Meet our Members
César Álvarez
César Álvarez is an author, counter-terrorism expert consultant, and academic who has worked across the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East. Despite his career in security and international affairs, his passion for bringing Australia and Colombia closer together led him to write his first children’s book, Colombian Heart and Australian Soul. An experienced academic and project manager with a diplomatic flair, César has a deep love for creative arts and education. He enjoys sharing the wonders of both countries, especially with young readers, inspiring curiosity about culture, history, and adventure. Through storytelling, he celebrates identity, belonging, and discovery—connecting people across borders.
César is also the founder of The Australia-Colombia Dialogue, an initiative dedicated to strengthening cultural and professional ties between both nations. He lives in Canberra with his wife, Viviana, and their two children, Caleb and Maia, who are his greatest inspiration.
Dr Craig Cormick OAM
-80 Years Ambassador-
Dr Craig Cormick is an award-winning Canberra author and science communicator. He has published over 40 books of fiction, non-fiction, children’s books and YA books across several genres. His children and YA books include Valdur the Viking (Ford Street), Time Vandals (Omnibus), Benji the Buccaneer (New Frontier) and Pimplemania (Macmillan) And the What if Histories series (Big Sky Publishing). His writing awards include a Queensland Premier’s Literary Award and the ACT Book of the Year Award. He has been a writer in residence at the University of Science in Malaysia and an Antarctic Arts Fellow travelling to Antarctica. His most recent book for younger readers is Superheroes for a Day (Exisle) a story about autism, written with his son.
Susannah Crispe
Susannah is children’s book author and illustrator coming from a background in art history and zoology. She worked in museums and bookstores for many years, until discovering her true passion for creating books. Her life highlights so far include polar bear spotting north of Svalbard, canoeing in the Amazon and getting chased through a Patagonian bog in the dark by some sort of vigilante plover. As an illustrator, Susannah works primarily in watercolour and digital collage and had her first picture books Where the Heart Is by Irma Gold, and Cookie by Isabelle Duff published by EK Books in 2021. 2022 saw her emerge as a kidlit author, with her debut as author-illustrator Under the Moonlight being published by Hachette. Susannah has several more books in the works as both author and illustrator.
Jacinta Froud
Jacinta Froud has been writing stories and poems since she was knee high to a grasshopper. That’s old people speak for kind of tiny. She is a teacher and a Mum to three children, who love listening to her silly stories and provide constructive criticism when poked. Silly stories are often buzzing around in her head when she should be concentrating on more serious things! Her debut picture book, Jingle Belly is a Christmas themed romp starring Eddie the wonderdog, a cheeky and energetic Corgi who is often up to mischief. It is illustrated by talented artist, Gabriella Petruso and published by Larrikin House. Her favourite past-times include: hanging out with her family and friends, writing stories, quiet time, and laughing until she’s crying.
Tania McCartney
-80 Years Ambassador-
Tania McCartney is an award-winning author, illustrator, designer, editor and book obsessive. The founder of Kids’ Book Review, The Happy Book podcast and the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, she has over 65 books in print, published in around 20 countries. Tania has over 35 years’ experience in writing, editing, proofreading, layout and design. Her illustration skills include watercolour, printing, digital and finishing art, and she has produced several illustrated maps, jigsaw puzzles and greeting cards. Her books include the Fauna: Australia’s Most Curious Creatures, Flora: Australia’s Most Curious Plants, Mamie, I Heart the World, Evie + Pog junior fiction series, and the Plume range of picture books. Awards include the World Illustration Awards, SCBWI Crystal Kite and the CBCA Laurie Copping Award for Distinguished Service to Children’s Literature. A juvenile literacy champion and ambassador for the ACT Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge, Tania has lived in France, England and China, and currently lives in Canberra with her family, a forest of artwork and a mountain of books.
Dr Gina M Newton
Dr Gina M Newton trained as a marine biologist, zoologist and science communicator and is a multi-award-winning children’s book author, including the CBCA’s 2017 Eve Pownall Award for Amazing Animals of Australia’s National Parks. Her first picture book, Blossom Possum (2006), has sold over 150,000 copies. In 2021, Hold On! Saving the Spotted Handfish was shortlisted for CBCA’s Eve Pownall and the Wilderness Society’s Environment awards. It’s also been published in China! A graduate of Master Classes with the late, great Bryce Courtney and with Fiona McIntosh, she lives in Canberra and works for the Government on biodiversity conservation. Gina is passionate about Australia’s wildlife and environment and loves to write about them in her fiction and non-fiction children’s books, across a range of genres. Her latest book, Spider Wars, was released internationally and tells the story of Sparklemuffin (a Peacock Spider) and Wolf Mother (a Wolf Spider), with loads of great ‘info’ at the back of the book.
