Suzanne Leal

I'm the author of novels THE WATCHFUL WIFE, RUNNING WITH IVAN, THE DECEPTIONS, THE TEACHER'S SECRET and BORDER STREET.

A regular interviewer and presenter at literary events and festivals, I was the senior judge for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards from 2017 to 2019 and am now a board director of BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival. I'm also a lawyer with a background in child protection, criminal law and refugee law. I'm also the weekly host of Thursday Book Club, a relaxed, friendly place to chat about books online, To join us, sign up (for free) on my website:www.suzanneleal.com.

I live in Sydney, Australia with my husband, David, my four children, a Japanese Spitz called Milly and a cat we accidentally acquired called Leo,

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Fiona Higgins

Fiona Higgins is the author of four novels - An Unusual Boy, Fearless, Wife on the Run and The Mothers’ Group - and a memoir, Love in the Age of Drought. She writes predominantly about contemporary life, with a special interest in intimate relationships, families and the complexities of parenting in the digital age. Her novels have been translated internationally, including in the Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain and Estonia.

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H.M. Waugh

HM Waugh is a children’s author, educator and environmental scientist with a long-term love of wild places and outdoor adventures. She has been kidnapped twice, handled dragons for a job, and dreams of one day blasting into space. Her books mix humour, danger and friendship with a dash of science and imagination.
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Lucie Stevens

Lucie Stevens is a children’s author who grew up in a semi-rural area of Dharug Country, north-west of Sydney, and now lives on Gadigal land. She spent her childhood days clomping around in gumboots and her nights looking up at the stars. Her house was definitely not haunted. After working in Australian publishing houses for many years, Lucie moved to Berlin where she helped make kids’ education outreach programs for the UK and European Space Agencies. Her house in Berlin wasn’t haunted either, but she did live beside the cemetery where the Brothers Grimm are buried, so perhaps her neighbours were ghosts. R.I.P. Nanny Tobbins is Lucie’s first children’s novel. Look out for its sequel in 2026!
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Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's next book, The Night War, will be published April 9, 2024. She is the author of nineteen previous books, including the Newbery Honor winners Fighting Words and The War that Saved My Life. The sequel to the latter, The War I Finally Won, appeared on many state-award and best-books lists and was described as “stunning” by The Washington Post and “honest” and “daring” by The New York Times. She is also the acclaimed author of She Persisted: Rosalind Franklin. Kimberly and her husband have two grown children and live with their dogs, two highly opinionated mares, and a surplus of cats on a fifty-two-acre farm in Bristol, Tennessee. Visit her at kimberlybrubakerbradley.com.
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Kate Grenville

Kate Grenville is one of Australia's best-known authors. She's published eight books of fiction and four books about the writing process. Her best-known works are the international best-seller The Secret River, The Idea of Perfection, The Lieutenant and Lilian's Story (details about all Kate Grenville's books are elsewhere on this site). Her novels have won many awards both in Australia and the UK, several have been made into major feature films, and all have been translated into European and Asian languages.

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Jo Dixon

Jo writes stories full of imperfect characters dealing with unsettling situations, and making fatal mistakes. There is intrigue and mystery, the moodiness and underlying threat of the wild environment, and provocative twists and turns.

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Jane Caro

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Tristan Bancks

Tristan Bancks tells stories for the page and screen. His books for kids and teens include Two Wolves, The Fall, Detention, the Tom Weekly series, and Nit Boy. Ginger Meggs, Tristan’s 100th anniversary book of short stories, is based on characters created by his great-great uncle, Jimmy Bancks, in 1921. His books have won and been shortlisted for many awards, including a Children’s Book Council of Australia Honour Book, the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, ABIA, YABBA, KOALA, NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and Queensland Literary Awards. His latest release is Cop & Robber, a nailbiting crime story for age 10+.

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Karen Viggers

Karen Viggers was born in Melbourne, Australia, and grew up in the Dandenong Ranges riding horses and writing stories. She studied Veterinary Science at Melbourne University, and then worked in mixed animal practice for seven years before completing a PhD at the Australian National University, Canberra, in wildlife health from which she published numerous scientific papers.

Since then she has worked on a wide range of Australian native animals in many different natural environments.

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Pip Harry

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Sarah Armstrong

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Amy Doak

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Petronella McGovern

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Gareth Ward

New Zealand Author
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Helen Edwards

Dr Helen Edwards is an Australian author and speaker who writes stories of nature, magic and history. She has a PhD in Psychology and a long background working in mental health.

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