CBCA WA Branch
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WA AUTHORS & ILLUSTRATORS

Meet the West Australian Authors and Illustrators who support the WA Branch of the CBCA.
We are fortunate to have so much talent in WA. These creators are happy to hear from you about bookings at any time of the year, not just during Children’s Book Week in August. They are available for school visits, author talks, workshops, library visits and kids lit festivals. Please note that, as with all professionals trying to make a living, they will charge minimum ASA rates for their appearances.
Contact them direct via their website or from the information they have supplied in their profiles.

If you would like to be featured on this page, please complete the WA Creator profile submission form.

 
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Aśka

​Aśka, (pronounced ‘Ash-ka’), is creative dynamite: a shortlisted graphic novelist, an ex-quantum physicist, and a hugely engaging and popular presenter.
Aśka is very passionate about visual literacy. She has published more than ten books and comics,
is a recipient of several government Arts grants and prizes, and volunteers for numerous literary organisations.
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AJ Betts

A.J. is a Fremantle-based author for young adults. Her novels include the dystopian duology Hive and Rogue (2018/2019) and Zac & Mia (2013) which was adapted into an Emmy-award-winning television series in Hollywood. A.J. is also a secondary English Teacher, and a regular presenter in schools.


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Cristy Burne

Science writer Cristy Burne’s fiction and non-fiction books are all about inspiring creativity, courage, compassion and capability. Cristy has performed in a science circus, worked as a garbage analyst, and worked for twenty years as a children’s author and science communicator. She’s excited to be working at the intersection of STEM, STEAM and creativity.​



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Ruth de Vos

Ruth de Vos’ illustration work has grown out of a career as an internationally recognised textile artist. Ruth combines traditional (pencil, gouache, collage, screen printing) and digital techniques to create fun scenes and worlds. As a mother of six young children, she is an avid and critical consumer of children’s literature, and she also has a ready source of drawing inspiration right in her home.


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Deb Fitzpatrick

Deb Fitzpatrick is the author of novels for adults, young adults and children and loves using stories from real life in her books. She regularly teaches creative writing at all levels, and shares her life with a lovely family and their kelpie, who is absolutely not a failed sheep dog.


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Sharon Giltrow

​​Sharon Giltrow grew up the youngest of eight children, surrounded by pet sheep and fields of barley. She is a children’s author who writes humorous and heartfelt picture books. As well as speculative, adventure filled middle grade books. Sharon is an enthusiastic and inspirational speaker with a passion for developing children’s oral, visual, and written literacy.

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Renae Hayward

Renae Hayward was born during a cyclone in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, but grew up by the beaches of Perth’s northern suburbs. She has authored two books for children, Barking Mad and Say Hooray, and was the inaugural recipient of the Ray Koppe Young Writers Residency (Australian Society of Authors/Varuna). She has also contributed as a poet to The School Magazine (NSW Department of Education).​
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Kylie Howarth

Kylie Howarth is an award-winning, internationally published children’s book author and illustrator from Western Australia. She’s braved encounters with lionfish in Egypt, piranha in the Amazon, elephants in Africa, hammerhead sharks in Ecuador, humpback whales in Ningaloo, and thousands of primary school students in Australia. The textures in Kylie’s book illustrations are created with her two adventurous young boys during their backyard art sessions.​​
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Cindy Lane

Cindy is an award winning illustrator, found most days splashing in rock-pools, puddles and paint. She loves to share her creative techniques, bringing out the artist in everyone, especially those who think they can't draw or paint. Helping students overcome their fear of the blank page and perfection paralysis is Cindy's speciality!



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Kathryn Lefroy

Kathryn has story in her blood. Her great-great-great-uncle was Jane Austen's inspiration for one of literature's most well-loved figures, Mr Darcy. Kathryn writes novels, screenplays, and articles about technology, and not-so-secretly wishes she lived in a dance movie.

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Shirley Marr

CBCA award-winning children’s author Shirley Marr is a first-generation Chinese-Australian who describes herself as having a Western Mind and an Eastern Heart and writes in the middle where both collide. Her own voice novels emphasise the importance of kindness, empathy, resilience and learning through imaginative play.


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Amber Moffat

Amber Moffat is an author, illustrator and poet who believes that being able to share stories is the most magnificent thing about being human! She is an experienced teacher and fierce advocate for arts education. Her workshops allow young people to celebrate their own creativity and unique stories.
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Rebecca Newman

Rebecca Newman has been a poet-in-residence, a Christmas Carol lyricist, and had her short story pop out of the Raine Square short story dispenser in Perth City! Rebecca's work is published in Australia and internationally, and she loves exploring wordplay, rhythm and poetry with young readers.
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Mel Pearce

Mel Pearce is a WA-based visual artist and children’s book illustrator, known for her distinctive scratchy, scribble style. She loves computer games, manga, childhood nostalgia and ink, amongst other things. Mel lives in Perth’s northern suburbs with her dingo-dog Sunny.
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Alicia Rogerson

Alicia spends her days painting, dreaming and bringing her imagination to life. An award winning children's book illustrator, artist and creator, much of her childhood was spent up in trees reading books. She enjoys sharing her process, experience and creations so they can find as much excitement in stories as she does.
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Jeanette Stampone

Jeanette Stampone was born in a spooky three-hundred-year-old house in England. She grew up with stories of local legends, pixies, ghosts, and fairies. These childhood experiences inspire Jeanette to write fun, imaginative and quirky stories.