Maura Pierlot
-80 Years Ambassador-
Maura Pierlot is an award-winning author, playwright and filmmaker who lives and creates in Canberra and Jamberoo, NSW. Her writing for young adults explores existential themes, prompting vital conversations about identity, mental wellbeing and the complexities of the human experience. She is the author of five picture books: The Trouble in Tune Town, What Will You Make Today?, Alphabetter – A Better You and Me, from A to Z, and Clutterbugs, and a new title out with Scholastic Australia in 2026.
Besides writing full-time, Maura visits schools and libraries as a guest reader and speaker. She is the founder of The Book Bench Project, a Canberra initiative that fosters a shared love of reading and sense of community. Maura is also a regular reviewer for the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s (CBCA) online magazine, Reading Time, a 2025 CBCA ACT Branch Ambassador, a Role Model and Sponsor for Books in Homes Australia and a qualified art therapist. She holds a PhD in philosophy, specialising in ethics. Before becoming an author, Maura was an ethicist, editor of Australian Medicine, and a small business owner in the finance, marketing and property sectors.
Dr Owen Reeder
-80 Years Ambassador-
Dr Stephanie Owen Reeder is an award-winning author of over 30 books for children. She has been involved with the Children’s Book Council of Australia since the 1980s as a book reviewer, a critic, an editor of the CBCA journal Reading Time and a presenter at CBCA conferences, and in 2019 she received the CBCA Laurie Copping Award for Distinguished Service to Children’s Literature in the ACT. Stephanie’s books include I’ve Got a Feeling! (IBBY Outstanding Book 2011), Amazing Grace (Winner, NSW Premier’s Young People’s History Prize 2012), Lennie the Legend (Winner, Eve Pownall Award for Information Books, CBCA Book of the Year Awards 2016) and Sensational Australian Animals (Winner, Whitley Award for Children’s Investigative Zoology). Stephanie is also an Ambassador for the ACT Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge.
Krys Saclier
Krys Saclier believes children's literature has the power to shape the future. Her picture book, Vote 4 Me, uses a fun classroom election to explain preferential voting and the value of democracy. It is illustrated by renowned Australian political cartoonist, Cathy Wilcox, and is published through Wild Dog Books. Vote 4 Me won the Canberra Critics Circle Award for Children’s Literature, and every federal parliamentarian has a personal copy. Her first book, Super Nova, promotes male support of female empowerment – something much needed in this world. The gorgeous illustrations by Rebecca Timmis were nominated for an Aurealis award, and it was also nominated for an ACT Publishing Award. Super Nova is published by Ford Street. Krys is a qualified teacher and experienced educator. She has written for television, radio and press and is the creator of the Kids Only Podcast, which features original short audio stories for children.
Bronwyn Saunders
Bronwyn Saunders is a passionate citizen scientist who delights in
sharing fascinating facts about Australia’s natural history,
especially Australia’s Pleistocene megafauna. As a child, she loved to
visit the Naracoorte Caves, where she learned all about the
megafauna featured in Diprotodon: A Megafauna Journey. Bronwyn lives
with her family in Canberra and is hard at work researching and writing
her next book.
To assist CBCA’s aim to showcase local creators in schools during its
80th year, Bronwyn is offering a 10% discount on all bookings this year
if you mention this website offer. In 2025, don’t just Book an
Adventure for your school, get a Megafauna Journey. Bronwyn can be contacted to discuss school visits and events through her website. Photo by Jordan Mirchevski.
The Book Bench Project
The Book Bench Project is a community initiative started in 2022 by Canberra author Maura Pierlot through Big Ideas Press. Maura leaves three books on benches in a designated suburb each week, as posted on social media (@thebookbenchproject). People can take the books home to keep or share them after reading. Maura‘s writing across art forms supports wellbeing while cultivating a sense of community. Perhaps not surprisingly, the tagline for The Book Bench Project is Building communities, one book at a time. For further information, contact Maura at [email protected] or follow @thebookbenchproject on Instagram and Facebook.
