I live and work on Dharawal Country and acknowledge the traditional owners and
first storytellers of Australia and pay my respects to Elders, past and present.

My passion for children’s literature developed
when I was a young primary school teacher.

At first, this passion was all about connecting young readers with wonderful stories and books and helping them along the path to becoming lifelong readers. Eventually though, this love of children’s literature led me to wanting to write my own books for children.

After many years of writing and submitting and collecting a teetering pile of rejection slips, I got my first break when I gained a position as a contract writer for The Book Company Publishing, writing texts for their novelty books. While penning away dozens and dozens of novelty book stories, I also started to write for the education market and wrote numerous readers and chapter books for school reading programs.

2004 saw the publication of my first trade middle grade novel, Battle of the Rats. Since then I have written twenty-two trade books in a variety of genres: fiction and nonfiction, picture books through to YA, including the best-selling, Missing and the award-winning A Swim in the Sea, illustrated by Meredith Thomas. My contemporary novel for readers 10+, Get a Grip Cooper Jones, my narrative nonfiction picture book Platypus, illustrated by Mark Jackson, and picture books Beware the Deep Dark Forest, Good Question, both illustrated by Annie White, and The Echidna Near my Place, illustrated by Cate James were all CBCA Notable Books. The Book of Chance, a mystery/suspense novel for readers 10+, was shortlisted for the 2021 CBCA Book of the Year Awards, the WAYRBA and YABBA awards and was awarded Highly Commended in the 2021 Davitt Awards for Best Children’s Crime Novel. My latest books are Tilda, a historical novel for readers 10+ and Pearly and Pig and the Lost City of Mu Savan, the second book in my new junior fiction series.

In 2005 I left teaching to pursue a career in publishing and was Publishing
Manager and Senior Commissioning Editor at Walker Books Australia for ten years, before leaving in 2016 to concentrate on my writing. I now have more time for speaking gigs, which is an added bonus as I love sharing my passion for story and storytelling, reading and writing with people of all ages.

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Sue Whiting is an award-winning children’s and YA author and editor and former teacher, who has worked in publishing for twenty+ years. Sue was senior commissioning editor and publishing manager for Walker Books Australia for many years before leaving in 2016 to concentrate on her writing. Sue has written numerous books for a variety of age groups, from picture books through to YA, including the bestselling Missing, the acclaimed The Book of Chance and a number of CBCA Notable Books. Sue’s latest books are Tilda, a historical novel for readers 10+ and Pearly and Pig and the Lost City of Mu Savan, the second book in her new junior fiction series. As a storyteller and schools’ performer, Sue has informed, inspired and entertained thousands of kids across the country. Sue is passionate about the power of story and is an advocate for reading and writing for pleasure.

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