About the Contributors

Deb Abela

Having always been short and a bit of a coward, Deborah dreamed of being braver and stronger, which is probably why she writes about spies, ghosts, soccer legends and characters who battle sea monsters and evil harbour lords. She’s written Max Remy, Jasper ,Zammit, The Remarkable Secret qf Aurelie Bonhqffin and Grimsdon. She has won awards for her books but mostly hopes to be as brave as the characters inside. www.deborahabela.com.

Dianne Bates

Dianne has published 100+ books, mostly for young readers, some of which have won national and state literary awards: others have sold overseas. Her current book is Crossing the Line. Di has also edited a number of children’s magazines. She lives in Wollongong, NSW, with her author husband, Bill Condon. Their website is www.enterprisingwords.com.

Michael Gerard Bauer

Since resigning from teaching in 2000 Michael has written a number of popular and award-winning books for children and young adults. These include The Running Man, Dinosaur Knights, Just a Dog and the Ishmael trilogy. His books have been published in the UK and USA and translated into eight languages.

Christine Bongers

Christine is a former journalist who has sunk her teeth into fiction. Her novels have been Notable and short-listed books in the CBCA awards and short-listed for the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards and WA Premier’s Book Awards. Her titles include Dust and Henry Hoey Hobson. More at www. christinebongers.com.

Janeen Brian

Janeen is an award-winning children’s author and has been writing full-time for over twenty years. She has had seventy three books published and more due for release. Janeen is a

‘bitser’! She writes all sorts - novels, poetry, picture books, information books - and short stories, like ‘What Goes Around ...’!

Sue Bursztynski

Sue grew up in Melbourne, writing on the beach a lot. She has written ten books, including Crime Time and Woifborn, a werewolf novel and a CBCA Notable Book. Sue reads submissions for ‘Andromeda Spaceways lnflight Magazine’. Sue’s brother was born soon after the Beatles’ visit. His name isn’t Ringo or Jimmy.

Isobelle Carmody

Isabelle began writing The Obernewl:)in Chronicles while still at secondary school. Since then she has established herself as one of Australia’s leading writers of fantasy. Her book The Red Wind won the CBC Book of the Year Award in 2011 and her most recent book is a second collection of gritty, urban fantasy stories called Metro Winds, published in 2012. She is now working on the final book in The Obernewl:)in Chronicles.

Margaret Clark

Margaret has written books under the names MD Clark, Margaret D Clark and Lee Striker. She has written over l 00 books about relationships, friendships, and social issues under the guise of humour. Margaret’s books include Pugwall, which was made into a TV series and The Chickabees series. Her latest book is an Aussie Nibble called Blast Off!

Paul Collins

Paul has written over 140 books. He’s best known for The Jelindel Chronicles, starring the heroineJelindel from his story in Trust Me Too. His latest book is Mole Hunt, Book #l in The Maximus Black Files. Paul is also the Publisher at Ford Street Publishing and manages Creative Net, a speakers’ agency for authors and illustrators.

Visit www.paulcollins.com.au and www.fordstreetpublishing.com/ cnet.

Bill Condon

Bill has written several young adult novels, including

Corifessions qf a Liar, Thiif and Failed Sex God, and A Straight Line to J\4Y Heart. He lives on the south coast of New South Wales with his wife, fellow writer Dianne (Di) Bates. His website is www.enterprisingwords.com.

Meredith Costain

Meredith lives in Melbourne with a menagene of pets. Her work ranges from picture books to novels and non-fiction, and includes Dog Squad, A Year in Girl Hell, Doodledum Dancing and novelisations of the TV show Dance Academy. She plays blues piano and has too many shoes. Visit her at www.meredithcostain.com.

Gary Crew

Gary has won the Children’s Book of the Year award four times and has been awarded many others including the National Children’s Book Award; the Victorian Premier’s Award; the New South Wales Premier’s Award; the Ned Kelly Award for Crime Writing; and the School Library Journal Best Book of the Year (USA). His latest book is In the Beech Forest (illustrated by Den Scheer).

Justin D’Ath

Justin is the author of thirty-six books for children and young adults. His very popular Extreme Adventures are soon to become a TV series. Currently he is writing two more series for Penguin, Mission Fox and The Lost World Circus.Justin lives in Queenscliff, Victoria.

Hazel Edwards

Hazel is not a fan of graffiti, or tatts, but likes satirical cartoons. She is best known for There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roqf Eating Cake series (now a film). Her latest YA novel is

}2m: the boy within. It was co-written with Ryan Kennedy and was a 20 ll White Ravens top 250 books internationally. As a National Ambassador for the 2012 Year of Reading, Hazel web-chats with students in remote regions and has hints for aspiring creators and e-books on her website: www.hazeledwards.com.

