The Current Laureate
Ursula Dubosarsky – Australian Children's Laureate 2020–2021
Ursula Dubosarsky was born in Sydney and wanted to be a writer from the age of six. She is now the author of over 60 books for children and young adults. She has won many national prizes, including the NSW, Victorian, South Australian and Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards, the Children’s Book Council Book of the Year Award, and has been nominated for the international Hans Christian Anderson and Astrid Lindgren awards for children’s literature. Her books have been published widely across the world and translated into fourteen different languages.
After leaving school Ursula studied classical languages and English literature at Sydney University and then travelled overseas. She married in London, returned to Sydney and had three children. She pursued her writing career while working in various jobs, including some years at the NSW Department of Education’s School Magazine. She completed a PhD from Macquarie University in children’s literature at this time.
Meet Ursula Dubosarsky
Watch an extended video about Ursula,
along with the rest of the
Australian Children's Laureate Series
Her award-winning work includes picture books, such as 'The Terrible Plop'; novels for older children, including 'The Blue Cat'; and the non-fiction ‘Word Spy’ books about the English language. Three of her works have been adapted for theatre, and her book 'Too Many Elephants in This House' was chosen for National Simultaneous Story-time.
Other highlights include creating the story 'Reindeer’s Christmas Surprise' for the annual David Jones Christmas window display, and writing the picture book 'Midnight at the Library' for the 50th anniversary of the National Library of Australia.
Ursula is a frequent visitor in libraries, schools and festivals around the world, talking about books and reading, and teaching children and adults the art of creative writing. She is currently a member of the Library Council of the State Library of NSW.