Our judges
Lower Primary section judge – Kristin Martin
Kristin Martin is a poet, picture book author and primary school teacher from Adelaide, South Australia. Her books include Where Shall We Travel Today?, Banjo Frog’s Concert Spectacular, and her children’s poetry collection, To Rhyme or Not to Rhyme?
Her poems also appear in magazines, anthologies, art exhibitions and websites around the world. Kristin lives near the sea with her family, frogs, turtles and a bearded dragon named Ash.
Upper Primary section judge – Jackie Hosking
Jackie is a children’s picture author and poet. Her books have been published by Walker Books, Scholastic, The National Museum of Australia and Larrikin House.Jackie has 4 new picture books coming out this year with Walker Books.
Her poems have appeared in magazines, anthologies, educational texts & websites all over the world.Jackie loves to write in rhyme and metre and when she’s not doing that, she is helping others do the same and when she’s not doing that she is looking after gorgeous little poppets as a professional nanny.
Secondary section judge – Joel McKerrow
Joel McKerrow is an award-winning writer, keynote speaker, children’s author and one of Australia’s most successful performance poets. Full time in his creative work for the last sixteen years, he performs and presents sessions in over fifty schools a year, as well as within many of Australia’s leading literary festivals.
Joel has twelve books/albums of poetry, a teen HEIST series with Penguin Random House, as well as a graphic novel series (URBAN LEGEND HUNTERS) and a murder mystery (GRAVE ROBBING AND OTHER CURIOUS ACTIVITIES) with Larrikin House.
Judges list from 1984 - 2025
