Award-winning children’s author
As an Australian best-selling children’s author – I write stories for children to share with their grown-ups.
My award-winning children’s picture books and short stories connect with many.
I’m the CBCA 2022 Winner of Children’s Book of the Year – Early Childhood, the winner of the 2023 Aust Speech Pathology Book of the Year 5-8 yo’s for Jetty Jumping.
And I wrote the Notabled 2024 Picture Book of the Year – Early Childhood for In the Rockpool. which is the hero face of Australian Picture Books for the 2024 Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
In 2024 I have been awarded the May Gibbs Literature Trust fellowship for Creative Time. More writing ahead!
I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Media, and Post-Graduate in Crisis Communications, which means I am very good at sniffing out stories and am quite calm during re-writes!
My notebooks are overflowing with new characters, and exciting settings and smudged with story-fuelling Cherry Ripes.
Summer is my favourite state of being, beaches are my happy place and books are my forever friends. I write from my house with towering book piles, tucked in amongst the sand dunes of Bunurong Country on the the Mornington Peninsula.
My love of words has joined forces with my love of children’s books.
I joyfully write children’s books and there are the robust makings of a YA novel currently taking shape too.
Jetty Jumping, illustrated by Hannah Sommerville, and published by Hardie Grant, was released in January 2021. It won the 2022 CBCA Children’s Picture Book of the year – Early Childhood. Thanks for loving it Australia!
Sunday Skating and In the Rockpool, were again illustrated by the most talented Hannah Sommerville and published by Hardie Grant.
In the Rockpool was awarded the 2024 CBCA Notable Picture book of the Year – Early Childhood.
We have several more on the way between 2024 – 2026!
I have appeared in several anthologies and collections, I’m the winner of the 2020 Hal Porter Short Story Award, 2023 Mulga Bill Writing Award and Highly Commended for 2024 Mulga Bill Writing Award
I write books for children, and books for grown-ups to love too. There’s a few other stories floating in the book-osphere waiting to land as well.
Lockdown writings
Time to write: While lockdown and restrictions during COVID times have turned life upside down for us all, it’s also brought some reflective writing to my desk. Spending more time with my home-schooling tribe has meant I’m also more in tune with different...