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Tyrown Waigana

Tyrown Waigana is an artist and designer with a multidisciplinary practice. It includes graphic design, illustration, painting, animation and sculpture. He takes on many different projects within the creative industry and enjoys challenging himself.

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Dianne Wolfer

Dianne writes across genres and is author of 23 books, including the award-winning ‘Light’ series; adapted for CineStage, theatre and massed choirs. Dianne's writing is inspired by history and nature. This bookworm loves animals and her PhD research into anthropomorphism resulted in The Dog with Seven Names (2019 CBCA Notable, Readers Cup, Speech Pathology Book of the Year) and The Shark Caller (2017 CBCA Notable, WAYBRA shortlist).​​
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Sean E Avery

Sean E Avery is a teacher, writer-illustrator, sculptor and designer born in South Africa; living in Perth, Western Australia. Locally, he’s best known as the writer-illustrator of well-loved children’s picture books, All Monkeys Love Bananas, published by Fremantle Press. Internationally, he’s best known as a sculptor who uses CDs and DVDs to create breath-taking works of art that reside in galleries and private collections all around the world. He is curious, enthusiastic and ready to work hard for the things he believes in.​
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Kitty Black

Children's author Kitty Black is a champion of emotional acceptance, an advocate for embracing neurodivergence and generally overexcited about life overall. Kitty's books contain opportunities for laughter, imagination and reflection.

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Raewyn Caisley

​Multi award winning author Raewyn Caisley writes stories about cool Western Australian places, (from the Nullarbor to Kalumburu!) and amazing Western Australian people, (like Sam, the famous quantum physicist who was raised by kangaroos!) She's been recognized for her contribution to changing young West Australian lives with her work featured in the Innovations Gallery of our own WA Museum Boola Bardip. Oh, and her school visits are more fun than recess and cake!
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Amy Dunjey

Amy is a children’s author with a love for all things quirky and whimsical. She writes picture books, short stories and poetry for children and has a strong hankering for rhyme. As a speech pathologist and lecturer, Amy endeavours to pass on her love for words. She aspires to write stories that ignite little imaginations and instil the same love for words and adventure that she treasures.


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James Foley

James Foley makes children’s books for children who read books. If you’re a child and you’re eating his books, you’re doing it wrong. James writes and draws; he gives talks and runs workshops. He tells dad jokes. Legends say James can grow a beard in an afternoon. He lives in Perth with his wife, two kids, and a labrador. He is a massive Marvel movie nerd and comes from a long line of queuing enthusiasts.​​
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Mark Greenwood

Mark Greenwood is a history hunter who enjoys exploring the past, searching for lost treasures and delving into baffling mysteries. To create his award-winning books, Mark likes collecting clues and brushing away the layers of time to blend information about the past with the power of imagination. Most of all, Mark enjoys sharing his writing secrets with students of all ages and backgrounds, inspiring them to develop their curiosity about reading, writing and history.​
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Steve Heron

When he’s not hanging out with the local magpie population, award-winning author Steve Heron uses forty years of experience working with children in social/emotional well-being to cultivate and underpin his writing to create children's books that touch and tickle hearts.
Steve was a recipient of an Order of Australia Medal in 2016 for his contribution to the social and emotional well-being of children.
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NORMAN JORGENSEN

​CBCA award-winning author Norman Jorgensen freely admits that while he may have the body of an ageing historical novelist, he can still tap successfully into the mind of his adolescent 12-year-old self and write the sort of thrilling adventure stories kids that age love to read. He relishes the challenge of transforming reluctant, disengaged students into avid readers through the power of his storytelling.

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Josh Langley

Josh Langley was told he wouldn't amount to much in life, having failed high school (twice) and being unemployed for several years, but that didn’t stop him from becoming a multi award-winning radio copywriter and children’s author. His groundbreaking children’s books, programs and talks on resilience, self-acceptance, understanding emotions and kindness, are helping thousands of kids make friends with themselves. His funny and engaging presentations have been developed to complement the health and wellbeing aspects of the Australian curriculum as well as connecting with pastoral care policies.​​
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Frané Lessac

Frané Lessac is an award-winning author/illustrator with over 50 books published throughout the world. Travelling has always been an inspiration in her work. Ever since she could walk, she’d wander off with her little red wagon trailing behind, collecting adventure stories to share. Frané visits schools, libraries and festivals, empowering both children and adults.​
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Chenée Marrapodi

Chenée Marrapodi is a children’s author, television journalist and podcaster. A love of storytelling led Chenée to a career in journalism, where she travelled the country in search of the perfect yarn, meeting an assortment of fascinating characters along the way. She writes books about friendship, family, cultural heritage, resilience and very determined kids & teens, usually with the assistance of her ginormous Great Dane, Taco.​
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