Corinne Fenton

Corinne has a passion for wntmg children’s books, especially picture books, and enjoys sharing her experiences of writing and researching with children and adults. She is best known for her picture books Qyeenie: One Elephant’s Story, The Dog on the Tuckerbox and Flame Stands Waiting. Visit www. corinnefenton.com.

JE Fison

Julie is a Brisbane-based writer with a background in television news and marketing. Her work has taken her around the world where she has met some amazing people (and some not so good ones), shaken hands with an orang utan, camped with elephants and (accidentally) eaten rat soup. A family holiday on the Noosa River inspired her first fiction series -Hazard River, which is a mix of adventure and fun, with an environmental twist. She is currently working on a story for teenage girls. Visit www.hazardriver.com.

Pat Flynn

Pat lives on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. An ex-professional tennis player and teacher, he now writes realistic fiction with a dose of humour for young people. His latest book, A1y Awesome Story, is about a boy who hates writing.

Archimede Fusillo

Archimede lives in Melbourne, but travels all over Australia running writing workshops and giving author talks. With several YA novels to his credit, Archie has recently returned to his passion for writing short stories and is hoping to write another picture book so he can again work with talented illustrators.

Sandy Fussell

Sandy is afraid of polar bears, samurai swords and lava flows. So far she has written novels about the first two. Next stop, a volcano. She is the author of the Samurai Kids series, Polar Brry andJaguar Warrior. You can find her at www.sandyfussell.com and www.samuraikids.com.au.

Susanne Gervay

Susanne Gervay OAM is recognised for her writing on social justice. Endorsed by Room to Read, Alannah & Madeline Foundation, Life Education and the Cancer Council, her award-winning books include Butterflies and Ships in the Field and the Jack books - I Am Jack, Super Jack and Alwcrys Jack. Visit Susanne at www.sgervay.com.

Grant Gittus

Grant is a graphic designer and illustrator who spends a lot of time designing books like this one (for money). He has written and illustrated one book about which a publisher said, ‘It is hard to see who would possibly want to read a book like this ...’Visit www.gggraphics.com.au.

Kerry Greenwood

Kerry has written fifty-eight novels, a lot of short stories and several non-fiction books. She LIKES writing and now people are paying her for it. She was born in Footscray so long ago that the Internet was called books. She lives with a registered wizard and three cats. In her spare time she stares blankly out of the window.

Phillip Gwynne

One of eight children, Phillip was raised in country South Australia. He has a degree in marine biology and has travelled the world. His first book, Deadly, Unna?, won several literary awards and he has written many others since, including Nukkin’ Ya, Jetry Rats and The Worst Team Ever.

Susan Halliday

Once an English teacher, Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Board Member of the State Library of Victoria and Chairperson of the Victorian Institute of Teaching, Susan’s new business card reads CHILDREN’S AUTHOR. Having written a wealth of professional material for adults, Susan has the popular Marcy series for girls under her belt and a string of child literacy projects in tow.

Jack Heath

Jack is the author of six action-adventure books. He started writing The Lab when he was thirteen years old and had a publishing contract for it at eighteen. In 2009 he was named ACT Young Australian of the Year. He is now twenty-six, and working on his seventh novel.

Steven Herrick

Steven is the author of eighteen books for children and young adults. His books have twice won the NSW Premier’s Literary Award and been short-listed for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year on six occasions. His most recent book is Black Painted Fingernails.

Simon Higgins

Simon is a former police officer, prosecutor and licensed private investigator. He writes critically acclaimed adventures set in Japan, where he has trained in Iaido: the samurai art of duelling. His Moonshadow series is published in Australia by Random House and in numerous foreign countries including the US. www.simonhiggins.net.

Leigh Hobbs

Leigh is an artist and author best known for the children’s books he has created featuring his characters Old Tom, Horrible Harriet, Fiona the Pig, The FREAKS in 4F, Mr Badger and Mr Chicken. Mr Chicken is at present a best seller in the Louvre Museum bookshop in Paris.

Greg Holfeld

Greg has made cartoons, comics and illustrations since he was a small boy in Saskatchewan, Canada. He has done much the same as a slightly larger adult in South Australia since 1991. You can see his work on television, commercials and short films, in books including the Captain Congo series and at www.panicproductions.com.au.

