Kindergarten to Year 2 category

We are thrilled to welcome picture book author Ellie Laing.

Ellie Laing is a communications and marketing executive with the Property Council of Australia, a Board Director with Sport NSW, and is a former political advisor and broadcast journalist. When Ellie's eldest son came home from preschool reciting Acknowledgements of Country and singing Aboriginal lullabies, she was inspired to collaborate with Adam Goodes on a series of books aimed at helping families with young children to talk about Australia's First Nations history. Ellie and Adam have now released four multi-award winning books in their Welcome to Our Country Series – Somebody’s Land, Ceremony, Back on Country and Walk with Us. She has also completed studies in Traditional Aboriginal Cultures.

Year 3 - 4 category

We are excited to welcome Samera Kamaleddine.

Samera is a writer and children’s and youth librarian. For many years she worked as a journalist, writing for magazines about everything from friendship dramas and school bullies to body confidence. 

Her debut young adult novel Half My Luck was published in 2020 after it won the HarperCollins Matilda Prize. In 2023 Samera released her first book for middle grade readers The Sideways Orbit of Evie Hart, which is shortlisted for the 2024 CBCA Book of the Year for Younger Readers.

Year 5 – 6 category

Judging the years 5 - 6 category, we are thrilled to welcome Carla Fitzgerald.

Carla Fitzgerald is a writer, a recovered lawyer and a Mum of three with a weakness for donuts and reality TV. Her picture book, Keeping Up with the Dachshunds and middle-grade novel, How to be Prime Minister and Survive Grade Five were both published in 2022. Carla's new book, How to Break a World Record and Survive Grade Five will be released in July this year. 

Carla is also a Books in Homes role model and a tutor with the Australian Writers' Centre.

Year 7 - 8 category

Judging years 7 - 8 we are excited to welcome creative juggernaut Mike Barry.

Mike Barry is a Northern Beaches writer and illustrator who didn’t love reading as a kid… until he discovered comics. As he grew, his enjoyment of reading did too; but he never forgot where it all started. 

Mike has written, illustrated, crowd-funded and self-published his middle-grade graphic novel trilogy Action Tank, which was awarded a Comic Arts Award of Australia in 2021. Mike has also joined forces with fellow Northern Beaches local Nat Amoore to illustrate We Run Tomorrow, a novel / graphic novel mashup about four comic-book obsessed friends who run away from home to become movie stars.

Year 9 - 10 category

We are thrilled to introduce Maiya Ibrahim as the judge for our year 9 - 10 category.

Maiya Ibrahim is a Sunday Times bestselling author of Spice Road, an epic Young Adult Fantasy adventure.

Maiya graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from UTS. When she isn’t writing, reading, or spending time with her family, she enjoys video games, gardening, and expanding her collection of rare trading cards. Her highly-anticipated second novel in the Spice Road Trilogy, Serpent Sea, is set to be published later in 2024.

Year 11 - 12 category

We are proud to welcome YA novelist Helena Fox.

Helena is an author, poet and writing mentor. Her 2019 debut novel How it Feels to Float, won various national and international awards and her second novel The Quiet and the Loud has been shortlisted for the 2024 CBCA Book of the Year for Older Readers and the Victorian Premier’s Literary awards for Writing for Young Adults.

Helena has travelled widely but says that of all her adventures she is proudest of the work she has done in helping young people find and express their voice.