NSW Premier's Reading Challenge 2025 author interviews

Join Amreen from Caddies Creek Public School as she interviews award-winning author Katrina Nannestad in this delightful student-led conversation, recorded backstage at the 2025 Sydney Writers’ Festival.

Together, they chat about Katrina’s beloved character Lottie Perkins, including what inspired her fun-loving personality and the many childhood memories Katrina drew on when writing the series. Amreen also shares her class’s excitement about studying Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief, leading to a meaningful discussion about the story’s young hero, the quiet power of kindness and how small acts can make a big difference in times of hardship.

Katrina opens up about her favourite (and most challenging!) genres to write and shares how her teenage reading experiences, along with the encouragement of a special English teacher, helped shape her journey toward becoming both a teacher and an author. She also offers great suggestions for readers who are new to her books and don’t know where to start!

A huge thank you to the 2025 Sydney Writers’ Festival team for making this wonderful interview possible.

Gloria from Caddies Creek Public School sits down with international best-selling author Terri Libenson for a vibrant student-led interview recorded backstage at the 2025 Sydney Writers’ Festival.

Terri shares how her background in cartooning naturally led her to create graphic novels and why the Emmie and Friends series became the perfect way to combine her love of illustration and storytelling. She talks about the unique format of the series – each book focusing on a different character – and reveals which one was the most fun to write.

The conversation also dives into her latest release, Entirely Emmie, with a focus on the character Joe Lungo and the challenges (and joys) of transforming a loud, seemingly obnoxious character into someone readers can understand on a deeper level.

Terri also makes a passionate case for graphic novels as a powerful tool to support reading – especially for younger audiences – and responds thoughtfully to critics who claim graphic novels aren’t ‘real reading’.

Huge thanks to the 2025 Sydney Writers’ Festival team for supporting this engaging and insightful interview.

Join Mia from Caddies Creek Public School as she interviews best-selling author Jacqueline Harvey, who has an incredible 64 books to her name! This lively and inspiring student-led conversation was filmed backstage at the 2025 Sydney Writers’ Festival.

Jacqueline chats about how, while her stories span different genres, they’re all united by a love of mystery and adventure. She shares how her career began in the classroom and how meeting real-life authors as a teacher inspired her to start writing the stories she had always loved telling.

Mia asks all the big questions – from which of her Kensy and Max characters she’d be, to whether she’s actually visited the incredible places in which her stories are set. Jacqueline reveals how she used clever research to write Alice-Miranda in Egypt during COVID lockdowns and shares the fascinating real-life tale of a prince that inspired her newest series, The Girl and the Ghost – plus an exciting sneak peek at what’s coming in book 2!

With thoughtful advice for aspiring young authors and great recommendations for students new to her work, this interview is full of energy, encouragement and behind-the-scenes insights.

A big thank you to the 2025 Sydney Writers’ Festival team for making this special moment possible.

Kingshuk from Caddies Creek Public School sits down with proud Nukunu man and award-winning author Jared Thomas for a heartfelt and engaging student-led interview filmed backstage at the 2025 Sydney Writers’ Festival.

Jared talks about the personal inspiration behind his latest middle grade books, Uncle Xbox and Getting Dusty, reflecting on the important role his own uncles and family played in teaching him about culture, life and community. He also gives an exciting sneak peek into what’s coming next in the series!

The conversation also explores Jared’s powerful young adult novels and his creative process including how Songs That Sound Like Blood was inspired by his daughter’s journey as a singer-songwriter. He shares which age group he prefers writing for and why and offers thoughtful advice about the importance of writing stories that are grounded in your own experience.

There’s even a hint about a possible future book featuring cricket!

A big thank you to the 2025 Sydney Writers’ Festival team for making this interview possible.

In this fun and inspiring student-led interview, Atharv from Caddies Creek Public School chats with poet and author Joel McKerrow about his latest creative adventures – filmed backstage at the 2025 Sydney Writers’ Festival.

