‘Children are on the cusp of their lives, they’re only just setting out on their own grand adventures. To offer possibility and hope in our stories can inspire and empower children for the rest of their lives. What an honour for a writer to have this chance.’

‘I have always been open to feedback, even if it hurts my creative pride. I know that somewhere in it is either a ‘gem’ I can use, or it can trigger my inner critique to emerge and see the manuscript with a different lens.’

“You’ll always have moments within a manuscript of feeling stuck but just to push through. In fact, that’s often when the magic happens.”