Entertainment
16 May, 2025
Author makes special visit
AUSTRALIAN Children’s Laureate and best-selling beloved children’s author Sally Rippin is visiting Cairns this week.
The nation’s highest-selling female author has written more than 100 books for children and young adults, including the wildly popular ‘School of Monsters’ series (Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing).
While in Cairns, she will join fellow children’s author and local creative learning educator Lachlann Carter at a series of events and workshops, helping to foster a love of stories for kids in FNQ.
“I am so thrilled to be able to meet with people all across the country during my laureateship to talk about how best to engage kids with reading,” Ms Rippin said.
“I am also excited to chat with children in Cairns about my books and encourage them to share their own stories.”
Ms Rippin will be running storytime sessions for children and families at the Hambledon House open day today (Friday, May 16) from 2pm and at Smithfield Shopping Centre tomorrow from 9.30am-10.30am.
Both events are free, no registration required and everyone is welcome to join.
At the events she will be joined by Hairy Sam, one of the characters from School of Monsters, and a favourite with her readers.
Ms Rippen’s tour also includes several visits at schools, including a hybrid in-person/online workshop for children and families at the Cairns School of Distance Education and a series of workshops at Cairns West State State School.
These sessions are designed to give students at the schools valuable insight into the creative process of one of Australia’s most successful children’s authors.
