Your Next Read Gold: Beach Camping

About the Author

Zanni Louise is an internationally published Australian author of over 50 books from picture books to young adult novels (writing as Zanni L. Arnot.) Her books have been recognised by prominent speech pathology and educational publishing awards, as well as the Children’s Book Council of Australia, White Raven’s International Catalogue of Children’s Books, Panda Awards, K.O.A.L.A. Awards, Sakura Book Medal Reading List and the Australian Book Design Awards, among others. Her middle-grade novel, Queenie in Seven Moves, is on the New South Wales school curriculum. Zanni has a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Creative Writing, as well as a Graduate Diploma of Psychology and a Certificate in Counselling. She currently lives in an artists' warehouse in the Netherlands with two tall teens and an even taller husband. Zanni loves visiting schools, organising retreats for grown-ups, and running in forests. She is the founder of The Sunshine House, a growing community of writers and illustrators, as well as an author ambassador for Room To Read, which supports girls’ education and literacy.

Hannah Sommerville is an award-winning children’s author and illustrator based on the South Coast of NSW. She began illustrating in 2010 after the arrival of her first child, who she credits with reintroducing her to the world of picture books. Since then, she has illustrated more than 20 picture books, including the CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood winner Jetty Jumping by Andrea Rowe.

Her work is known for richly detailed worlds filled with warmth and small discoveries for children to uncover. Many of these details are drawn from her family life and her own childhood memories, with toys and trinkets from home often hidden among the pages of her books.

Hannah enjoys pineapple tea, bullet journaling, the bouldering gym and meditation classes. Notably, she often sports pink-tinted glasses, a unique accessory needed due to Visual Snow Syndrome, an uncommon neurological disorder characterized by a continuous visual disturbance that resembles the static of a detuned analog television. The visual snow can be mitigated somewhat by the pink lenses.