presenter
Allison grew up on a farm in a small Victorian town, fostering her love of animals, collecting vegetables and shearing the sheep. Now based in Queensland, Allison is the author of Anzac Sons: The Story of Five Brothers in the War to End All Wars and the children’s version, Anzac Sons: Five Brothers on the Western Front, which made the 2016 Australian Book Industry Awards longlist and was a CBCA notable book as well. Her interest in the service of her ancestors began when she was studying to become a teacher. She used a selection of the letters which her grandfather and his four brothers sent from the Western Front to complete an assignment. The dream to honour their courage and sacrifice was ignited.
Allison is a proud 2017 recipient of a May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust Creative Time Fellowship, which resulted in the securing of a contract for her first historical novel for young adults, Follow After Me – released in 2019.
Allison has created a series of information books for children called Australia Remembers. The first of these – Australia Remembers: Anzac Day, Remembrance Day and War Memorials was released in October 2018. The second title, Customs and Traditions of the Australian Defence Force, was recently published in March 2021.
She has written other children’s books, Granny’s Place and Shearing Time, with another; I Wonder, being released in August 2021.
Allison now works full-time as a writer and presenter in schools.
Elizabeth Mary Cummings is a British author and poet based in Sydney, Australia. She is a member of the American Psychology Association and studied psychology and business studies at The University of Edinburgh in Scotland before training to be a Primary School teacher (with a Masters of Education) and travelling around the world with her family. Her work has taken her to many schools across the UK, New Zealand and Australia.
Elizabeth’s stories often take a child’s perspective to explain the world and reflect on important life experiences. Her picture books and junior fiction titles include themes on resilience, grief, empowerment, anti-bullying, and she writes, advocates and speaks on storytelling and health matters for families and youth.
The topics within Elizabeth’s books are of both local and global significance. She travels globally to talk about family and mental health matters as well as creative writing.
Her first book ‘The Disappearing Sister’ has gained attention for its simple explanation of eating disorders aimed at siblings and families of sufferers. Elizabeth also enjoys writing poetry and won the HARP Writers’ Prize in 2015 for a poem about gender and identity.
Michelle Worthington is an international award-winning author and screen play writer. Two-time winner of the International Book Award and finalist in the USA Best Book Awards, Michelle also received a Gellett Burgess Award and a Silver Moonbeam Award for her contribution to celebrating diversity in literature. Michelle was the recipient of the 2018 AusMumpreneur Gold Award for Business Excellence and the winner of the 2018 Redlands BaR award for Best Start Up Business.
Michelle thrives as a coach to aspiring authors and illustrators all over the world, helping them to achieve their dreams of publication.
Michelle addresses mental health through literacy with her picture books, some of which include Super Nicholas, Noah Chases the Wind, My Brother Tom, Hootie the Cutie, Dino Love, and Each the Same, just to name a few. The first two titles in The Willing Kids Program series include The Wind and the Mouse, and The Mouse and the Egg, which are available both as animated videos and picture books. She is dedicated to encouraging a strong love of reading and writing in young children and conducts author visits at primary and special schools, libraries and bookstore storytelling and publishing workshops for adults.
She especially enjoys meeting people through her speaking engagements for women’s groups and charities.
Michelle is available for speaking engagements, book signings and school visits. Please contact at mworthington.author@gmail.com.
Sharon Giltrow is an Authorcator; an Author Educator. She has been a teacher of children who are hearing impaired and Deaf-Blind. She now teaches young children with Developmental Language Disorder. Sharon is an enthusiastic and inspirational speaker with a passion for developing children’s oral, visual, written, creativity and literacy. She has experience presenting to children from zero- to ten-year-olds. Through Sharon’s author talks students, inspired by a real-life author, will discover the joy of literacy and unlock their hidden creativity.
Sharon’s hilariously acclaimed debut picture book ‘Bedtime, Daddy!’ was released in May 2020. Her follow up picture books ‘Get Ready, Mama’ and ‘Let’s Go Shopping, Grandma!‘ will be released in 2022. Also, in 2022 Sharon’s early middle grade book ‘Samara Rubin and the Utility Belt’ will be released.