Authors

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Kelly Wilson (Author) Kelly Wilson is the bestselling author of six autobiographical non-fiction books- For the Love of Horses, Stallion Challenges, Mustang Ride, Saving the Snowy Brumbies, Taming the Wild and Wild Horses of the World, a children's picture book Ranger the Kaimanawa Stallion and the junior chapter book series Showtym Adventures. She also co-authored a middle-grade novel, Showtym Viking, with her sister Amanda. With her sisters Vicki and Amanda, Kelly starred in the hit-rating TV series, Keeping Up with the Kaimanawas, following their work taming New Zealand's wild Kaimanawa horses, and has travelled around the globe to document, rescue and tame wild horses. Nina Sutherland (Author) Nina Sutherland grew up in Northland, New Zealand, and learned to ride at a young age. When she was ten years old she had her first taste of working with wild ponies, helping bestselling author and horsewoman Kelly Wilson to train a wild mare, Shyla, for the Australian Brumby Challenge. Two years later Nina participated in Kelly Wilson's Wild Kaimanawa Workshop, adopting and training a wild colt named Thunder, and also trained Allegiance, a wild seven-year-old stallion. She competed both ponies in the 2018 Kaimanawa Freedom to Friendship Challenge with top results. With Kelly Wilson she has co-written a series of novels for children that were inspired by these life-changing experiences. She lives in New Zealand's Hawke's Bay, where she works for Vicki Wilson's stables as a fulltime equestrian.

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Oliver Sutherland is a retired scientist who studied at the University of Canterbury, then at Cambridge University and the University of California (Berkeley). He joined the Department of Scientific & Industrial Research in Nelson in 1969, remaining with the department and then Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research until 2003. On returning from study overseas he joined the Nelson Maori Committee, established the Nelson Race Relations Action Group and, in 1973, the Auckland Committee on Racism and Discrimination. In the mid-1980s Oliver led a challenge to the mono-culturalism of the science sector and helped conceive and frame the Native Flora and Fauna Claim to the Waitangi Tribunal (Wai 262).

Eve Sutton (Author) Eve Sutton was born and raised in England and moved to New Zealand as an adult. She worked as a primary school teacher and as a Braille transcriber before writing her critically acclaimed children's books. Of these, My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes was the only picture book, and a celebrated partnership with her cousin by marriage, Lynley Dodd. First published in 1974, My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes won the Esther Glen Award in 1975. Lynley Dodd (Illustrator) Lynley Dodd graduated from the Elam School of Art in Auckland with a diploma in Fine Arts, majoring in sculpture. She went on to teach art before taking a break to start a family. She began to work as a freelance illustrator and collaborated with author Eve Sutton on My Cat Likes To Hide in Boxes. There was no looking back as Lynley went on to write and illustrate her own books for children. Exuberant artwork and bouncy rhymes come together perfectly in books like Slinky Malinki and Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy. As well as being a visual delight, these are some of the most rewarding books for children and adults to read out loud. It comes as no surprise that, as a child, she adored Dr Seuss because of his 'crazy sounds and the fact that he took such liberties with the English language.' Other favourite authors included A A Milne and the fairy tales of The Grimm Brothers and Hans Christian Andersen. Today, Lynley is a big fan of Quentin Blake 'because of his humour and very clever art work.'

Sally Sutton (Author) Aucklander Sally Sutton has been writing picture books, children's novels and plays for two decades. She is celebrated for her witty wordplay and musical language, which make reading her stories a magical moment between parent and child. The author of the bestselling The Cat from Muzzle (illustrated by Scott Tulloch), she has been awarded several Storylines Notable Book Awards for her work, and in 2009 she and illustrator Brian Lovelock won the Best Picture Book category of the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults for Roadworks. Read more about Sally at www.sallysutton.co.nz Sarah Wilkins (Illustrator) Sarah Wilkins was born in Lower Hutt. The middle child of seven, she dreamt of becoming a solo explorer. Dreaming and drawing, which she loved, go together, so she became an illustrator instead. Her award-winning images can be found on buildings, buses, bags and many other curious places around the world, but they feel most at home on the pages of beautiful books. She is the illustrator of the 2020 Best Picture Book Award-winning Abigail and the Birth of the Sun, with author Matthew Cunningham. Find out more about her work at www.sarahwilkins.net

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Antony Suvalko is an unlikely mix of a foodie-centric technology geek and digital media specialist. He has over 25 years hands-on business experience under his belt including the running of his own successful catering company in NZ. Leanne Kitchen is a well-known food and travel writer and photographer who has morphed from professional chef to, variously, food stylist, food editor, cooking demonstrator, recipe developer, travel and food photographer and cookbook author. She is based in Sydney, Australia.

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Wellington writer Philippa Swan trained as a landscape architect, with degrees from Otago and Melbourne. Her nonfiction book, Life (and Death) in a Small City Garden, was published in 2001 to critical acclaim. In 2006 her award-winning short story 'Life Coach' was selected for the NZ Book Month publication The Six Pack. Another, more recent story was selected for the LitCrawl short story competition. She has been a freelance writer for a number of lifestyle magazines for over 15 years, including a columnist for NZ Gardener and Cuisine magazines. 'Philippa Swan's is an original voice that is articulate, humorous and disarmingly refreshing.' - NZ Books