Mark Carthew
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.
Meet the Speaker
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.
Speaker Type
Audience
Locations
Have you booked this speaker before?
Please fill out an evaluation form to share your feedback on the session.