The Feather

Margaret Wild

Margaret Wild is one of Australia’s most-loved picture book authors.

She has written over twenty books, many of which have appeared in foreign editions. All have been highly acclaimed. Jenny Angel (which was inspired by her brother’s death at the age of seven), illustrated by Anne Spudvilas, Fox, illustrated by Ron Brooks and The Very Best of Friends, illustrated by Julie Vivas are all winners of the CBC Picture Book of the Year Award. Her most recent picture book with Penguin is The Treasure Box.

Margaret was born in Eshowe, a small town in South Africa. She now lives in Sydney.

Photo courtesy of Penguin Random House Australia

Freya Blackwood

Freya Blackwood was born in Edinburgh and grew up in Orange in NSW, Australia where she now lives with her daughter Ivy. After graduating from UTS in Visual Communications, Freya worked in the film industry as a production assistant, runner and effects technician. She began illustrating picture books in 2002 and has since been shortlisted for, and won many prestigious awards, including the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2010. Award-winning titles include Two Summers with John Heffernan (2004 CBCA Chrichton Award winner) and Amy & Louis with Libby Gleeson (2007 CBCA Picture Book of the Year for Younger Readers) with Scholastic Press; Little Hare titles Maudie and Bear with the late Jan Ormerod (2011 CBCA Early Childhood Book of the Year); Look, A Book! with Libby Gleeson (2012 CBCA Picture Book of the Year); Go To Sleep Jessie with Libby Gleeson (2015 CBCA Early Childhood Book of the Year) and My Two Blankets with Irena Kobald (2015 CBCA Picture Book of the Year); and from Allen & Unwin The Cleo Stories: The Necklace and The Present with Libby Gleeson (CBCA Winner Book of the Year: Younger Readers). Freya works and creates in her backyard studio.

Bio: Hardie Grant Publishing
Photo: HarperCollins Publishers Australia