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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.
Mark has extensive experience in trade and education editing and publishing with numerous books, series, anthologies, poems and songs published with Australian and international publishers: see http://markcarthew.com.au/books/. Mark is a former Board Member of Australian Society of Authors (ASA), 2013 & 2021 May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust Fellow and Literacy / Literature Specialist at Berwick Lodge Primary School, Victoria. Mark has a PhD in Writing from Swinburne University and he is the inaugural 2022 Irwin Ermidis Visiting Research Fellow at UniSA. Mark’s recent picture books include The Moose is Loose! illustrated by Matt Stanton & published by Harper Collins Publishers / ABC Books, The Great Zoo Hullabaloo! illustrated by Anil Tortop and three books in the Marvin & Marigold series ill. by Simon Prescott (UK); Marvin & Marigold The Big Sneeze, Marvin & Marigold: A Christmas Surprise and Marvin & Marigold: A Stormy Night.
2020 saw the release of The Dingle, Dangle Jungle ill. by Dave Atze, published by Ford Street Publishing (*Shortlisted for the 2020 Educational Publishing Awards Australia); along with a 10th Anniversary eBook & POD edition of his CBCA Notable verse and song anthology, Can You Keep a Secret? Timeless rhymes to share and treasure. Mark’s recent picture book, The Thing That Goes Ping! illustrated by Shane McG, published by Ford Street Publishing (Feb 2021), WON the 2021 Speech Pathology Australia Book of The Year Award, in the Five-8 years category.
What other jobs have you had?
I have been a primary teacher most of all my adult life, but I also worked as a cabinetmaker for short while. I have also been an Arts Education Consultant for the Victorian Department of Education and currently work a sessional university lecturer and tutor.
What themes are recurring in your work?
I love playing with words, so there are a lot of options! I like making picture book stories that allow an illustrator to create a strong sense of visual narrative and fun. I’d have to say that a strong sense of silly wordplay seems to be one of the themes at the moment. I also love collecting rhymes, songs & stories and creating anthologies that bring works to life in interesting ways.
What have been the highlights of your career?
Winning the Best New Australian Publication award from Drama Victoria for my P-6 illustrated play script series VoiceWorks and Speech Pathology Australia’s Book of The Year 2009: Best book for language development (Lower primary) for The Gobbling Tree. In 2005 I was also honoured to receive the Highly Commended Dromkeen Librarian’s Award.
Testimonials
What a wonderful Book Week we experienced at Korowa. A special thank you to Mark Carthew who entertained our students, and in no time had them dancing, laughing, singing and participating wholeheartedly in the activities on offer. The feedback from all involved has been overwhelmingly positive, and our staff also welcomed the opportunity to get involved. Thank you also for the books you kindly donated to our Library, they are very much appreciated.
Mark Carthew was a big hit this morning with our Foundation-Year 3. Let it be said “He came, he sang, he read stories, he conquered”
Absolutely fantastic!
We had a great day on Monday with our visiting authors. The staff and student feedback was very positive and more importantly the books of the visiting authors are now in high demand from library! Naturally each author had their own style for presentation but all were considerate of the group before them and adjusted the talks accordingly. Mark had hardly started his chat when he had the girls dancing and they were captured right from the start – many writing their own rhymes the following day.
Mark Carthew was incredible. There was lots of visuals and music and the children had plenty of opportunity to join in and take part in the story telling, singing and dancing. Unfortunately I wasn’t in this session but the children and teachers loved his presentation. It was a highlight of their Book Week.
The student and staff were absolutely enthralled by Mark’s visit. The enjoyed all the different aspects of his writing and techniques with the illustrations in his books. Mark’s visit was certainly a highlight in helping Baxter Primary School celebrate our Literacy month.