Felice Arena
Felice Arena is one of Australia’s much-loved children’s authors. His books have topped bestseller lists and garnered several awards, including six Australian Children’s Choice awards. These include the iconic Specky Magee novels, the popular Sporty Kids and Besties series, the acclaimed historical adventure novels and CBCA notable books – The Boy and the Spy, Fearless Frederic, A Great Escape, and his lyrical read-aloud picture books Pasta! Cheese! and My Big Secret. Felice’s latest book, due to be released in July 2026, is Hunt for Night Hawks, a thrilling middle-grade adventure of friendship and bravery that combines mystery, history, and the supernatural.
Jack Heath
Jack is a novelist from Canberra writing his first novel as a 13-year-old student at High School, submitting it to Pan Macmillan at age 17. This manuscript was published 3 years later, as ‘The Lab‘. Jack’s work includes 300 Minutes of Danger (for kids), Kill Your Husbands (not for kids), and forty other books, translated into ten languages. He lives on Ngunnawal/Ngambri land with his wife, five chickens, three possums, two cats, and a pair of human children. His new novel for kids, ‘The Spider Army’, will be released on 1 March.
Jess McGeachin
Jess McGeachin is an author and illustrator living in Narrm (Melbourne, Australia). His debut picture book, Fly, was published in 2019 and was shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia and Queensland Literary Awards. His first two non-fiction books, Deep and Kind, were published in 2022. Deep was the winner of the 2023 CBCA Eve Pownall Award. Kind and The Tree at Number 43 were the co-winners of the 2023 Environment Awards for Children’s Literature, and South with the Seabirds is a CBCA Honour Book. Jess draws quite literally from a day job at Melbourne Museum, where he’s lucky enough to help design exhibitions and occasionally get lost in the basement.
Lili Wilkinson
Lili Wilkinson is the award-winning author of twenty books for young people, including A Hunger of Thorns which won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award, and was a CBCA Honour Book.
Lili has a PhD from the University of Melbourne, and is a passionate advocate for YA and the young people who read it, establishing the Inky Awards at the Centre for Youth Literature, State Library of Victoria. Her latest books are the Bravepaw series and Unhallowed Halls.
Sean Williams
Sean Williams is an award-winning, #1 best-selling author for readers of all ages. His long list of works includes original series, novels (some of them set in the Star Wars universe), short stories and poems that have been translated into multiple languages for readers around the world. His most recent books are Her Perilous Mansion, Impossible Music, and Honour Among Ghosts. Sean lives in Adelaide, teaches creative writing at Flinders University, and makes weird music in his spare time.
R.A. Spratt
R.A. Spratt is the author of Epically Good Greek Myths, Friday Barnes: Girl Detective, The Peski Kids, Hamlet is not OK and Nanny Piggins. Her smash-hit podcast Bedtime Stories with R.A. Spratt has had over 7 million downloads worldwide. Her live storytelling shows have played to sold-out theatres across Australia. Even the reviewers at The Australian praise Nanny Piggins, saying that “Sarah Piggins is irrepressible, effortlessly eclipsing her famous fictional peers”. R.A. lives in Bowral NSW with her husband and two daughters.
Serena Geddes
Serena Geddes, an international author and illustrator, has worked for Disney Studios, teaches art and is an avid lover of dogs (particularly Havanese). She has illustrated over seventy titles from picture books to middle grade readers, and is about to step into the colourful world of graphic novels. Some of Serena’s work includes the Lulu Bell series, We Are Matildas and her most recent comic series Miles From Home. As a Disney artist she worked on sequels to the Lion King, Peter Pan, The Little Mermaid and Jungle Book which has enabled her to capture emotion and movement with her characters and illustrations. Serena’s first graphic novel Ella Forever : School Rivals was released on the 1st of February 2026.
Nat Amoore
Nat Amoore is a writer who is passionate about encouraging kids to read and write, and explore their imagination without boundaries. Nat is a Sydney-based writer whose debut novel ‘Secrets Of A Schoolyard Millionaire’ came out in 2019 with Penguin Random House. It had great success as both Dymocks and QBD’s ‘Kids Book Of The Month’, becoming Australia’s #1 bestselling debut Aussie children’s fiction in 2019 and has now sold into the UK, US, Italy, China, Estonia and Romania. Her second book, ‘The Power Of Positive Pranking’ was released in 2020, and went on to win the 2021 Environment Award for Children’s Literature. ‘The Right Way To Rock’ and novel/graphic novel hybrid ‘We Run Tomorrow’ are both CBCA Notables. The first three books in a brand new junior fiction series ‘Shower Land’ came out in 2024 with Nat’s first picture book ‘I Don’t Need a Little Brother’ hit stores in June 2025.
