Embracing Nature

Kyo Maclear is a Canadian writer, essayist and beloved children's author. She was born in London, England (to a British father and Japanese mother) and moved to Toronto at the age of four. Kyo's latest book Birds Art Life Death follows two artists on a yearlong adventure to find birds in a big city. It is an intimate and exuberant meditation on creativity and life—a field guide to things small and significant. Her books have been translated into twelve languages, and published in nineteen countries. Kyo now lives in Toronto, Canada, where she shares a home with two children, two cats, and a singer.

Suzy Wilson is the owner of Riverbend Books in Queensland. She is the recipient of the Dromkeen Award for her efforts in 'being a catalyst in changing children's lives through literature', and is the founder of the National Indigenous Literacy Foundation which aims to improve literacy for children living in remote Indigenous communities. She has also been honoured to receive the David Malouf Prize, an Australia Day award, and the Lloyd O'Neill Award for her outstanding contribution to the Australian Book Industry.

Don Watson's bestselling titles include Recollections of a Bleeding Heart: Paul Keating Prime Minister, Death Sentence and The Bush, which won the Indie Book of the Year and the NSW Premier's Literary Award. An acclaimed speechwriter and screenwriter, he is also beloved for his columns and essays on Australian and American politics.

Charles Massy gained a Bachelor of Science (Zoology, Human Ecology) at ANU (1976) before going farming for 35 years and developing the prominent Merino sheep stud ‘Severn Park’. Concern at ongoing land degradation and humanity’s sustainability challenge led him to return to ANU in 2009 to undertake a PhD in Human Ecology. His current book Call of the Reed Warbler came from this work. Charles was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for his service as Chair and Director of a number of research organisations and statutory wool boards. He has also served on national and international review panels in sheep and wool research and development and genomics. Charles has authored several books on the Australian sheep industry, the most recent being the widely acclaimed Breaking the Sheep’s Back (UQP, 2011) - short-listed for the Prime Minister's Australian History Award.