Romancing the Stars: Shining a Light on Children’s Book Creators – Brisbane
Date: Tuesday 24 March 2026
Venue: Brisbane Boys College, Kensington Terrace, Toowong
Time: 6:00pm – 9:30pm
Cost: $28 for Book Links members and College staff | $35 for non-members
(Have your 2026 membership discount code ready to apply at the end of the booking process)
Bookings close Thursday 19th March at noon.
Romancing the Stars: Shining a Light on Children’s Book Creators is an intimate meet-and-connect event that celebrates local authors and illustrators through short, personal conversations, bringing readers face-to-face with the magic behind the books.
Each creator will give a short introduction to their latest publication in a small intimate circle, before rotating on to the next group.
You have a chance to get inside information about the creation of the books, ask the stars questions, and make contact with potential presenters for your school or library.
Meet and Connect with 16 Stars.
Buy the latest books from the pop-up bookshop.
Enjoy great food and drinks.
Enter raffle and win books in the quiz competition.
Digital PD certificates provided after the event.
Starring:
MC: Yvonne Mes.
Picture Books Authors, Illustrators: Gus Gordon (CBCA Notable 2026), Ingrid Bartkowiak (CBCA Notable 2026), Jen Horn, Kristen Willis, R.A. Stephens, Dimity Powell, Karen Tyrrell, Lucia Masciullo, Dannika Patterson.
Younger Readers, Young Adult Authors: Carla Salmon (CBCA Notable 2026), Charlotte Barkla, Di Taylor, Jason Gent (CBCA Notable 2026), Meredith Downes, Karen Foxlee, Kate Foster.
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Yvonne Mes
Yvonne Mes is an author and illustrator who writes stories for children and young people with curious minds. As an early childhood professional with a Bachelor of Children’s Services with many years’ experience, she loves sharing books, stories and art with children in places big and small, of diverse cultures and abilities and of all ages. Her books are published in Australia, China and New Zealand.
Yvonne is a frequent speaker at schools, literary festivals and events. She is the coordinator of Write Links, the Brisbane based group for children’s authors and illustrators. She buys more books than she can read, comes up with more ideas than she can write or illustrate, and has more children than she can manage. But she does try very hard, and best of all, she is NEVER bored. Yvonne is the recipient of the 2024 Book Links Mentorship.
Her most recent book is The Opal Dinosaur, Illustrated by Sylvia Morris (CSIRO 2024)
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Gus Gordon
Gus Gordon is an internationally acclaimed illustrator and author. He has illustrated and written nearly 100 books for children. His books, including Wendy, Herman and Rosie (2013 CBCA Honour book), Somewhere Else (2017 Speech Pathology book of the year), The Last Peach and Finding François have sold in over 20 countries worldwide and have received wide international recognition. He has twice been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Gus’s first graphic novel, Into the Bewilderness was recently released simultaneously in the US and Australia. Gus lives in Brisbane, Australia. Gus is represented by Charlie Olsen of InkWell Management in New York. He also loves cheese, and things that go with cheese.
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Ingrid Bartkowiak
Ingrid Bartkowiak is an artist and illustrator who works primarily in watercolour. Her hand painted work features native Flora, Fauna and Fungi. Ingrid has a fascination with all things small and intricate, from tufts of moss on a footpath to the fungi sprouting from a wombat dropping. At a young age, she discovered painting as an intimate way of connecting with nature. Inspired by botanical illustration and the Arts & Crafts movement, Ingrid’s technique makes use of the watercolour medium through tiny patterns, exquisite detail, and vivid blocks of colour.
Since graduating from QCA in 2019, Ingrid has worked across a diverse array of projects, including picture book illustration, murals, packaging designs and even pet portraits. She has worked with clients such as New Farm Confectionery, the National Library of Australia, Brisbane City Council and exhibited in galleries and group shows across Australia.
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Jen Horn
Jennifer Horn is a Brisbane-based children’s illustrator and writer. Her fairytale debut picture book The Precious Plum was shortlisted for the 2022 Little Pink Dog’s Authorstrator Prize. As a child, Jen used to ask her Grandma to pause the VHS so she could copy the animations on the screen. Despite this obvious sign, it took Jen quite a while to land on illustration as her career, winding through chapters in architecture, youth support and backpacker work all over Europe. She even ran away with the circus to join a folk punk band for a few years. Now, juggling two young kids, she is consistently illustrating for traditional publishers as well as indie authors.
