in the last 8 years, Philip has worked with upwards of 100,000 students in over 300 schools in 12 countries.
» Read more about Philip Wilcox
Sarah Armstrong
Author
Sarah’s school presentations and workshops are interactive, fun and very practical. She shares writing tools she uses in her own books and takes the students behind the scenes of a writer’s life, with stories and photos.
Website: http://www.sarah-armstrong.com/
Instagram:@saraharmstrongwriter
» Read more about Sarah Armstrong
Nathan Luff
Author, Storyteller/Performer
Nathan is a gifted storyteller who recounts in hilarious detail how growing up as one of five boys on a farm in rural NSW has inspired the books he writes.
» Read more about Nathan Luff
Graham Akhurst
Academic, Author
Graham Akhurst is an Indigenous writer and academic from the Kokomini of northern Queensland. He is an expert in the critical study of Indigenous Australian literature and is a teacher of Creative Writing and Indigenous Australian Studies at University level.
» Read more about Graham Akhurst
Maura Pierlot
Author
Maura Pierlot is an author, playwright and filmmaker based in Canberra. Her groundbreaking work on youth mental health, Fragments, is now an award-winning web series and feature length film. Maura’s work has won, and been shortlisted for, numerous writing awards. She has a PhD in philosophy, specialising in ethics.
» Read more about Maura Pierlot
Melanie Saward
Author
Melanie Saward is a proud Bigambul and Wakka Wakka woman based in Tulmur (Ipswich), Queensland, a city west of Brisbane. An experienced university lecturer, Melanie loves to talk about her books and writing, and run practical writing workshops.
» Read more about Melanie Saward
Sami Bayly
Author, Illustrator
Sami loves to capture her audiences with weird and wonderful stories about the most unusual aspects of nature. She incorporates her non-fiction writing with storytelling, as she finds they really do work hand in hand.
You are guaranteed to leave her sessions with a new animal discovery, an updated drawing tip and even a poo fact or two!
» Read more about Sami Bayly
Judith Rossell
Author, Illustrator
Judith Rossell created the best-selling, award-winning Stella Montgomery series (Withering-by-Sea, Wormwood Mire and Wakestone Hall) and her new middle-grade novel, The Midwatch, will be published in 2024. She has written 16 books and illustrated more than 80. She enjoys sharing her love of illustrating and writing, and encouraging others to create their own characters and stories.
» Read more about Judith Rossell
Marcelo Baez
Comics, Entertainment, Illustrator, Inspirational Speaker
Marcelo is professional illustrator and creative facilitator based on the NSW South Coast. Working internationally and locally as an illustrator for over 27 years, and over 14 years as a creative facilitator and presenter.
He also teaches a large variety of drawing comics/character design/visual storytelling for kids as well as teaching a variety of creative adult workshops for the corporate and public sectors. He has been an invited guest to Supanova, OZ Comic con and Gamma Con.
Cheryl Leavy
Author, Inspirational Speaker, Social Issues, Storyteller
Cheryl is an award-winning First Nations writer who is passionate about language revitalisation and truth telling through story.
She has led some of Australia’s most successful social justice initiatives across health, education and environment.
» Read more about Cheryl Leavy
Eliza Hull
Author, Disability Advocate, Entertainment, Inspirational Speaker, Musician, Social Issues, Storyteller/Performer
Eliza Hull is an award-winning musician, writer and disability advocate. She is passionate about changing the way the world views disability.
In her role as disability advocate and consultant, Eliza has presented Keynotes for major Australian and International organisations and given speeches at Parliament House, The Human Rights Convention ‘Free and Equal’, for the NDIS, DARU and at several hospitals, schools and universities including Sydney University and the Melbourne Women’s Hospital. She is also a fixture of the writing festival circuit.
Eliza regularly runs workshops in Disability Awareness Training and has written training for major Australian companies and organisations seeking to become more inclusive and accessible for all.
She also runs facilitated workshops in songwriting, recording, and storytelling for participants with disabilities.
Come Over to My House (co-author)
We’ve Got This: Essays by Disabled Parents (creator and editor)
Growing Up Disabled in Australia (Anthology)
Teacher Teacher (Anthology)
» Read more about Eliza Hull
Victoria Carless
Author, Playwright
Victoria is an author and playwright with a special interest in writing and teaching magic realism. She has written books for middle grade and young adult readers, and her workshops and talks are suitable for upper primary and secondary school students.
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Rhiân Williams
Author, Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development/Welfare, Social Issues
Rhiân is an enthusiastic and engaging story teller, equally at home running a treasure hunt for beetles and Australian animals for a group of three year olds at a public library, to bringing fire fighters and other emergency personnel together with kids and grown ups alike to discuss emergency preparedness, through to speaking on radio about the importance of reading and books with her regular segment on ABC Canberra.
» Read more about Rhiân Williams
Solli Raphael
Author, Curriculum Specialist, Education Consultant, Entertainment, Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development/Welfare, Social Issues, Storyteller/Performer
Solli Raphael is a globally renowned and award-winning speaker and performer who has delivered inspiring presentations for nearly a decade. Within schools, Solli has become known for turning pressing and complex social concerns and concepts into relatable and meaningful conversations for young audiences.
29 Things You Didn’t Know About Me
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Tobias Madden
Author, Entertainer, LGBTQ+
Tobias is a queer YA author, editor, and publishing professional, originally from Ballarat, Victoria, now based in New York City, USA.
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Sam Drummond
Author, Education Consultant, Social Issues
Sam Drummond is a powerful speaker who gets to the heart of some of society’s most pressing issues such as disability education inclusion and equity
He uses his experience as a media presenter and speech writer to weave personal stories through the headlines, to show the people behind the statistics.
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Randa Abdel-Fattah
Author, Social Commentator
Randa is a prominent Australian author, academic, human rights advocate, former lawyer and mother of four children. She was recently nominated for Sweden’s Astrid Lindgren Award, the world’s biggest children’s and young adult literature award. The award-winning author of 11 novels published and translated in over 20 countries, Randa writes across a wide range of genres and actively seeks to translate her academic work into creative interventions which reshape dominant narratives around race, human rights, multiculturalism and identity in popular culture. She has been publishing her op eds in Australia’s national and international newspapers and journals since 1998. She has had regular appearances on Q&A, the Drum, Lateline and the 7.30 Report and radio interviews (RN Drive, ABC Books and Arts, the Conversation Hour etc).
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