About

KidLitVic - Meet the Publishers

KidLitVic - Meet the Publishers was established to enable new, emerging and experienced writers and illustrators the opportunity to meet and hear from industry professionals about publishing children's and YA books in the current Australian market. Every year, KidLitVic- Meet the Publishers has proven to be a SELLOUT event.

KidLitVic- Meet the Team

Alison Reynolds is the author of more than eighty books for children and adults.  She currently lives near the beach in suburban Melbourne, and she has loved to write ever since she can remember.

She has a Masters in Creative Arts (Creative Writing) from the University of Melbourne, and is well known for her A Year with Marmalade,(ill, Heath McKenzie) and popular choose-your-own adventure style series Ranger in Danger adventure books, which she co-wrote with real life ranger, Sean Willmore.

In 2022 Alison published her debut adult novel The Near Daphne Experience . It is in bookshops now published by Affirm Press.

Alison has written books for readers aged 0-90 and is a popular presenter in schools and at festivals. You can find out more about her at her website- www.alisonreynolds.com.au

Nicky Johnston is an artist, make-up artist, primary educator and a children’s book author and illustrator. Her books include Go Away, Mr Worrythoughts! Actually, I Can and The Worst Pain in the World to name a few. Nicky’s book, At the End of Holyrood Lane won the 2019 Crystal Kite Award.

Nicky is also a Black Dog Institute Community Education presenter helping reduce the stigma of mental health issues by raising awareness and sharing valuable information. Her passion for all things creative has led her to become the Creative Director of the ‘52-week Illustration Challenge‘, founded by Tania McCartney.

Nicky is the illustrator of all the amazing illustrations on this site. To find out more about Nicky - www.nickyjohnston.com.au 

Coral Vass is an award winning Australian children's author, presenter, editor and reviewer.  With a background in Media, Coral has always had a passion for writing and telling stories. She has dabbled in script writing, radio drama and video production before working several years in marketing and publications.

Coral has numerous children's books published with Scholastic Books, The NLA and Penguin Random House Australia, including the best selling titles A Perfectly Posh Pink Afternoon Tea, Meet...Don Bradman and Goodnight Possum. Her book, Sorry Day, won The 2018 Speech Pathology Awards for Best Book- Indigenous Children and the 2019 CBCA Book of the Year Eve Pownall Award.

As well as children's books and inspiring children with a love for literature, Coral loves dark chocolate, good coffee, theatre and the beach. For more information on Coral, visit- www.coralvass.com

Julie Anne Grasso is the author of the Frankie Dupont Mystery series. She works part time in the Hobsons Bay Libraries Children’s and Youth team, wrangling toddlers at story time, bouncing with babies and new mums and adding books to the collection that both excite and terrify her.

As one half of Middle Grade Mavens The Podcast, Julie has made a name for herself as being a reformed reluctant reader, who loves nothing better than sharing brand new books and interviewing Australian and overseas authors and industry professionals, in all things books for Middle Grade.  Julie writes quirky picture books that embrace diversity, time wrangling junior fiction and genre bending science fiction for middle grade.    

Find her at  - www.julieannegrassobooks.com 

and www.middlegradepodcast.com