Phillip Gwynne Visiting Author

Phillip Gwynne, the prolific, multi-award winning Australian author does so much more than just talk in his dynamic presentations.

Depending on the age, interests and abilities of his audience Phillip will tailor each performance to maximize the impact of his ‘writing is for everyone’ message. As you can imagine after 23 years of writing over 30 books and presentations too numerous to count, he has a host of topics to choose from …

• Getting your first book published: is it that difficult?
• Social Justice – how writing can make a difference! (Small Town)
• The different types of writing Phillip does: picture books, chapter books, novels, film, television, journalism
• Ideas: where do they come from and what do you do with them?
• How Phillip’s kids help him to write - he sometimes even steals ideas from them! (Little Piggy’s Got No Moves).
• Rhyme: why rhyme rocks your socks! (Ten Green Geckos, A Boat of Stars)
• Why does it take twenty minutes to write one book (Ruby Learns to Swim) and years to write another (What’s Wrong With The Wobbegong)?
• How books can help readers think differently about the world they live in (Brothers from a Different Mother)?
• Role play: students act out one of Phillip’s stories (The Queen with the Wobbly Bottom)

Phillip’s own story: how one of eight children who grew up in a rural house that had no books became a multi-award winning novelist and scriptwriter, is funny, moving and absolutely inspirational. Along the way he also managed to be a professional footballer, a marine biologist, a fruit picker and a computer programmer, so Phillip is able to incorporate a rich amount of life experience into his presentations. Phillip has been giving school talks and running writing workshops for over twenty years. As a father himself - he has a 28 yo son and 14 and 12 yo daughters - he is absolutely passionate about working with kids, nurturing and developing their reading and their writing.