2026–2027 Laureate: Andy Griffiths

Internationally acclaimed and best-selling children’s author Andy Griffiths is the Australian Children’s Laureate for 2026 and 2027, sharing his mission ‘Reading is an Adventure!’.

“Reading was always an adventure to me. It’s like each book is a little doorway into another world. That is the true pleasure of reading and I wanted to give that to the next generation. The thing I’m most looking forward to in my Laureate term is getting out there into the wild and leading children and their parents on wild imaginative adventures. To be able to get out around Australia and show how a whole family can get involved in their child’s reading journey is a dream come true.

I am honoured to have been chosen as the Australian Children’s Laureate for 2026 and 2027.  My passion for connecting children to the power of books, reading and literacy has been the driving force for my work as a children’s author over the past three decades and the Laureateship is both an opportunity to extend that work and, at the same time, to be a proud representative and advocate for the vibrant community of equally passionate Australian children’s book creators.”

One of Australia’s most beloved and bestselling writers for young readers, Andy has written 43 books to date and sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. His books include the internationally bestselling Treehouse series (illustrated by Terry Denton), along with the Just! series, the BUM trilogy and the YOU & ME series (illustrated by Bill Hope), all of which have captivated millions of children with their anarchic, laugh-out-loud storytelling. He has won more than 100 children’s choice awards, many Australian Book Industry awards, and received numerous accolades, including the prestigious Dromkeen Medal in 2015 for his outstanding contribution to Australian children’s literature.

Andy’s new book LET’S GO, a writing and drawing book, was released on 24 February 2026 through Pan Macmillan to coincide with the start of his Laureate term.