Who We Are
The 2022-2023 Laureate is Gabrielle Wang.
To read more about the current Australian Children's Laureate click here.
The Australian Children’s Laureate Initiative
The Children's Laureate is appointed on a biennial basis and must be an Australian author and/or illustrator of children’s and/or youth literature, who is making a significant contribution to the children’s literature canon of this country.
The role of the Australian Children's Laureate is to promote the transformational power of reading, creativity and story in the lives of young Australians.
The Laureate also acts as a national and international ambassador for Australian children’s literature, speaking on behalf of all creators and the entire industry.
Our previous Laureates are:
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Ursula Dubosarsky (2020–2021)
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Leigh Hobbs (2016–2017)
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Jackie French (2014–15)
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Alison Lester and Boori Monty Pryor (2012–13)
For more on our previous Laureates click here.
The Australian Children’s Laureate is an initiative developed by the Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation (ACLF).
The establishment of an Australian Children’s Laureate is based on the successful implementation of this initiative in the UK. Children's Laureate programs are also operating in Finland, Netherlands, Ireland, Mexico, Sweden and Wales, and there is a National Ambassador for Young People's Literature in the US.
About the ACLF
The Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation (ACLF) is a not-for-profit organisation with representation from across the field of children's and young adult literature. Founded in 2008 as the Australian Children's Literature Alliance (ACLA), the name was changed to ACLF in 2018 to clarify the focus of the organisation's work.
The ACLF's vision is to enrich the lives of young Australians through the power of story.
The ACLF’s mission is:
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to promote the value and importance of reading
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to raise the profile of books in the lives of Australian children and young adults
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to respond to identified needs and issues in the children's & youth literature national landscape
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to champion the cause of young australians' reading in a consultative, collegial and inclusive way within a cultural framework that showcases the best of Australian Literature for young people, and
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to undertake selected national projects that will promote these objects nationally.
The ACLF’s primary activity is the development and management of the Australian Children’s Laureate program.
The ACLF has held deductible gift recipient (DGR) status since 2014.