The Lighthouse Princess

Susan Wardell

Susan Wardell is from Dunedin, New Zealand. She lives by the harbour, and teaches at the University of Otago, while raising two small humans and a modest indoor jungle. Alongside academic writing Susan publishes in a variety of creative genres. Her poetry, micro-fiction, book reviews and literary essays have been published in a variety of journals throughout Australasia, and won several awards. Her first picture book for children, The Lighthouse Princess, was selected for the 2021 Storylines Gavin Bishop Award for Illustration.

Rose Northey

Rose Northey is a Takapuna-born, Wellington-based illustrator and poet. She spent her childhood sketching animals with her grandfather and mother, doodled her way through an honours degree in Mechanical Engineering and after three comfy years in Product Development Engineering realised she wanted to try her luck at a creative career. At first Rose focused on performance poetry, but one day by accident, when her domestic flight was delayed by fog, she began sketching portraits of other waiting passengers to pass the time and rediscovered her joy for drawing. These portraits led to play, play led to commissions and commissions led to learning more about digital painting and gradually discovering the exciting world of illustration. Rose has been working full time as a creative for two years now. She has produced her own comedy fringe show (titled “Open your mouth and I will poet all over your face”) and has fully illustrated a visual novel game for the indie studio, SkyBear Games. A TedxAuckland Alumni and the current champion of the Going West Writers Festival Poetry Grand Slam, Rose brings a sense of joy and silliness to all of her art forms. She won the Storylines Gavin Bishop Award for Illustration in 2021, producing illustrations for Susan Wardell’s story The Lighthouse Princess.