9am – 2pm

All Day Activities

• Find your inner artist in the whimsical world of the Crud Muffins immersive Art Space
• Story Time: Picture book readings with the Funday Word Squad in Teepee Town
• Face Painting
• Crafts
• Live music
• In-house playground and various dining options.

9:30 – 10:15
Function Room

Blue Whale Theatre

Enjoy the magic of Blue Whale Theatre for a StoryBook Delights performance of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. With storytelling, music, song, dance and finger puppetry.

9:45 – 10:30
Star Room

Tween Book Launch

Peter Comerford will be launching his new tween fiction The Maliau Caves Adventure in the Star Room! Meet the author and let him tell you about living and working in Papua New Guinea where this story is set.

10:30 – 11:15
Star Room

Author Talk: Nathan Luff

Nathan Luff is the author of The Nerd Herd and Family Disasters series and the middle grade novels Chicken Stu and Bad Grammar. In addition to writing children’s books, Nathan writes plays for young audiences and works part time as a primary school teacher specialising in creative writing and the performing arts.

11:30 – 12:15
Star Room 

Author Talk: Kristin Darell

Kristin Darell is the author of exciting new junior fiction series ‘Football Fever’. After working as a broadcast journalist for more than twenty years, Kristin is now a passionate advocate for children’s literature. She spends her time writing, visiting schools and libraries, and working for the Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation. 

12:30 – 1:30pm
Star Room 

Picture Book Launch

Bridget Acreman’s Wizard Shark introduces us to Ben and his mate Hami who are off to see the Wizard Shark, the most fun and exciting shark in the ocean! He is great at magic and always doing tricks. What will he show the young sharks today? And Patricia Flannery is excited to be presenting Casa and Rina, new Australian characters, in her book Adventures of the She-Oak Critters. They engage children to join them in their adventures  as they explore the Australian landscape.

10:45 – 11:45
Function Room

Matthew Lin’s Illustration Demo

Matthew’s passion for art began at an early age. Known for his love of Manga and Anime, Matthew has designed and illustrated for the US and Australian markets, illustrated Marvel trading cards, won two mural submissions and was a finalist in the 2008 Gosford Regional Gallery Art Prize.

CreateNSW

The Words on the Waves Ripples (Kids and Schools Program) is supported by the NSW Government through CreateNSW.

Everglades Woy Woy

Featuring entertainment, events, weddings, golf, bowls and more… Everglades has something for everyone! Visit Everglades in the heart of the Peninsula today.

Kristin Darell

Kristin Darell has been a passionate storyteller since she was a child. Whether it was making up adventures with her twin sister, or writing about the world around her, she was rarely found without a pen and paper in hand. As an adult, she made this passion her life. She worked as a broadcast news and sports journalist for major Australian news organisations for more than twenty years. After the birth of her two children, Kristin re-focussed her attention on writing for children. As an author, she has contributed to children’s writing anthologies and is publishing her debut junior fiction series in 2022. Kristin is a strong advocate for children’s literature, working as the Program Manager for the Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation. She lives on Sydney’s northern beaches with her husband, two children, two dogs, pet snake and three-legged pygmy bearded dragon.

Nathan Luff

Nathan Luff grew up on a farm in rural NSW as one of five boys. His colourful upbringing is often the inspiration for the stories he tells. Nathan is the author of The Nerd Herd and Family Disasters series and the middle grade novels Chicken Stu and Bad Grammar. In addition to writing children’s books, Nathan writes plays for young audiences and works part time as a primary school teacher specialising in creative writing and the performing arts. He is currently the YA and Children’s Manager for the Sydney Writers’ Festival.

Matthew Lin

An experienced graphic designer and illustrator, Matthew’s passion for drawing and art began at an early age. He holds an Associate Diploma in Graphic Design and has worked across various organisations, including Scholastic Publishing and Horwitz Publications. In 2004 he went freelance and has since been busy designing and illustrating books for publishers in the USA and Australia, illustrating Marvel trading cards, creating t-shirt labels (B24FLAK and Robotcack), painting murals, and running workshops in libraries and schools. Amongst other achievements, Matthew has won two mural submissions – one for Concord Library and the other near the children’s playground at The Entrance. He was also a finalist in the 2008 Gosford Regional Gallery Art Prize. Tin Tin is one of his favourite comics and his interests are an eclectic mix that include Medieval fighting, West African dance and drumming, and gardening

Sean Murphy

Whether a festival at the Sydney Opera House,  a family show in Nigeria, or a fantastic Fun Day in Woy Woy, Sean’s M.C. expertise builds atmosphere wherever people meet. Sean has worked across fifty-five countries on some of the world’s biggest stages with his rollicking wit and interactive roving comedy. He has written and performed educational theatre, hosted cultural exchange workshops in Japan, and performed at the Melbourne comedy festival.