Ian Irvine

Ian, a marine scientist who has developed some of Australia’s national guidelines for the protection of the oceanic environment, has also written twenty-seven novels. These include the internationally bestselling Three Worlds fantasy sequence, an eco-thriller trilogy and twelve books for younger readers. His latest book for younger readers is Grim and Grimmer 4: The Calamitous Qyeen. His latest fantasy novel is Vengeance, Book 1 of The Tainted Realm.

Website: www.ian-irvine.com.

George Ivanoff

Author of over fifty books, George is best known for his Garners novels. Garners’ Quest won a Chronos Award and is on the reading lists for both the Victorian and NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge. Garners’ Challenge was released in 2011. Check out George’s website: georgeivanoff.com.au.

Mojohnson

Born in Glasgow, Mo came to Australia in 1991 and began writing in 2005. Her first YA Novel, Boqfheads, was published in 2008 in Australia and in the UK in 2009. It was a CECA Notable Book. Something More was published in 2009 and her first picture book, Noah’s Garden, was published in 2010 in both Australia and the USA. She currently divides her time between teaching English, working in her husband’s Mortgage Choice franchise, and writing.

Kim Kane

Kim was born in London in a bed bequeathed by Wordsworth for ‘ ... a writer, a painter, or a poet’. Despite this auspicious beginning she went on to practise law. Five years ago Kim threw her materialism to the wind and started to write. She has written one novel, Pip: the story qf Olive and two picture books, The Vegetable Ark and Family Forest.

PhilKetde

Phil is an international award-winning children’s author. He has written in excess of 150 children’s books including Our Australia, Boyz Rule, Get Real and the amazingly successful Toocool series. Ford Street is publishing the latest Toocool books along with Susan Halliday’s Marcy series. For the latest news go to www.philkettle.com.au.

Sofie Laguna

Sofie’s books for young people have been named Honour Books and Notable Books in the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards and have been short-listed in the Queensland Premier’s Awards. She has been published in the US and the UK and in translation in Europe and Asia.

Doug MacLeod

Doug writes for TV and novels for young adults. His most recent titles include J\1Y Extraordinary Lifi and Death and The Lifi qf a Teenage Body-snatcher. One of his earlier novels, The

Clockwork Forest, was presented as a play by The Sydney Theatre Company. In 2008 the Australian Writers Guild awarded him the Fred Parsons Award for contribution to Australian comedy. Visit Doug: www.dougmacleod.com.au.

Lorraine Marwood

Lorraine loves to write poetry. Her novel Star Jumps, published by Walker Books, explores the verse novel technique. It won the inaugural Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Children’s Fiction in 2010. Her latest books are Chantelle’s Cloak and Note on the Door and other.fomily poems from Walker. She loves capturing the poetic surprise in ordinary everyday happenings. Visit www.lorrainemarwood.com.

Marc McBride

Marc is a carbon-based life form that may or may not be currently living in Melbourne with a woman, a dog and a miniature human. He spends most of his time trawling a large garage in search of lost rubbers and pencils. Occasionally he makes pictures that are of extraordinary genius or naive incompetence and it’s often difficult to tell which is which.

Sean McMullen

Sean’s first young adult novel was The Ancient Hero; this was followed by two teenage time travel novels, Br!fore the Storm and Changing Yesterday. Sean has fourteen adult novels published, and his story ‘Eight Miles’ was runner-up in the

Hugo Awards for Best Novelette. See www.seanmcmullen.net.au.

David Miller

David has written five picture books and illustrated another ten. His books are illustrated with photographs of his dramatic, colourful 3D paper sculptures. His book Rtfogees was a CECA Honour Book and Snap Went Chester was short listed for the CBCAs. His latest books are Rufos the Numbat and Big and Me.

Jenny Mounfield

Jenny lives in Brisbane with her husband, three grown children and one very spoilt Jack Russell cross called Leo. She is the author of three novels for kids and young adults: Storm Born, The Black Bandit and The Ice-cream Man.

Kirsty Murray

Kirsty enjoys the company of ghosts. She is the author of nine novels including Vulture)s Gate) Market Blues and Bridie} Fire. Her latest novel, India Dark, is based on the true story of a theatrical troupe of Australian children that toured India in 1910.

Sally Odgers

Sally lives in Tasmania with her husband Darrel. Between them they write books and run a writing workshop and manuscript assessment service. Sally’s interests include bothering her kids, grandkids, the dogs and people on Twitter. Big adventures include running the Sydney City2Surf. Oh, and George-in-the-story is a real person.