Tania Ingram
Tania Ingram is an award winning author who writes books for children, including the magical Jinny and Cooper Series, the bestselling Aggie Flea books and the heartfelt mid-grade novel, The Other Shadow. She has acted as a peer assessor on the literature panel for Arts South Australia’s grants program and is an active ambassador for the Premier’s Reading Challenge. When not writing, Tania enjoys sharing her knowledge and love of books through school visits, workshops and festivals. In her spare time Tania likes to read children’s fiction, crochet crooked rugs and sing to her chickens, who pretend to be oblivious to her talent.
Jade Goodwin
Jade Goodwin is a First Nations illustrator living and creating on Wonnarua Country in the Hunter Valley. Her love of art began early in her grandparents’ screen printing studio, where she was always surrounded by creativity. That playful, hands-on energy still shows up in everything she makes today. Since signing her first picture book contract in 2022, Jade has illustrated over 23 books (and counting!) across picture books, junior fiction, and early readers. Her work includes Little Ash, Tennis Camp Diaries and the Yarn Quest series, to name a few… Jade’s illustrations are all about warmth, colour, and connection — with lots of heart, nature, and playful details. She loves creating characters that feel real and stories that reflect the diversity of our world.
Sunny Luwe
Singer-songwriter and storyteller Sunny Luwe’s (say loo) music invites you to laugh, feel and be wildly yourself! She’s optimistic, sunshiney and will blow you away with her world class vocals. A 3 x Queensland Music Award finalist, Sunny has released two albums, written, recorded and played with ARIA Winners and Grammy nominee and played line ups with Emily Wurramurra, Nai Palm, Lime Cordiale, Death by Denim and more. Sunny is a proud First Nations (Wayilwan) woman who is also of Dutch and English ancestry, and carbon offsets her music via Gondwana Rainforest Trust as her way of caring for Country.
Tsunami Hee Ja
Tsunami Hee Ja is a neurodivergent artist and illustrator living and working on Kaurna land.
She is best known for her anime and manga style artwork, which has appeared in a number of collective exhibitions across Adelaide as well as several solo shows. Her artistic career spans over two decades during which she has worked on jobs ranging from flight patches to phonics book illustrations, constantly kept on her toes by a diverse range of client briefs.
Tsunami has a genuine passion for increasing the creative confidence of young people, and is often contracted by schools, libraries and festivals to host workshops teaching children how to draw characters in her style.
Will Kostakis
Will Kostakis is one of Australia’s most renowned authors for kids and young adults. First published at nineteen, he writes whip-smart comedies that break (then mend) hearts. We Could Be Something is his latest novel. It’s a moving family epic that won the 2024 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Young Adult Literature. Otis Ottley and the School in the Sky is his middle-grade debut..
Charlie Archbold
Charlie Archbold was born in London, in the UK, but now lives in Australia. As well as writing, she has been a teacher, a performer, a fruit picker, a retail worker and content writer. Compassion and tolerance are important to Charlie. She is passionate about looking after our planet and treating others with respect and kindness. Charlie writes characters who work together with friends, family and community to make things better in their world. Charlie’s books include Mallee Boys (2017), Indigo Owl (2020), The Sugarcane Kids and the Red Bottomed Boat (2022), Raised by Moths (2023), The Sugarcane Kids and the Empty Cage (2024) and the Sugarcane Kids and the Mystery at Angel Bay (2026).
Katrina Nannestad
Katrina Nannestad is a multi-award-winning children’s author whose writing encompasses history, mystery, adventure and humour. Her historical novels include All the Beautiful Things, Silver Linings, Waiting for the Storks, the CBCA Honour Book Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief, We Are Wolves and The Girl Who Brought Mischief. Her series include The Travelling Bookshop, The Girl, the Dog and the Writer, Olive of Groves, Red Dirt Diaries and Lottie Perkins. Katrina grew up in country New South Wales in a neighbourhood stuffed full of happy, slightly wild children. Her adult years have been spent raising boys, teaching, daydreaming and pursuing her love of stories. Katrina celebrates family, friendship and belonging in her writing and loves creating stories that bring joy or hope to other people’s lives.
Jeremy Lachlan
A former bookseller, Jeremy’s debut novel, Jane Doe and the Cradle of All Worlds, has been published in over 15 countries around the world, translated into nine languages, and was the 2019 Australian Book Industry Award winner for Book of the Year for Older Children. Its second part, Jane Doe and the Key of All Souls, was shortlisted for the same award in 2021, but all of this pales in comparison to the $100 he once took home in a karaoke competition. Book three in the series, Jane Doe and the Quill of All Tales – the start of a new epic duology – was released in 2023, and the fourth and final entry in the series, Jane Doe and the God of All Hours, hit shelves in September, 2025. He came up with the idea for the Jane Doe Chronicles while lost in the Cairo Museum, and now calls Sydney home.
