In the first Helen Milroy Presents podcast, we welcome textile artist turned children’s book illustrator Ruth de Vos to the studio

Ruth de Vos says children’s books inspired her textile art long before she became an illustrator.

The Fremantle Press podcast on how to be a children’s book author who knows how to present

Lesley Reece, founder and former director of The Literature Centre, joins Claire Miller and Georgia Richter for a chat about how to prepare yourself to face a room full of under-17s! Leslie imparts top tips for aspiring children’s book writers while Claire and Georgia discuss the merits of book hoovering. Writer and editor Amanda Curtin shares her reading recommendations, and the Comma Chameleon has a slanging match with the hosts.

Does Your Story Have Legs? Creating Characters Who Connect

The Story Begins

In 2001, I was an unpublished writer with a little story idea and big dreams. On a recent car trip, I had spun a tale for my four-year-old daughter about how the house we were driving to might not be where we expected, because you know how houses get bored and wander around at night, and sometimes they might not quite make it home again?

Fremantle Press collaborates with Helen Milroy on a new podcast exploring writing and illustrating for children and young people

Hot on the heels of being shortlisted for the Western Australian Premier's Book Awards for the second consecutive year, Helen Milroy is launching a new podcast sharing insights into the creative process behind children’s books.

Browse our range of free, downloadable teaching materials for use during NAIDOC Week

NAIDOC Week is an opportunity to celebrate the histories, cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Just weeks from celebrating the 10-year anniversary of his first book, The Last Viking, James Foley's latest book is rocketing to the USA

Rights to James Foley’s newest picture book Stellarphant have been sold to Kane Miller in the USA.

Meet Emily Sun, the writer Tracy Ryan calls a genuinely new and distinctive presence in Australian poetry

Vociferate | 詠 is Western Australian writer Emily Sun’s debut poetry collection. Alice Pung has described the book as ‘polemical, personal and political’ – in it, Emily meditates upon a range of issues that have shaped her world. Emily was born in British colonial Hong Kong to stateless diasporic-Chinese parents, who are descendants of Chinese sojourners to South-East Asian countries. Emily moved to England at age three before immigrating to Perth with her family.

Katie Stewart on why she populates her picture books with animal characters

One of the questions I get asked about my picture books is ‘Why are they about animals?’ The automatic response for me would be ‘Because I love animals’, but the truth is a little more complex.

Illustrator Ruth de Vos on how she made the reality of caring for kids into shiny new artworks for her picture book with Danny Parker

In this article, Ruth de Vos takes you behind the scenes to share how the illustrations for her new picture book with Danny Parker, Shine, developed from idea to gorgeous finished artwork.

Helen Milroy's latest picture book encourages us to see our backyards as habitats for the buzzing, scooting, zooming splendour of insects

Last year was a great year for Helen Milroy. Her work was shortlisted for the WA Premier’s Book Awards, the Readings Children’s Book Prize and the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards, while reviewers called her picture book Backyard Birds vibrant, bright, beautiful, wonderful, colourful and bold. In 2021 the First Nations author and illustrator returns to the backyard with her new picture book, Backyard Bugs. She shared some more details with us in the interview below.