Joel McKerrow is an award-winning writer, keynote speaker, children’s author and one of Australia’s most successful performance poets. He presents sessions in over fifty schools a year, as well as within many of Australia’s leading literary festivals and education conferences. A Creativity Specialist Joel has twelve books/albums of poetry, a middle-grade Heist series with Penguin […]

Megan Daley is the author of the bestselling book Raising Readers (UQP, 2019) as well as Teacher, Teacher (Affirm Press, 2023) and The Beehive (Walker Books, 2024).  Megan is a multiple award-winning Teacher Librarian and early years educator. Megan is also a regular literary judge, workshop presenter, the creator of the popular website Children’s Books […]

Nathan Luff is the author of The Nerd Herd and Family Disasters series and the novels Jungle Escape, Bad Grammar and Chicken Stu. Nathan also writes plays for young audiences and works part time as a primary school teacher specialising in creative writing and the performing arts. He is currently the YA and Children’s Manager […]

Pip Harry’s highly awarded books include The Little Wave, winner of the 2020 CBCA Book of the Year, Because of You, Are You There, Buddha? and August & Jones, winner of the 2023 CBCA Shadow Judges Book of the Year. In 2025 she releases picture books Over or Under? and The Inside Dog and Drift, […]

Bec Diep has worked in the publishing industry for over fifteen years across various departments including business development, product, marketing and publicity.  She is the publicist for bestselling children’s authors including Mem Fox, Morris Gleitzman and Lynette Noni. Bec is currently Head of Children’s Campaigns at Penguin Random House Australia.

Sally Rippin is a best-selling author for children and the current Australian Children’s Laureate (2024-2025). Sally writes stories with heart and characters that resonate with children, parents, and teachers alike. Her books include Billie B Brown, Hey Jack! and School of Monsters, and for adults: Wild Things: How We Learn to Read and What Can […]

Vishali Seshadri is an editor in the Children’s Publishing team at Penguin Random House. She works on a range of brands and licensed titles, including Bluey and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, along with authors such as Jacqueline Harvey and R. A. Spratt. Vishali is passionate about discovering new voices and as a kid loved […]

Belinda Conners is Children’s Publishing and Campaigns Director for Penguin Random House Australia, working across publishing, marketing, publicity and international rights departments. With over a decade of experience in sales as well, her focus is on publishing a variety of books that young readers want to read, and thereby growing a new generation of readers.

Petronella McGovern is fascinated by what makes us tick, the lies we tell, and the secrets we keep. She is the best-selling author of Six Minutes, The Good Teacher, The Liars and The Last Trace. Her books have been nominated in the Ned Kelly Awards, the Davitt Awards and the Australian Independent Bookseller Awards. The […]