Stories from Magic Beach

Alison Lester grew up on a farm near Magic Beach and first rode a horse as a baby in her father’s arms. Her picture books mix imaginary worlds with everyday life, encouraging children to believe in themselves and celebrate the differences that make them special. In 2011, Alison was appointed Australia’s first Children’s Laureate with Boori Monty Pryor, a position they shared for two years. She is currently an ambassador for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.

Robert Connolly is one of Australia’s most acclaimed and best-known filmmakers with an international career spanning thirty years. His films include the box office hit Paper Planes with Sam Worthington, Balibo starring Oscar Isaac and Anthony LaPaglia and the compendium feature film The Turning with Cate Blanchett and Rose Byrne. Most recently, Robert wrote and directed The Dry and its sequel Force of Nature based on Jane Harper’s bestseller, starring Eric Bana. In television, he directed the International Emmy-nominated The Slap and Barracuda for NBC Universal. As a producer and executive producer, Robert’s credits include The Boys, Romulus My Father, The Warriors, Gallipoli and Chasing Asylum.