Margaret James, M.Ed (TESOL), is the winner of several awards and accolades including NT Australian of the Year finalist, QUT Faculty of Education outstanding alumni, Courier Mail 50 Brightest and Best. She was shaped by her multilingual rural childhood in Southern Africa where Indigenous languages surrounded her. This significantly influenced her choice of tertiary studies - among these were linguistics, languages, education, Teaching English as an Additional Language, choral conducting and voice. This background was to prove invaluable when, after a fulfilling and varied career in several countries, she moved into Indigenous Education in Australia. The paucity of engaging, early-reading material for EALD learners and her relationship with Elders of several Australian Nations, led her to develop several linguistically and culturally appropriate books and resources in English and several Aboriginal languages. Her first series is the innovative and highly successful Honey Ant® Readers. While visiting schools and communities in order to deliver Professional Development for the Honey Ant® Readers, Margaret became increasingly aware of the similar need for engaging, early-reading material for older learners as well. She worked closely with Elders, students and illustrators to develop linguistically and culturally appropriate learn-to-read story books for older readers, and books which could be enjoyed by non-Indigenous readers equally, while teaching them about the cultures and food gathering practices of Australian First Peoples. This included trips to the desert and the coast with Elders and children who shared their knowledge about tracking, hunting and fishing for food. Reading Tracks® - stories about hunting, tracking and fishing - is the result! Vincent Forrester is a Luritja/Aranda man, born in Alice Springs. He has lived most of his life in remote areas around Kings Canyon and Uluru. He spent his youth on Angas Downs cattle station, owned by his uncle, where he was taught traditional law and lore by his forefathers. His grandmothers taught him about the bush medicine and bush foods. It was on the cattle station that Vincent became a tour guide and later worked at Kings Canyon, Uluru and Alice Springs Desert Park. In the 1970s, he worked with other political activists such as Charlie Perkins to set up Central Land Council, Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association, Imparja and Central Australian Aboriginal Congress. He also became heavily involved in national and territory politics that began when he was chairman of the National Aboriginal Conference (a precursor to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission) and worked as an advisor to Gough Whitlam, Malcolm Fraser and Bob Hawke. During this time, he also became an advisor for the UN in Geneva. Vincent became a good artist at the turn of this century and has now begun to write personal and family stories, building on his talent as a brilliant story-teller.Jayo Stenz was born and raised in a Permaculture village in South East Queensland. Drawing has been a favourite hobby since he could hold a pencil. He started animating cartoons at a young age for fun but never pursued it as a career. Jayo served in the Australian Navy for 6 years and after leaving he gave himself a ‘Gap year’ of freedom, travelling and deciding on his future. He found that his true passions were both being outdoors and making cartoons. He’s found his niche in the Outdoor Recreation industry, and spends all his spare time following his other passion – drawing and animating cartoons.
