Married creative collaborators Marc McBride (Deltora Quest illustrator) and Sofie Laguna (author and 2015 Miles Franklin Award winner), share the individual and joint paths that brought them to the incredible creation of Blunderbore - a new, fractured fairytale graphic novel that is truly mind-blowing.

Throughout this episode, Sofie and Marc share how creativity shaped their childhoods and careers. Sofie describes moving from law to acting, working as a jobbing actor (including being a fairy at children’s parties), studying writing at RMIT, and the path to publishing her first contracted picture book, My Yellow Blanket, with illustrator Tom Jellett, which has recently been re-published.

Marc recounts early drawing and storytelling, studying design, art-busking on the sidewalks of Ireland, as well as producing murals around the world. He did set-design work before his break through contributions to Revelation Magazine, which led to illustration contracts. Soon after moving to Sydney, Marc landed a contract to illustrate the covers of Deltora Quest, which gained worldwide recognition and awards.

Sofie and Marc discuss their 'meet-cute' at a children's book festival in 2005, sharing the social demands of festivals and school visits. Sofie then shares her vulnerable Miles Franklin award-winning experience while caring for a young baby.

The chat then moves into the years-long evolution of Marc's dream project - the fractured-fairy-tale graphic novel Blunderbore, written by Sofie and illustrated by Marc, as well as the art's various iterations through other children's novels Sofie wrote, as well as The Glimme by Emily Rodda.

Blunderbore releases 27 October 2026 with a Halloween launch at Mill Park Library, Melbourne.

LINKS:

Blunderbore

Marc McBride on Instagram - @marcmcbride2

Marc McBride Website - marcmcbride.com

Deltora Quest

Sofie Laguna on Instagram - @sofielagunabooks

Sofie Laguna Website - sofielaguna.com

The Eye of the Sheep - 2015 Miles Franklin Award winning novel

Follow The KidLit Pod on Instagram (@thekidlitpod)

Find out more about The KidLit Pod host, Shara Curlett, here:

Shara Curlett on Instagram (@sharacurlett)

Shara Curlett Website (www.sharacurlett.com)

Tim Probert is the award-winning author-illustrator of the critically acclaimed, global sensation, the Lightfall graphic novel series.

In episode 23 of The KidLit Pod, host Shara Curlett chats with Tim about his creative origins, career path, and process.

With a childhood immersed in creativity, Tim describes how his love for drawing emerged early on, and how he was constantly drawing both because of the enjoyment of it, and as a way of helping him to focus while listening in class at school. He shares how he created LEGO epics, and drew inspiration from games like The Legend of Zelda. Unsure of which creative path to pursue, Tim later studied traditional fine arts at Boston University, taught himself Photoshop, and entered animation via clean-up work on a Dora the Explorer project.

Tim illustrated the Kickstarter scratch-and-sniff picture book New York, Phew York!, then moved to NYC, rebuilt his portfolio, and was hired by Macmillan to illustrate Pickle, followed by series work like Rip and Red. He spent 10 years at the Nathan Love animation studio as a design/art director before leaving to do books full time.

Shara and Tim then delve into Lightfall’s development (with first character sketches in 2013), his character design choices for anxious Bea and Cad, inspiration including Dinotopia, Bone, Nausicaä, and his workflow: outline, screenplay-format script, thumbnails, red-pencil pages inked in graphite, scanning, Photoshop lettering and digital painting with textures.

Each Lightfall book has 256 pages, is published on a two-year schedule with a contract for six in total, and with book five currently in progress. Tim discusses cinematic influences from storyboarding, using references mainly for environments and color, the challenges of printing dark palettes for The Dark Times, and Lightfall’s growth to 21 languages.

The episode closes noting a special-edition hardcover release now available in Australia and New Zealand.

LINKS:

Tim Probert on Instagram: @timprobert

Tim Probert Website: timprobert.com

Lightfall series via Harper Collins website

New York, Phew York!

Pickle

D&D: Dungeon Academy Series

MENTIONS:

Nathan Love animation studio

The Silmarillion

Nausicaa

Follow The KidLit Pod on Instagram (@thekidlitpod)

Find out more about The KidLit Pod host, Shara Curlett, here:

Shara Curlett on Instagram (@sharacurlett)

Shara Curlett Website (www.sharacurlett.com)

Historical children's fiction can be a critical link that piques a child's interest in both non fiction and history, and South Australian journalist and for award-winning children’s author, Catherine Bauer, this is an area that has really sparked her joy.

In episode 22 of The KidLit Pod, Catherine discusses her creative childhood and how she would delight in making her own books, adding colourful drawings and stapling the pages together. She respects the role that boredom had in developing her imagination, and how encouragement from parents and teachers led her into journalism.

Catherine describes balancing writing with single motherhood and work, her research-driven approach to historical themes, and how journalism skills support accuracy and succinct picture-book craft.

With five children's titles behind her, including award-winning Dreaming Soldiers (about a white Australian boy and an Indigenous friend in wartime), three other picture books and a WWII Amsterdam YA novel, Catherine shares the process behind her latest picture book, Joey Gets His Wings (Big Sky), illustrated by Jennifer Horn, including her research methods, and how it was inspired by real WWI mascots, including pilot Captain Elliot “Tab” Pflaum’s leather kangaroo.

Catherine also shares incredible tips on writing succinctly, alongside her current projects which include another picture book, alongside a cosy crime mystery.

LINKS:

Catherine Bauer on Instagram: @catherinebauerwrites

Catherine Bauer Website: catherinebauer.com

Joey Gets His Wings (latest picture book)

Dreaming Soldiers (first award-winning picture book)

Tulips for Breakfast (YA novel)

Juniper's Painting (picture book)

Colourful Memories (picture book)

Australia Remembers - Len Waters, Boundless and Born to Fly

Follow The KidLit Pod on Instagram (@thekidlitpod)

Find out more about The KidLit Pod host, Shara Curlett, here:

Shara Curlett on Instagram (@sharacurlett)

Shara Curlett Website (www.sharacurlett.com)