Samantha Tidy
Samantha Tidy has a Masters in Creative Writing (RMIT), and has published 4 children’s books (The Day We Built the Bridge, Our Bush Capital, The Blue Polar Bear, The Flying Dream) and 2 novels (The Happiness Jar, Cappuccino Diva), attracting multiple award-nominations and wins including Winner, ACT Writing and Publishing Award for Fiction; Runner Up, FAW Christina Stead Award and Runner UP TAG Hungerford Award. A popular workshop presenter at libraries, schools and festivals, she has several children's books due out in 2021/22. Sam is also Director of Canberra’s newest independent publisher – Storytorch Press which has three titles due out in 2022/2023.
Amelia Tonta
Internationally published picture book author Amelia Tonta lives in Canberra, where she spends most days writing kids' books, staring out the window thinking about kids' books, and occasionally just plain
staring out the window. When she's not writing, thinking or staring, Amelia likes to help people while simultaneously playing with slime; an
unusual combination that makes her other job doing ultrasounds highly suitable. She also enjoys yoga and snorkelling, although not simultaneously. Lucky (June 2025, Affirm Press) is Amelia’s latest picture book. Her
other picture books (written under the name Amelia McInerney) include Neil the Amazing Sea Cucumber, Jeff Giraffe, Who Fed Zed?, Mary
had a Little Lamb – What REALLY Happened, Bad Crab, My Bird Bertie and her CBCA Notable debut, The Book Chook. Amelia is a proud ambassador of the ACT Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge.
Sarah Wallace
Sarah Wallace is a Canberra based author and book enthusiast with a passion for the power of words. Sarah’s first picture book, Emma’s Freckles is being published in March 2023 and is inspired by the Gaelic myth of how people got their freckles. She has a second picture book in the works for 2024. Sarah is on the ACT Committee of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and spent several years as a book reviewer for Kids’ Book Review. She works in government education policy, has a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and postgraduate qualifications in early childhood education. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys reading, walking, gardening and spending time with her three children and budgie, Minty.
Cate Whittle
Cate Whittle is the author of magical books for young readers, full of fun and fantasy and gentle humour. Her first book, Trouble at Home, about a girl and her troublesome dragon, was published in 2016, and further books in the series included Trouble and The New Kid, a CBCA BOTYA Notable in 2018. It is not quite true that everything Cate writes is about dragons, though. Other books have included Wyrd, a story about an accidental witch, and Emergency Rescue Angel, rather unsurprisingly about an angel. Cate lives in a beautiful rural valley in New South Wales, just over the border from Canberra. Other than writing and sharing her passion for stories, she enjoys reading, going for walks in the rain, taking too many photographs, drawing pictures, and pottering in the garden when she has time.
Rhiân Williams
-80 Years Ambassador-
Rhiân Williams writes to inspire children’s curiosity about nature, community and connection. Her books are the best selling - and CBCA Notable - Emergency Emergency - Vehicles to the Rescue, wildly popular with everyone who loves any kind of emergency vehicle; Ten Little Figs - also a CBCA notable - published: Walker Books, illustrated: Nathaniel Eckstrom; Surprise at the end of Onkaparinga Lane, illustrated: Martina Heiduczek and One Little Dung Beetle, illustrated: Heather Potter and Mark Jackson. Rhiân is a passionate advocate for literacy. She has a regular segment - Book Corner - on ABC Canberra on Afternoons with Alice Matthews, where they discuss children’s books and why reading matters to the wellbeing of our communities. In 2025, Alice and Rhiân have invited all of Canberra to join their monthly ABCBC: Afternoons Book Corner Book Club, where they will discuss books for grown ups as well! Rhiân believes reading - and books - make things better! Speakers Agent: https://bookedout.com.au/find-a-speake
Carolyn Winchcombe
Carolyn Winchcombe is a teacher by day, author by night, and a lifelong lover of words. With 14 years of high school teaching experience, she’s passionate about language, literature, and emotional literacy—especially when they come together in a good story.
Her debut picture book, Paper Perfect, is a rhyming tale inspired by kintsugi and wabi-sabi, encouraging readers to embrace imperfection and resilience. With its striking 3D digital illustrations and thoughtful themes, Paper Perfect has found a home in classrooms, helping students navigate self-acceptance. Carolyn also creates resources to support educators in bringing these ideas to life.
Having recently adopted Canberra as her new home, Carolyn balances teaching and writing, always looking for ways to weave storytelling and emotional literacy into both the classroom and the page.
Members please email us to have your profile added.