Kate Cypress
Kate Cypress is an Australian children’s book author writing the next wave of iconic children’s literature. When she’s not on her own real-life adventures, Kate is writing up a storm and creating new characters and worlds.
Like mythical creatures and magic? Don’t miss Kate’s animal fantasy series, Griffins, full of adventure and unique characters. Each book boasts full-colour character illustrations and also includes maps and species keys. Interested in historical fiction with an action-adventure twist? You’re sure to love Philippa: The Orphanage, Kate’s newest book set in 1840s England! Follow the journey of an orphaned Irish girl and her best friend, Ezra, as they try to escape from Reese Bea’s horrible Home Orphanage.
Matt Stanton
Matt Stanton is a bestselling children’s author and illustrator who has sold more than one million books in Australia. His middle-grade series FUNNY KID debuted as the #1 Australian kids’ book and has fans all around the world. He has twenty picture books to his name, including the award-winning THIS IS A BALL series, and over twenty-five novels including the immensely popular graphic novel series, THE ODDS, BORED and FLUFF. Matt lives on the south coast of NSW with his wife, bestselling author Beck Stanton, their four kids and a giant dog.
Alice Lindstrom
Alice is an artist and illustrator known for her vibrant and expressive work, which spans a variety of mediums, including paper collage, papercut, painting, and drawing. Alice’s work is distinguished by it’s bold use of color, decorative motifs, and a focus on character and expressive themes. Alice holds a Bachelor of Humanities in Philosophy from the University of Adelaide and a Bachelor of Design from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) as well as a Masters of Art History. Clients include Google, Disney, Sydney Opera House, The Art Gallery of South Australia and Penguin Random House. She has illustrated five picture books.
Kate J Armstrong
Kate J. Armstrong is a YA Fantasy writer and the author of the internationally bestselling novel Nightbirds and its sequel, Fyrebirds. She’s also the creator of The Exploress, a popular podcast about what life was like for women in history. She is a former high school teacher and nonfiction book editor. She hails from Virginia, but she now calls Melbourne home.
Carla Salmon
Carla Salmon is a teacher and marketing professional who loves telling stories. Her debut young adult novel We Saw What You Started was shortlisted for the 2026 CBCA Book of the Year award for older readers. We Did It Anyway is the second book in Carla’s series of thrilling standalone mysteries inspired by her country coastal childhood where sports ruled and beach campsites were paradise. Much like the students in her classroom today, her characters lead action-packed lives with plenty of heart and humour. Carla loves living in sunny Brisbane with her husband and two teens.
Rachel Jackson
Rachel Jackson draws on her experience as an intelligence specialist to create twisty branching plotlines that challenge the reader to problem solve and develop a toolbox of critical thinking skills. Her books include puzzles – both literal and literary – that build reader confidence to explore the expansive settings of each book with every decision they make. Titles in the Solve It Your Way series have been nominated for awards including the 2026 Aurealis Award and Novel Insight Reviewers Choice Awards.
Margot McGovern
Margot McGovern is an award-winning, Adelaide-based author of Young Adult literature. Her love letter to ‘90s horror, This Stays Between Us, won the inaugural John Marsden Prize for Writing for Young Adults in the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards and is a shortlisted book in the 2026 CBCA Awards. It was also a finalist in the 2026 ABIA, Aurealis and ITW Thriller Awards. Margot’s debut novel, Neverland, was shortlisted for the Text Prize and the Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature. She holds a creative writing PhD from Flinders University and her Gothic novel, Our Dark Unravelling, will be published in September.
Jodie Benveniste
Jodie Benveniste is an Author-Psychologist writing Mindful Romance – YA contemporary fiction about family dynamics, friendship, first love, and the beautiful complexity of becoming who we are. Jodie’s sessions bridge the gap between the story world and our inner world, giving teen readers and writers practical tools to use the stories they love for genuine self-understanding.
Georgina Chadderton
Georgina Chadderton (she/they), who also writes as George Rex, is an awkward yet friendly South Australian cartoonist with an undying love of eating snacks, drinking green tea, patting dogs and playing roller derby. Although Georgina has been published all over the globe, Oh Brother is her first full-length graphic novel. When they’re not making comics, Georgina co-directs Papercuts Comics Festival, runs comics-making workshops and reads comics by their favourite comics makers (basically, it’s all comics, all the time). Georgina lives on Kaurna Yerta (Adelaide) with her partner Owen and their distressingly large collection of books.