Wendy Orr

Wendy is the internationally published and award-winning author of Raven’s Mountain and Peeling the Onion, as well as more than thirty other books, ranging from picture books to adult novels. She also had the fun of having her novelNim’s Island turned into a feature film starring Jodie Foster.

Oliver Phommavanh

Oliver loves to make people laugh, whether it’s on the page writing humour for kids or on stage and TV as a stand-up comedian. He also shares his passion for writing as a primary school teacher. Oliver’s books include Thai-rijfic!, Con-nerd and Punchlines. Visit him at www.oliverwriter.com.

Michael Pryor

Michael is a best-selling author of fantasy for teenagers. He has published more than twenty-five novels and more than forty short stories. He has been short listed for the Aurealis Award six times, and five of his books have been CBCA Notable Books. His website is www.michaelpryor.com.au.

Judith Ridge

Judith is internationally recognised as one of Australia’s leading experts on literature for children and young adults. In a twenty-five-year career, Judith has worked as a secondary English teacher, children’s editor, community arts coordinator, writer and critic. She has twice been a judge on the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, is a Churchill Fellow and has an MA in children’s literature.

Judith Rossell

Judith has been an illustrator and writer for many years, with books including maze and puzzle books, picture books and novels. Most recently, she illustrated the Skoz the Dog series, written by Andrew Daddo, and is currently working on a new novel. She teaches Writing for Children at RMIT. Her website is www.judithrossell.com.

James Roy

James grew up in Papua New Guinea and Fiji as part of a missionary family, but he thinks that being a writer is probably the best adventure he’s ever had. He has written twenty books, and some of them have won awards. He lives in the Blue Mountains. Visit him at www.jamesroy.com.au.

Jen Storer

Jen is a talented and exciting writer for children. Her gothic fantasy novel, Tensy Farlow and the Home .for Mislaid Children, was short-listed for a string of awards including the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards (Best Children’s Fiction) and the Children’s Book Council of Australia, Book of the Year. She lives in Melbourne with her partner and two teenage sons. Visit www.jenstorer.com.

Lucy Sussex

Lucy reviews weekly for The Age. Her writing includes genres ranging from horror crime to fiction for younger readers. She also researches early crime fiction. ‘The Thieftaker’s Apprentice’ is based on a true case of 1752, as reported in the Covent-Garden Journal, edited by novelist and Old Bailey magistrate Henry Fielding.

Shaun Tan

Shaun grew up m Perth, Western Australia, and in school became known as the ‘good drawer’, which partly compensated for always being the shortest kid in every class. He currently works full time as an artist and author, writing and illustrating picture books such as The Arrival, Tales.from Outer Suburbia, The Red Tree and The Lost Thing. For more information visit www.shauntan.net.

Mitch Vane

Mitch is a Melbourne-based illustrator who works in a variety of mediums but is at her happiest drawing with a good old-fashioned dip pen and Indian ink. She often collaborates with her partner Danny Katz. They have created many children’s books together, including The YABBA Award-winning Little Lunch series, Big Bad Bunnies, and the recently released No Thanks Hanks & other Unmannerly Tales. Visit her website at www.mitchvane.com.

PeterViska

Peter’s cartoons have appeared in newspapers around Australia. He has since illustrated the Far Out, Brussel Sprout! series and Aussie Bite books: The Lenski Kids and Dracula, Hello World It’s Me and No Place.for Grubbs. He is the author and illustrator of Dan Dann - the Dunnyman. His latest book is The Greeblies.

Michael Wagner

Michael is the author of forty-six children’s books, including the Maxx Rumble series and another about a family called The Undys. He also sings and writes songs with his band

The Grownups (available through www.grownupsmusic. com). His current book, published by Penguin Australia, is Ted Goes Wild.

Gabrielle Wang

Gabrielle is an award-winning author and illustrator. Her great-grandfather came to Victoria during the Gold Rush. Before becoming a children’s author, Gabrielle was a graphic designer. Now she writes stories that are a blend of Chinese and Western culture with a touch of fantasy. Visit www.gabriellewang.com.

Sean Williams

Sean is the award-winning, #1 New York Times-best-selling author of thirty-five novels, seventy-five short stories, and the odd poem. His latest series is Troubletwisters, co-written with Garth Nix.

Mark Wilson

Mark loved drawing from a very early age and loved playing drums on his mum’s upturned pots and pans. He also loved comics, especially The Phantom. He now writes and illustrates children’s books like Angel qf Kokoda and Journey qf the Sea Turtle, and sings in the blues band, The Dodgy Chairs.