Rebecca M. Newman writes poetry for children and flash fiction for adults. Her work can be found in Australian and international anthologies, magazines and popping out of the short-story dispenser in Perth’s Raine Square. After contributing to all those anthologies she thought it was time to edit her own, so she joined forces with Sally Murphy to co-edit Right Way Down and Other Poems. She is the founding editor at Alphabet Soup Books, and the primary school judge for the 2023 and 2024 Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards. When she’s not writing you’ll find Rebecca messing about with collage or playing Irish fiddle tunes on an old violin.

Born in Perth, Western Australia, Briony Stewart is the internationally published author and illustrator of several award-winning books for children. At seventeen, Briony received a scholarship from the Art Gallery of Western Australia towards studying a double degree in Fine Art and Creative Writing at Curtin University. After graduating she won a Queensland based writing prize. The story soon became her first published book, Kumiko and the Dragon, and went on to win an Aurealis award for Children’s short fiction in 2008.In 2012, Briony completed a nine-month creative development fellowship in the UK after being selected by the British Council as one of five young Australian artists excelling in their creative field. Since then, Briony has published numerous successful titles. Most notably, her book Kumiko and the Shadow Catchers won the 2012 Queensland Literary Prize for Children's Fiction.Passionate about fostering creativity in Australian children, Briony now lectures on children's literature at university and conducts talks and workshops with children across Australia. She currently lives and works in Fremantle, writing, illustrating, and creating amidst the chaos of two cheeky toddlers and a silly dog.

Sally Murphy is an author, poet, speaker and educator, with a passion for writing, reading and speaking. Her life’s goal is to write for, read with and speak to as many people as possible, and spread a passion for reading and writing to children and adults worldwide.