NSW Premier's Reading Challenge 2022 author interviews

Swara From Chatswood Public School chats to Nat Amoore – and may end up as a character in one of Nat’s books! Writing for kids was a natural progression for Nat from life in the circus, and as an adult who doesn’t want to be an adult, she is the perfect person to write about being a child! Join Swara and Nat backstage for this entertaining interview at the 2022 Sydney Writers’ Festival Primary Schools Day.

Suitable for primary students.

Terence from Chatswood Public School interviews Mick Elliott, author and illustrator extraordinaire. What would Mick do if he wasn’t an author? What books did he read when he was younger? How did Mick’s experience at his childhood dinner table influence him to become a writer? Join Mick and Terence backstage at the 2022 Sydney Writers’ Festival to find out!

Suitable for primary students.

Remy Lai’s illustrated and graphic novels are extremely popular – and for good reason! Join Remy as she chats to Catherine from Chatswood Public School about how she finds inspiration (from her own dog who rolls in poop!) and her process for creating new stories. Thank you to the 2022 Sydney Writers’ Festival Primary Schools Day for hosting us backstage!

Suitable for primary students.

Matt Stanton chats to Cedric from Chatswood Public School at the 2022 Sydney Writers’ Festival Primary Schools Day. What did Matt enjoy reading when he was a kid? How did they influence what he writes – like Funny Kid and Fart Monster? What secrets does Matt share about the first story he ever wrote at 5 years old? Join Matt and Cedric to find out!

Suitable for primary students.

Corey Tutt is a Kamilaroi man, author and advocate for STEM in schools. Join him as he talks to Aanika from Chatswood Public School at the 2022 Sydney Writers’ Festival Primary Schools Day about the importance of research and the history of deadly scientific discoveries in our Indigenous history.

Suitable for primary students.

Dr Sarah Ayoub is a journalist, academic and author of books for young adults. She’s also a pleasure to chat to, as Isabel from Girraween High School discovered backstage at the 2022 Sydney Writers’ Festival Secondary Schools Day! Isabel and Sarah talk about representation, gender, identity, and the importance of connecting with characters in this fantastic interview.

Suitable for secondary audiences.

Amie Kaufman is well-known to both YA and middle-grade readers as the author of numerous sci-fi and fantasy novels. She joined Anushka from Girraween High School backstage at the 2022 Sydney Writers’ Festival Secondary Schools Day to talk about writing with your friends, finding inspiration everywhere, and why science fiction helps us make sense of the world around us.

Suitable for secondary audiences.

Kay Kerr chats to Michelle from Girraween High School about her novels, representations of autism and ableism in fiction, and why it’s important to be kind to yourself, both as a reader and a writer. Join them backstage at the 2022 Sydney Writers’ Festival Secondary Schools Day for this fascinating and insightful conversation!

Suitable for secondary audiences.

What do you get when you take a musical theatre performer and turn them into an author? Tobias Madden and his fantastic YA novels! Join Shayeer from Girraween High School backstage at the 2022 Sydney Writers’ Festival Secondary Schools Day as he chats to Tobias about his books, his career, and why he loves to write for young adult audiences.

Suitable for secondary audiences.

Join Munia from Girraween High School in this thought-provoking conversation about identity, experience and representation in fiction with Dr Jared Thomas, Nukunu person of the Southern Flinders Ranges. Who gets to tell stories from different perspectives? Why is it important to get authentic feedback? How do you deal with difficult topics as an author, and what can readers learn from them? A fascinating and insightful discussion backstage at the 2022 Sydney Writers’ Festival Secondary Schools Day.

Suitable for secondary audiences.