Her most recently illustrated books are Juniper’s Painting written by Catherine Bauer (September 2025, Wombat Books), and Skippy Blackfeet written by Rebecca Fraser (May 2025, Wombat Books).
Connect with Jen on Insta: @eskyjen
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Kristen Willis
Kristen Willis is an award-winning Australian children’s picture book illustrator whose childhood was fuelled by biscotti, sugar cane, and family stories. A second-generation Australian Italian, she uses illustration to hold and honour memory, weaving cultural narrative with warmth and imagination.
Traditionally trained as a fine artist and graphic designer, Kristen blends pigments and pixels as a picture book illustrator. She was recently shortlisted for the CBCA Awards for her debut picture book Peek-a-Boo Lottie and is currently juggling exciting book projects with various publishers, alongside developing her own author-illustrator graphic novel. She is also in her element creating opportunities and industry events for emerging and established kidlit illustrators as the @SCBWI-Qld Illustrator Co-ordinator.
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R.A. Stephens
Rochelle Stephens writes under R. A. Stephens. She is published in both educational and trade markets. Her Riz Chester series included The Fingerprint Code which was shortlisted in the Speech pathology awards (2024). She has completed her Masters in Editing in Publishing with a thesis exploring middle fiction for teens. Rochelle started the Rhiza Shorts list of teen stories for young adults who are busy or reluctant readers in 2025 and has one title with the list so far, No Dress, No Idea. She also loves mixing Maths into picture books with Apples Not Orples released in 2024 and her new maths based picture book, Connected, coming out in April 2026.
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Dimity Powell
Dimity Powell loves filling every spare moment with words. She’s the Managing Editor for Kids’ Book Review and writes and reviews exclusively for children with over 30 internationally published stories and digital narratives including the award winning, This Is My Dad (2022), At The End of Holyrood Lane (2018) and the critically acclaimed, The Fix-It Man (2017). The Boy Who Lost His Laugh is her fourth picture book with EK Books, (March 2026). Dimity loves sailing on the beam, reading under trees and laughing – lots. You’ll find her on the Gold Coast, Australia.
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Karen Tyrrell
Karen Tyrrell is a Brisbane award-winning child-empowerment author and ex early childhood teacher. Karen’s picture book Let’s Play (Play Matters Australia) won Speech Pathology Australia Children’s Book of the Year 2024, now translated into three languages.
Karen is the runner-up of 2025 Book Links Mentorship and the Queensland Ambassador for Children’s Rights. She is a frequent speaker at schools, literary festivals and events and co-ordinator of Write Link’s Junior Fiction critique group.
Karen writes stories about the power of play, the environment, wellness and local Then & Now history for children including commissioned books Logan Then & Now and Follow the Sugar Trail. Andy & Ghost Boy (empowering book about facing fears 2023) was shortlisted in the CYA Competition and SCBWI /Larrikin House Competition.
Karen’s most recent picture book is Rosewood Then & Now illustrated by Megan Forward (Digital Future Press 2025) is linked to the HASS Australian Curriculum.
Connect with Karen on Insta: @karentyrrellauthor
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Lucia Masciullo
Lucia Masciullo is an award-winning illustrator who loves to create whimsical characters and colouring with traditional techniques, mixing watercolour, pencil and collage. Born and bred in Livorno, Italy, she moved to Australia in 2007 and since then she has illustrated thirty books, including Come Down, Cat! by Sonya Hartnett, which was a CBCA Honour Book and shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award. Lucia currently lives on the Gold Coast and when not at work she likes running, watching anime and eating homemade pizza.
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Dannika Patterson
Dannika Patterson has written numerous books for children that are used widely as resources in homes and schools, helping to open relatable conversations about important topics. Her books encourage children to be explorers of the world outside and to feel good about themselves on the inside. Dannika shares her books and story-driven workshops at schools, libraries and festivals, engaging children of all ages in a warm, joyful way. My Super Uncle is Dannika Patterson’s 19th published children’s book. Her 20th book (Aidan Versus the Ocean, Wombat Books) is an ocean adventure story that will be released in July this year, and will mark her debut novel for readers aged 10-12.
