Authors

Carlos Biggemann was born in Bolivia and has lived in the coastal city of Dunedin, New Zealand since 2006. His passion for photography began as he experimented with light and movement while still at high school. Following his passion, he obtained a Certificate in Digital Photography at Aoraki Polytechnic in 2012. Carlos’ photographic career includes acting as Special Olympics official photographer at regional and international Special Olympics competitions. Carlos was also an official photographer at the National Down Syndrome Achievement Award ceremony held in Wellington at the Parliament House. He was an accredited photographer at the Carnaval de Oruro in Bolivia, and a photographer for noted New Zealand milliner Lindsay Kenneth for his hat fashion show, and appointed photographer for the book A Passion for Fashion, a biography of Lindsay Kenneth by Hilary Hunt. Carlos presented five exhibitions, three in Bolivia and two in New Zealand. Carlos’s work was recognised internationally in the My Perspective Contest in London. In 2014 his photograph “Spread Your Wings Little One” was a nominated finalist among close to 300 images submitted. In 2015 his photograph “A Journey Never Ends” was one of 25 shortlisted images out of more than 250 submissions. In 2016 his photograph “Colours of Fire” was awarded second place, and with the same image Carlos was the first recipient of the Stephen Thomas award — the prize was delivered in London by Dame Judi Dench. In 2018 his photograph “Autumn Trees” won the People’s Choice award, and in 2020 his photograph “Snowy Morning” was Finalist. At the World Down Syndrome Congress in July 2018 in Glasgow, UK, Carlos delivered a presentation entitled “Down Syndrome is not a disability, disability is not to try.” In 2021 Attitude Pictures made a documentary about Carlos, his life and photography, and the development of the book CUMULUS: an anthology of skies. Carlos lives with his whole heart.

Miro Bilbrough is a writer and filmmaker who grew up in New Zealand and lives in Australia. Her poetry chapbook Small-time spectre was published by Kilmog in 2010, and she has a Creative Doctorate of Arts in screenwriting and screen studies from the Writing and Research Centre, Western Sydney University. Her critically acclaimed feature films are Being Venice (2012), which premiered at Sydney Film Festival, and Floodhouse (2004). Excerpts and trailers, as well as her six-minute ciné-poem Urn (1995), can be viewed at www.mirobilbrough.com

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Alesha Bilbrough-Collins (The Lion) is a chef who has worked across the hospitality industry, including stints for Ottolenghi and Ramsay Holdings in London. Returning to New Zealand, Alesha and husband John (The Bear) opened BearLion Foods, which has had various incarnations, and these days operates as a sustainable and organic food, catering and private chef business based in Upper Moutere, Tasman.

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A Duffy Books in Homes role model since 2014, author Judi Billcliff spends a lot of time visiting schools throughout New Zealand delighting students (and teachers) with her poetry performances. Judi is the author of the popular 'Granny' series of poetry books and has written numerous poetry and drama sources for teachers. Judi lives and works from her home in Hamilton. Deborah Hinde has brought many picture book manuscripts to life with her gorgeous illustrations. Titles she's illustrated include the best seller Moo and Moo and the little Calf too (Allen&Unwin, 2016) and The Spaghetti Giraffe (Flat Bed Press, 2017) a Storylines Notable Book 2018, along with her own independently published titles Hare and Hollybee Hope wants a Prickly Coat. Deborah lives and works from her home-based studio in rural Waikato.

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Greg Billington is a New Zealander who is the author of several novels. He has a lifetime of experience in business and was co-founder of an international skin care company. He has also worked briefly, in government.

Victor Billot was born in Dunedin in 1972. He has worked in communications, publishing and the maritime industry. In 2020 he was commissioned by the Newsroom website to write a series of political satires in verse. His poems have been displayed in the Reykjavik City Hall and in Antarctica.

Janet Bingham grew up in Scotland, and studied fashion design at Edinburgh College of Art. She has worked in the jeans industry since the early 1980s, designing for brands such as Lee and Lee Cooper Jeans. In 1997 she founded Bear Brothers specializing in denim household textiles, which became a best seller for iconic design retailer The Conran Shop. After emigrating to New Zealand in 2007 with her two sons, she created mens and womens denim ranges for various companies, and introduced skinny jeans to the Kiwi market. Three years ago the bears came out of hibernation and Janet relaunched the Bear Brothers brand merging her passions for household textiles and clothing, all of course, crafted from denim. In September 2019, Janet opened her first denim store in Devonport, Auckland. She has neither written nor illustrated a book before, but decided as with most things in her life - to give it a go.