I am an award-winning author and have a passion for the environment, animals and social justice. My Graduate Diploma in professional writing from the University of Canberra helped create the foundations for four successful picture books to date. My current studies towards a Masters in Environmental Management is providing me a mountain of ideas for future books to help the planet and the animals we share it with.
My latest book, Listen, encourages the reader to reflect on the importance of listening and truth-telling in response to Australia's complex history.
My other books include:
- Swoop, follows a magpie who has one job, one desire, one purpose: KEEP THE EGGS SAFE. Discover more about these clever and cheeky and charming songbirds through this delightful book.
- We Are Australians, explores what it truly means to be an Australian. It reflects on our rich First Nations history and encourages readers to walk forward together, listening deeply to stories – to points of view – to Country.
- Jelly Boy (Walker Books Australia) which is a quirky take on a serious issue as we see what happens when a jellyfish falls in love with a plastic bag.
- Billie which takes the reader on a journey as Billie the dolphin searches to find the biggest wave, only to encounter ocean junk, pollution, driftnets, dolphins in captivity and much more.
- Ella which follows a little elephant who works the streets with her keeper (mahout). Her heart is broken and she desperately wants to find her mum. After visiting Thailand and meeting elephants who had suffered terribly throughout their lives, I knew the first book had to tell their story.
The themes in my books have inspired school students and families to learn more about elephants used in tourism, the human-made perils for ocean animals, the impact of soft plastics, what it truly means to be an Australian citizen, and the importance of listening to Australia's First Peoples.
In award news, We Are Australians has been shortlisted for three Awards – Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book of the Year 2023, Environment Award for Children's Literature 2023 and the Karajia Award for Children's Literature 2023. Jelly-Boy won the Conservation Awareness for Children category of the Whitley Awards, bestowed by the Zoological Society of NSW and was was recognised as a Notable book in the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Awards 2021. This follows on from Billie winning the ACT Writing and Publishing Award in the children’s category 2019.
In 2018 I was awarded a scholarship to attend the 2018 SCBWI winter conference in February 2018. The scholarship was awarded to one author and one illustrator worldwide.
I look forward to you joining me on my continuing journey.
Feel free to contact me with any questions at nicole[at]tuskbooks.com.