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Carla Salmon
Carla Salmon is a Lead teacher at Brisbane Grammar School who loves telling stories. Her debut novel, We Saw What You Started, is inspired by her country coastal childhood, where sports ruled and beach campsites were paradise. Much like the students in her classrooms today, her characters lead action-packed lives with plenty of heart and humour. Carla lives in sun-soaked Brisbane, with her husband and two teens.
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Charlotte Barkla
Charlotte Barkla is a Brisbane-based author and teacher. Her books include Let’s Try Again Another Day, the 11 Ruby Road historical fiction series, Robo-teacher, All Bodies are Good Bodies, the Edie’s Experiments series and From My Head to My Toes, I Say What Goes.
Charlotte’s books have been translated in multiple languages and short-listed for awards, including the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards and the Wilderness Society’s Environment Award for Children’s Literature. In 2023, All Bodies are Good Bodies was adapted into a song by the children’s band, The Quokkas.
As well as writing for children, Charlotte is a creative writing tutor for the Australian Writers’ Centre, and has written feature articles for publications including AEU News, Create Digital, Beanz Magazine and Double Helix. She regularly visits schools, libraries and festivals for creative writing workshops, sharing her passion for creativity and stories with children of all ages.
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Di Taylor
Di Taylor is the author of Anna’s War, a young adult historical novel set in German-occupied southern Holland during the final eighteen months of World War II. Passionate about historical fiction, Di believes it brings to life the experiences of ordinary people who lived through extraordinary times. Anna’s War is inspired by the true wartime experiences of three children—two of whom are now her elderly parents-in-law.
Beyond fiction, Di is also a keen travel writer. Her popular blogs chronicle long-distance walks across the UK and Europe. Her most widely read series follows her 2,000-kilometre trek from Land’s End to John o’Groats—a four-month journey that wore out six pairs of socks. Di lives in the small country town of Kilcoy.
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Jason Gent
Jason Gent is a Meanjin based writer. He studied Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT. During this time Jason had a short play performed by RMIT Union Arts, and helped to create a small press label, Rant, which released two anthologies. He has had a number of short stories published in Australian literary and poetry magazines. Jason is a member of Write Links. In 2021, Jason was shortlisted for the Glendower Awards for an Emerging Queensland Writer as part of the Queensland Literary Awards, for his YA verse novel, On The Exhale.
Connect with Jason on Insta: @Jason_gent_author
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Meredith Downes
Meredith Downes is a children’s author and illustrator from Brisbane, Queensland. With a background in biology and Australian archaeology, she loves to draw and write adventures about all the quirky characters of the Australian bush she has met at home and in her travels across the country. Previously, Meredith was longlisted for the 2020 Queensland Stories, Songs and Rhymes competition and won the 2022 Storylinks competition for children’s short fiction. Meredith recently released her debut novel for kids, Liam the Chid and the Kangaroo Warriors (Bugalugs Books, 2025).
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Karen Foxlee
Karen Foxlee writes for both children and young adults. Her award-winning novels are published around the world and include Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy, Lenny’s Book of Everything and Dragon Skin.
She loves magic, making cakes, and the sea. She lives and writes in Queensland, Australia.
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Kate Foster
Kate Foster is an award-winning and internationally published children’s author, originally from a small town in the southeast of England and now living on the stunning Gold Coast in Australia with her family and second-hand dogs. She is passionate about encouraging and teaching a wider understanding of autism and mental illness. Her books include PAWS, The Bravest Word, Harriet Hound, and the brand-new, middle-grade mystery series Freddie Jones published in 2026 with Walker Books.
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Quick Brown Fox Bookshop
Quick Brown Fox Bookshop is a family-owned business run by Anna and Theresa Sheen (sisters-in-law with a passion for reading and building community) and Anthony Sheen the supportive and creative husband and brother. Quick Brown Fox Bookshop specialises in children’s books through to young adult books, as well as providing a range of curated books for adults. We stock toys, gifts and games. We offer an events calendar which includes book launches, book clubs and craft sessions for all ages. Quick Brown Fox Bookshop is located at 5/33 Carberry St, Grange QLD 4051.
