Aussie Kids: Meet Taj at the Lighthouse

Nicki Greenberg is a writer and illustrator based in Melbourne, Australia. Her first books, The Digits series, were published when she was fifteen years old. She later spent ten years disguised as a lawyer, while maintaining a not-so-secret Other Life as a comics artist and children’s book author. In 2008, Nicki’s innovative graphic adaptation of The Great Gatsby was selected as a White Raven at the Bologna Book Fair. She then went on to tackle Hamlet in a lavish 425-page ‘staging on the page’. Hamlet was joint winner of the 2011 Children’s Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year award. Nicki now dedicates most of her ink to books for younger readers and has written and illustrated many exuberant picture books. Her favourite activity is making books, but when she does manage to tear herself away from the desk Nicki loves to rollerskate and crochet bizarre sea creatures. Nicki is a frequent presenter at schools, festivals and conferences, where her speaking style is described as passionate, engaging and full of energy.Photo credit Kate Herd

Maxine Beneba Clarke is the author of 9 books, including the Indie and ABIA award-winning short fiction collection Foreign Soil, the memoir The Hate Race, the Boston Globe/Horn Prize and CBCA winning picture book The Patchwork Bike, and the recently released picture book Fashionista. She lives in Melbourne's glorious, diverse western suburbs, and has met many kids like Taj in her neighbourhood, who've journeyed to Australia in search of safe haven. Some struggle to fit in, but just like Taj, most eventually find their light.