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-eight trade books in a variety of genres: fiction and nonfiction, picture books through to YA, including my bestselling novels Missing and The Book of Chance, the popular Pearly and Pig series and the award-winning A Swim in the Sea, illustrated by Meredith Thomas. Eight of my books (both novels and picture books) have been named as CBCA Notable books, and three books have been shortlisted for Children’s Choice Awards – the REAL Awards. The Book of Chance, a mystery/suspense novel for readers 10+, was shortlisted for the 2021 CBCA Book of the Year Awards, the WAYRBA, YABBA, KOALA, and KROC  awards and was awarded Highly Commended in the 2021 Davitt Awards for Best Children’s Crime Novel. My latest books include the crime mystery novel for readers 10+, Promises and Other Lies and the picture book Sidney of Sydney, illustrated by Liz Anelli.

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.

OFFICIAL BIO

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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-five+ 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 writes for many age groups, from picture books through to YA, including the bestselling novels Missing and The Book of Chance, and the popular Pearly and Pig series. Her latest books include Sidney of Sydney, illustrated by Liz Anelli, and the crime mystery novel for readers 10+, Promises and Other Lies. Sue is a passionate advocate for reading for pleasure and loves enthusing kids about books and reading.

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