Joel and Atharv chat about his latest release, The Great Chocolate Caper, a fast-paced and hilarious heist story involving a suspicious fundraising scheme and 5 unlikely student heroes. He also gives readers a sneak peek at the upcoming sequel, The Remarkable Robot Robbery.

The conversation turns spooky as Joel dives into his Urban Legend Hunters graphic novel series, sharing the eerie real-life inspiration behind the character Mr Snipe, and what it was like to see his words transformed into visuals by an illustrator.

Joel also speaks about his deep love for poetry and how it shapes all of his writing and shares practical, encouraging advice for young writers and poets looking to find their own voice.

Huge thanks to the 2025 Sydney Writers’ Festival team for making this exciting interview possible.

In this powerful student-led interview, Renisha from Glenwood High School speaks with author Demet Divaroren about her bold and evocative new novel Blood Moon Bride, a fantasy that tackles real-world issues through a richly imagined lens.

Filmed at the 2025 Sydney Writers’ Festival, Demet shares how Blood Moon Bride serves as a call to action for young people – particularly girls – growing up in a patriarchal society. The pair explore how the novel challenges misogyny, encourages young readers to stay true to themselves and highlights the often-overlooked power of language in shaping gender norms.

Demet reflects on how shifting from contemporary fiction (Living on Hope Street) to fantasy gave her the creative space to address heavier themes and explains the contrasting journeys of writing each book – Blood Moon Bride unfolding over 7 years, compared to the 2-year process of her debut.

The interview also touches on the healing nature of books and their ability to build empathy and connection across experiences.

Special thanks to the 2025 Sydney Writers’ Festival team for making this conversation possible.

In this insightful student-led interview, Sehajleen from Glenwood High School chats with author Mike Lucas about the personal experiences and creative process behind his powerful young adult novels.

Recorded at the 2025 Sydney Writers’ Festival, Mike opens up about how an unexpected health setback – losing sight in one eye – gave him the time and perspective to write What We All Saw, a haunting story rooted in his own childhood adventures exploring the woods. He discusses how writing became a way to channel his fears and reflections and how one character in particular became a vessel for his real-life worries.

Sehajleen and Mike also dive into the inspiration behind his gripping new historical fiction novel One by One They Disappear, set in Nazi Germany, and talk through the challenges of tackling dark and complex subject matter.

Mike shares his approach to writing as a self-professed ‘pantser’ rather than a planner, and offers thoughtful, encouraging advice for young writers looking to tell their own stories.

Huge thanks to the 2025 Sydney Writers’ Festival team for helping bring this conversation to life.

In this student-led interview, Sehajleen from Glenwood High School sits down with Australian author Hayley Lawrence to explore the themes, characters and inspirations behind her latest novel, Into the Wild – a gripping survival story set in the breathtaking and unforgiving Blue Mountains.

Filmed at the 2025 Sydney Writers’ Festival, Hayley shares why she chose to set her novel in such a uniquely Australian landscape, reflecting on its personal significance and her desire to see more adventure stories unfold in our own backyard. Together, she and Sehajleen discuss her approach to crafting distinct character voices, ensuring no character is without flaws, and striking a balance between fast-paced action and character development.

The conversation also touches on the value of reconnecting with nature, the role of technology in young people’s lives and what readers might expect from her upcoming projects.

A huge thank you to the 2025 Sydney Writers’ Festival team for making this interview possible.

Join Bhavya from Glenwood High School for a thoughtful, student-led interview with acclaimed author Neal Shusterman, filmed backstage at the 2025 Sydney Writers’ Festival.

In this engaging conversation, Neal shares insights into his unique storytelling approach – why he gravitates toward books that bend reality, how he responds to other authors’ work and his passion for challenging readers with complex questions that don't have easy answers.

He reflects on the pressure of following up critically and commercially successful titles and the pivotal role his English teacher played in helping him see himself as a writer. Neal also offers book recommendations for first-time readers of his work and shares exciting news about a possible TV adaptation of one of his stories.

Special thanks to the Sydney Writers’ Festival 2025 team for making this interview possible.