Adults Category
Sofie Laguna
Sofie began her writing career as an author for children and has written over twenty books for young people. She has been shortlisted for the Queensland Premier’s Award, and twice been awarded Honour Book by the Children’s Book Council of Australia. Sofie’s second novel for adults, The Eye of the Sheep won the 2015 Miles Franklin Award. It was also shortlisted for the Stella Prize, and longlisted for the IMPAC Dublin IMPAC International Literary Award. Sofie’s first novel for adults, One Foot Wrong released in 2008, was published throughout Europe, the US and the UK, was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award and shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award. Sofie’s third novel, The Choke, won best novel in the 2018 Indie Awards, was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier Literary Awards, the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal Award, the ABIA Award, the Voss Award, and longlisted for the Kibble Award, the Stella Award and the Dublin IMPAC International Literary Award.
Jaclyn Crupi
Jaclyn Crupi is a book editor, event moderator, awards judge and bookseller. She has worked in publishing since 2002. Jaclyn has written numerous books for both children and adults. Her book,Garden Like a Nonno, was shortlisted for an Indie Book Award and longlisted for an Australian Book Industry Award. Her most recent children’s book, The ABC Kids Guide to Loving the Planet, won the Environment Award for Children’s Literature. Jaclyn’s work has appeared in The Guardian, SBS Voices, At Home, The Canberra Times, PIP Magazine and Frankie, as well as the anthology Family published by Text Publishing. Her most recent book is called Planting for Native Birds, Bees and Butterflies and it was shortlisted for an Indie Book Award.
Brendan James Murray
Brendan James Murray is an award-winning author and teacher. He has twice received National Literary Awards from the Fellowship of Australian Writers for his short stories, and his first book, The Drowned Man, won the Ned Kelly Award for Best True Crime. He has since published multiple works, including The School, which was selected by the Grattan Institute for the Prime Minister’s Summer Reading List and shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Award for Nonfiction. Most recently, Childhood is set for release by Pan Macmillan in April of 2026.
13-17 Years Category
Megan Rogers
Megan Rogers' is a bestselling novelist with HarperCollins Australia. Her debut novel The Heart is a Star reached number four in Australian fiction, and was subsequently published across the United States and United Kingdom. Film and Television rights have also been sold to Aquarius Films. She subsequently signed a two-book deal with HarperCollins Australia and her second novel, The Clue Keeper, will be published in September 2027. Megan has a PhD in Creative Writing and has lectured at universities for over fifteen years in both undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
8-12 Years Category
Coral Vass Coral
Vass is an award-winning children’s author, presenter, editor and reviewer. Her books include Sorry Day 2018 (Speech Pathology Awards Book of the Year and 2019 CBCA Book of the Year - Eve Pownall Award), Grandma’s Treasured Shoes (2021 Caleb Book of the Year), Jørn’s Magnificent Imagination (2023 CBCA Notable and shortlisted for 2023 Speech Pathology Book of the Year) and The Forgotten Song: Saving the Regent Honeyeater (2024 CBCA Notable). Coral’s books have appeared on ABCTV’s Playschool, the UK's Milkshake TV, as well as on StoryBox Library. Coral is an ambassador for Reading Out of Poverty and is passionate about children’s literacy and giving all children equal opportunity to learn.