Kellie Byrnes is a children’s author, presenter, mentor, book reviewer, kidlit blogger, and full-time freelance writer with a BA degree in Literature. Her love of books, stories, writing, and creativity started from an early age. As an emerging Australian author, Kellie was chosen as an Artist in Residence at The Crows Nest, Queensland, thanks to the Sunshine Coast Council. She was a mentee in the 2018 Writing with the Stars US picture-book mentorship program and in the inaugural US FicFest writing mentorship program. Plus, she has been a judge for two years in a row for the Pitch It writer's competition run by Just Write for Kids Australia, and she reviews and blogs about kidlit monthly. Kellie also mentors and provides critiques and marketing services for new authors. Kellie has presented at numerous literary events and bookshops, schools, and early learning centres, and enjoys encouraging children and adults to be creative and to develop their strengths as writers. She is a member of multiple writing groups and an active part of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Kellie also has experience working in the publishing industry in Australia, in both editorial and sales roles (for Pan Macmillan Australia and Hardie Grant Gift). Plus, she has worked in multiple bookshops during her career. Kellie's first picture book, Cloud Conductor, (Wombat Books), came out in 2018. Since then, she has written several more books – and has some new ones coming soon! – including Yes! No (Little Pink Dog Books), Evie Is All Ears (Little Pink Dog Books), and How Do You Love?: The Five Ways We Show We Care (Feiwel & Friends, Macmillan US).Aśka is an energetic visual storyteller and a science communicator who is a passionate advocate of visual literacy. She has illustrated ten published books, makes comics, and is a regular contributor to The School Magazine and other children’s publications. Her other books include The Incurable Imagination and My Storee, both published by EK Books. In her past life, Aśka was a physicist, and she still finds time to share her love of science and explosions with kids big and small.
