Patricia Wrightson OBE was an Australian writer of several highly regarded and influential children's books. Employing a 'magic realism' style, her books, including the award-winning The Nargun and the Stars (1973), were among the first Australian books for children to draw on Australian Aboriginal mythology. Her 27 books have been published in 16 languages.
Jacqueline Anne French , known professionally as Jackie French, is an Australian author who has written across several genres for both adults and children. Her most notable works include Rain Stones, Diary of a Wombat, and The Girl from Snowy River. Several of her books have been recommended for teaching the Australian Curriculum. French lives in Braidwood, New South Wales, with her second husband Bryan Sullivan.
Ursula Dubosarsky is an Australian writer of fiction and non-fiction for children and young adults, whose work is characterised by a child's vision and comic voice of both clarity and ambiguity.
Max Velthuijs was a Dutch painter, illustrator and writer, one of the most famous children's illustrators in the Netherlands. In 2004 he received the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for his "lasting contribution to children's literature".
Alison Jean Lester is an Australian author and illustrator who has published over 25 children's picture books and two young adult novels; The Quickstand Pony and The Snow Pony. In 2005 Lester won the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Picture Book of the Year for her children's book, Are We There Yet?: A Journey around Australia. Her books have been published worldwide.
Catherine Jinks is an Australian writer of fiction books for all age groups. She has won many awards including the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award four times, the Victorian Premier's Literary Award, the Aurealis Award for science fiction, the IBBY Australia Ena Noel Encouragement Award, the Adelaide Festival Award, and the Davitt Award for crime fiction.
Joan Margaret Phipson AM was an Australian children's writer.
The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) is a non-profit organisation to bring books and children together. In 1966, IBBY Australia was established and Ena Noël OAM became its first president and remained in this role for over 20 years.
Phillipena Noël, best known by the name Ena Noël, was an inspirational school teacher and advocate for children's literature and library services to children and young adults. Ena Noël's name is synonymous in Australia with children's literature and with IBBY, the International Board on Books for Young People.
Robin Morrow AM is an Australian lecturer, critic and editor in children's literature. She is a past president of the Australian section of the International Board on Books for Young People IBBY Australia.
The Crystal Kite Award is given by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) each year to recognize great books from the 70 SCBWI regions around the world. Along with the SCBWI Golden Kite Awards, the Crystal Kite Awards are chosen by other children's book writers and illustrators, making them the only peer-given awards in publishing for young readers.
Possum Magic is a 1983 children's picture book by Australian author Mem Fox, and illustrated by Julie Vivas. It concerns a young female possum, named Hush, who becomes invisible and has a number of adventures. In 2001, a film was made by the American company Weston Woods and narrated by the author.
Boss of the Pool is a children's book by Australian author Robin Klein and also is the name of a play adaptation by Scottish-Australian playwright Mary Morris. The story follows a teenage girl called Shelley, who must accompany her mother to work in the summer holidays as her mother has no other way of minding her. Her mother works at a hostel for people with disabilities, and Shelley meets a boy called Ben, who really likes her, but is afraid of water. Shelley helps teach Ben to overcome his fear of the water.
Cao Wenxuan is a Chinese novelist, best known for his works of children's literature. Cao is the vice president of the Beijing Writers Association. He is also a professor and doctoral tutor at Peking University. His novels have been translated into English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Serbian.
Margaret Dawn Hamilton was an Australian children’s literature publisher who served as the National President of the Children’s Book Council of Australia from 1991 to 1992 and as a National Board Member until April 2017 when she formally retired. She also published seven books.
Jennifer Deirdre Jane Lanthier is a Canadian children's author and journalist. Since August 2016 she has been the Director, U. of T. News at the University of Toronto.
Manorama Jafa is an Indian author of more than 100 books for children, as well as feminist novels for adults, and academic research and writing on children's literature. She has served as Secretary General of the Association of Writers and Illustrators for Children and as the Secretary General of the Indian National Section of the International Board on Books for Young People. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2014, and the Order of the Rising Sun in 2016.
Suneeta Peres da Costa is an acclaimed Australian author best known for her tragicomic novel, Homework (1999) and a novella, Saudade (2018). She began her career as a playwright and also publishes poetry, non-fiction and literary criticism.
Janeen Brian is a South Australian writer of children's books. A primary school teacher prior to 1990, when she started writing full time, she published her 100th book in September, 2016.
Dee White is an Australian writer of children's books, short stories, poems, educational resources and freelance articles. She runs workshops for other writers and lives in regional Victoria, Australia. White also runs online writing workshops for children around the world.
