Jane Godwin
Jane Godwin is a highly acclaimed author of over forty books for children, across all styles and ages. Her work is published internationally and she has received many commendations, including the Australian Book Industry Award (Picture Books), Queensland Premier's Award (Children's Books), the Aurealis Award and the Animal Welfare Award, and shortlistings in the CBC Book of the Year Awards, the Prime Minister’s Literary Award, the New South Wales State Literary Award (Patricia Wrightson Prize) the YABBA Awards, the Speech Pathology Awards, The Family Award for Children’s Books, and the Australian Book Industry Awards.
Alison Lester
Alison Lester was born in November, 1952 in Foster in Victoria, Australia.
She grew up on a farm overlooking the sea and first rode a horse as a baby in her father’s arms. She still lives in the country and rides her horse whenever she can.
After training as an art teacher and teaching for one year, Alison began illustrating books in 1979 and five years later, wrote her first book.
Her picture books mix imaginary worlds with everyday life, encouraging children to believe in themselves and celebrate the differences that make them special.
Family and nature are the most important themes in her work – loving and caring for the world and its people
She is involved in many community art projects and spends part of every year travelling to remote indigenous communities, using her books to help children and adults write and draw about their own lives.
In 2011 Alison, along with Boori Prior, was appointed Australia’s first Children’s Laureate, a position they shared for two years.
She was also an ambassador for the 2012 National Year of Reading.
She is currently an ambassador for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, the Melbourne Royal Children’s Hospital’s Education Institute, the Clean Ocean Foundation and Buk Bilong Pikinini.
