The Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Hunter region has a genuinely lively kids’ book scene. Between a major writers festivals, writing courses, regular library launches, well-loved local bookshops and a strong crop of home grown authors and illustrators, there’s always a way to connect your child with a good story and the person who made it.
Newcastle Writers Festival Family Fun Day
Each year, the Newcastle Writers Festival wraps up its program with a dedicated Family Fun Day at Newcastle City Hall. It’s a free-to-low-cost morning of sessions with well-known children’s authors, aimed squarely at kids and the grown-ups who bring them along. Past line-ups have included big names in Australian kids’ lit, and it’s a great chance for young readers to meet an author in person rather than just on the back cover of a book.
The festival itself runs across a long weekend in late March or early April, with the Family Fun Day usually held on the Sunday. Bookings are required even for free sessions, so it pays to check the Newcastle Writers Festival website closer to the date for the current year’s program and times.
If you’re planning ahead, it fits neatly alongside our School Holiday Guide if the dates line up with term breaks.
Lake Macquarie’s Write Here Festival
Over in Lake Macquarie, the libraries run their own Write Here Festival each May, a three-day celebration of reading and writing held at venues like Rathmines Theatre and Warners Bay Theatre. It leans a little more toward adult and young adult programming than the Newcastle festival, but past years have included children’s authors and illustrator panels among the line-up, so it’s worth checking the Lake Mac Libraries Write Here Festival page closer to the date to see what’s on offer for younger readers that year.
Writing Courses for Kids
If your child loves books enough to want to write their own, Newcastle has a great option in The Creative Word Shop, run by local author Ed Wright. They offer school holiday workshops, after-school writing clubs and Selective Schools Test preparation for kids across the Hunter. We’ve covered them in more detail on our Art & Craft Classes guide, along with other creative classes worth knowing about. There’s also regular writing courses at local libraries.
Book Launches & Storytimes at Local Libraries
You don’t need to wait for a festival to meet a local author. Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Maitland libraries regularly host book launches, author talks and storytime sessions featuring local writers and illustrators, often free and bookable through the library’s own events page.
These sessions are also a lovely, low-key way to build a reading habit early. If your family hasn’t tried one yet, our guide to library storytimes and baby and kids programs covers what’s on offer and how to book in.
CBCA Hunter’s Book of Local Authors & Illustrators
If you want the full picture of who’s writing and illustrating children’s books in this region, the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) NSW Hunter sub-branch maintains an excellent, regularly updated directory. It lists local authors and illustrators along with what they offer, many are available for school visits, library sessions and workshops, which is handy if you’re a teacher or librarian looking to book someone directly.
You can find the current edition through the CBCA NSW Hunter branch. It’s a genuinely useful resource and a great next step if the names below leave you wanting more.
Meet a Few of Newcastle’s Own Authors & Illustrators
The Hunter region punches well above its weight when it comes to children’s book talent. A few names to know:
Sami Bayly, a Newcastle-based illustrator and author, is best known for her Illustrated Encyclopaedia series covering ugly, dangerous and peculiar animals, a hit with kids who love the weirder side of nature.
Jess Black has written more than 70 children’s books, including the Bindi Wildlife Adventure series and the Tales of Mr Walker series, and is a familiar name in school libraries across the country.
Leila Rudge, also Newcastle-based, is the award-winning author and illustrator behind picture books like Gary and Ted, both gentle stories about finding your place.
Deborah Kelly is a multi award-winning author whose picture books and junior fiction regularly appear on Premier’s Reading Challenge lists, including The Thing About Oliver and Dugong Magic.
Katrina McKelvey, a former primary school teacher, has written picture books and educational readers including My Heart and Isla’s Family Tree, and is a familiar face at local literary events.
Lynn Jenkins and Kirrili Lonergan created the Lessons of a LAC series, a genuinely useful set of picture books that help kids understand and manage anxious thoughts, written by a clinical psychologist and illustrated by a local art therapist.
Jenni Goodman, an illustrator based in Caves Beach, works in watercolour, coloured pencil and digital media to bring nature and wildlife conservation stories to life, including Have You Seen A Tree For Me? and Flute: A Dolphin’s Wild Journey Home.
Karen Hughes, a former corporate lawyer turned author, writes the Kalika Magic fantasy series and runs the Talented Kids Program through Hunter Valley Writers in Maitland.
Jade Goodwin, an illustrator based in the Hunter Valley, has illustrated more than 24 published books across picture books, chapter books and junior fiction, including the Little Ash and Tennis Camp Diaries series.
Kirrili Lonergan is a Newcastle-based picture book illustrator and art therapist whose recent titles include Healthy Harold’s Safe Screen Time and The Welcome Cookies. She’s also the illustrator behind the Lessons of a LAC series mentioned above.
Dan Marshall, a Newcastle-based author and illustrator, writes and illustrates non-fiction titles that spark curiosity about science, space and the natural world, including Mind Blown, No Way! and Eww Gross.
For the full, current list of who’s writing and illustrating in the region, the CBCA Hunter directory linked above is the best place to look.
Local Bookshops & Products Worth Knowing
A few local names worth having on your radar if you’re after a kids’ book or something to keep them entertained on the road.
MacLeans Booksellers, Betty’s Loves Books, and Harry Hartog (Green Hills and Kotara) all regularly host book launches and signings for kids’ and family titles. It’s worth following their social pages if you want to catch an event as soon as it’s announced.
For car trips, Spotto Books is a local favourite. Created by Newcastle local Jess “Outback Jess” Day, the series turns long drives into a spotting game, with editions for general road trips as well as specific destinations like the Hunter region. They’re a genuinely handy way to keep kids off screens on a long drive, and make a solid birthday or Christmas gift too.
Get inspired for your next Lake Mac adventure with a book that local families will love. Lake Macquarie Adventures for Kids, was launched by Lake Macquarie City Council’s Lifelong Learning team. This children’s book encourages families to get out and explore the lake and what it has to offer.
Each of the book’s double-page spreads features a different part of Lake Mac, from Rathmines Park to Swansea Channel, and from Redhead Beach to the Watagan Mountains. The book is available in hardcover and softcover from Lake Mac Libraries branches and the Museum of Art and Culture, yapang.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s held annually, usually on the Sunday of the festival’s long weekend in late March or early April. Check the Newcastle Writers Festival website closer to the date for confirmed times and bookings.
The CBCA NSW Hunter sub-branch publishes an annual directory of local authors and illustrators, including who’s available for school visits and workshops.
Many local authors and illustrators offer school visits, storytimes and workshops. Details are listed in the CBCA Hunter directory, or you can contact authors directly through their own websites.
Yes. MacLeans Booksellers, Betty’s Loves Books, and Harry Hartog (Green Hills and Kotara) regularly host launches and signings for kids’ and family titles, usually announced on their social pages.
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