‘Write from the heart – write what scares you, what interests you; write out your most embarrassing thoughts. This is the stuff of common humanity.’

‘Reading is endemic – we all love stories, and that survives.’

‘Language has always been the tool I choose to work with … I think that there is no end to what we can do with language and no end to what we can learn about it, and from it.’

‘Personally, I like heroes with all the old-fashioned virtues of honour and courage, with a good sense of humour and a sharp brain.’

Author and editor Davina Bell has spent a lot of time thinking about how to infuse picture books with magic. A former senior editor at Penguin Books, Davina currently works on the children’s list at Affirm Press in Melbourne, and she’s authored a number of award-winning picture books. Her most recent book, Under the Love Umbrella, was published […]

Brook Emery has published five poetry collections, including and dug my fingers in the sand, which won the Queensland Premier’s Prize. We spoke to Brook about writing poetry, the process of gathering ideas and the value of re-drafting.