Our People
Paper Bird is a wonderful nest for many specialist booksellers, artists, authors, therapists, clinicians, and art teachers.
Jennifer Jackson
Director
Jennifer is the Director of Paper Bird Children’s Books & Arts. Having worked in London, Perth and Melbourne in child mental health services and an avid visitor and supporter of children’s literature and arts centres across the world, she has collected her ideas, vision and enthusiasm to create a story house for children in Fremantle where there is a wealth of local children’s writers, illustrators and story tellers.
Also as Founding Director of Woylie Project, Jennifer has facilitated the development of Australia’s first dedicated Aboriginal story festival for kids focusing on Noongar stories amongst a diverse range of Aboriginal stories from across Australia in collaboration with Magabala Books.
James Foley
Resident Author & Illustrator
James Foley makes children’s books for children who read books. If you’re a child and you’re eating his books, you’re doing it wrong. James writes and illustrates. He gives talks and runs workshops.
James shares a wonderful studio space at Paper Bird with Briony Stewart and Samantha Hughes.
Briony Stewart
Resident Author & Illustrator
Hi I’m Briony! I’m a children’s author and illustrator from Western Australia. I have a double-degree in fine art and creative writing and love telling stories in lots of different ways. When I am not working on books you’ll most likely find me programming events, and art activities, speaking at festivals and libraries or doing something weird, like designing paper gardens, building life-sized dragons, or marshalling your local egg-rolling championships.
My first book was published in 2007, and won an Aurealis award, as well as being listed as a notable book by the CBCA. I have made many more books since then, and in 2012 I won the Children’s Book Prize in the Queensland Literary Award’s for Kumiko and the Shadow Catchers. In 2012 I was also selected by the British Council as one of 3 Australian Artists under 30, excelling in their creative field for the ‘Realize your Dream Awards’. I spent 9 months in the UK developing as a children’s Author and illustrator (and meeting many of my childhood book idols!)
I have about a bazillion art influences – from the scientific drawings and discoveries of Gould and Haekle, to the mad, rambling drawings of Searl and Blake. I love Victorian era science, whimsy and illustration, Japanese animation and print making, folktales, poetry, and ABC children’s programs pretty much all the way from the early 90’s to the present.
I am proud to be an artist from Fremantle, Western Australia and it’s here, that I continue to write and paint alongside my two delightful children, a highly-strung dog and a plant-mad husband.
Samantha Hughes
Resident Author & Illustrator
Award Winning Artist and Children’s Performer Samantha Hughes delights in making mischief, of one kind and another. She writes and illustrates in a sunny studio in Fremantle, surrounded by colour and cats. Sam has worked across Western Australia creating paintings, community artworks and books filled with magic and wild adventures.
Her artwork is fuelled by sugar and reflects the joyous colour play, and serious thinking, of childhood. Colour is her second language. She has recently returned to acrylics and is relishing making big expressive marks on canvas.
“When colours are vibrating together on the canvas, making electricity together, that is when I am at my happiest.”
Sam’s work explores story in many forms. She loves writing and drawing strong female characters and creating modern fables. Stories are a vital part of her community arts practice – writing books with children, learning about local history and personal identity and guiding children to create personal artworks that reflect their own narratives.
She is the Director of Inkling Art Space, a creative studio in Fremantle for families and children.