Storytellers

A.J. Hill

Born in Brisbane, Australia, A.J. Hill has always been drawn to books and their stories. The second youngest of five children, she and her younger sister, Kate, played and imagined their way through their childhood. They rode horses and had a menagerie of ducks, chooks, geese, galahs, budgies, finches, fish, dogs and a cat. Her mother read to them every night and that love of stories and books was something that she wanted to give to her own children.

As a weed scientist and science communicator, stories have also helped her to teach concepts to children and adults. Her young children would often say that their mother was a ‘weird scientist’!

A.J. Hill and her family live in the regional city of Wagga Wagga, Australia. Their home is shared with a new menagerie of animals – ponies, dogs, ducks, chooks, a chook-that-wants-to-be-a-duck and a galah that chats away when it isn’t ringing like a telephone! Her husband and two book-loving children have perceptual dyslexia and wear coloured lenses. These lenses have changed their learning journeys.

‘The Story Snatchers’ was written in 2016 in collaboration with her then primary aged children, ‘the junior authors’, who write under the pen names, M.E. Grace and C. Hook (chosen because ‘you all call me Chook!’). The story was first written as a gift for her young nieces and for two friends (four of the Story Weaver characters are based on these children). Creating the book also encouraged her eight year old son to read more challenging chapter books now that he had his new, orange-tinted Irlen lenses.

Writing the adventure stories together has been a wonderful experience for the whole family. The authors hope that this series will increase the awareness and understanding of Irlen Syndrome and also support and empower those who have been diagnosed.

AND IT HAS

— and the best thing is that it has also made wonderful changes in the lives of others too! xx AJH

M.E. Grace

Born in Wagga Wagga, Australia, M.E. Grace has been a bookworm since she could hold a cloth book. Audio books, reading stories with her parents and looking at picture books as a young child started her love of books and reading. Even before being diagnosed with Irlen Syndrome, she inhaled the stories from any book that she could find! Although she loved reading and writing stories, spelling did not come as easily and her writing was quite difficult to read. After being tested for Irlen Syndrome when she was 8 years old, M.E. Grace found that wearing yellow lenses changed things for her at school and she has never looked back.

M.E. Grace now wears grey tinted lenses. She likes writing short stories and poems and performing in plays. She reads a wide variety of books – just like Samuel’s sister, Kate in The Story Snatchers. M.E. Grace made sure that her younger brother, C. Hook became her reading apprentice when he was old enough to look at a book.

This sister and brother duo have spent many hours playing, creating and imagining in their garden, playroom or reading area. The Story Weaver character, Meg, is based on M.E. Grace. This young author would certainly love to live in a book shop!

The third book in the series, The Music Meddlers, will be a collaboration between M.E. Grace and A.J. Hill. Listening to music and playing piano or cello are where you’ll find her when she isn’t reading - or perhaps it is all research for her next story!

C. Hook

Born in Wagga Wagga, Australia, C. Hook became a reading apprentice to his older sister when he was still in his cot! His four year old sister would share stories with him – often using toys to act out the story for her little brother. C. Hook chose this pen name because “you always call me Chook!” and is known for his creative and ‘out-side-the-box’ thinking. In his early years at school, he had no difficulties reading or spelling but as the years progressed, the text became smaller, the sentences on the page increased and many books became too daunting to read on his own. His concentration and behaviour after a school day were often scratchy!

C. Hook was tested for Irlen Syndrome at 8 years old. He was prescribed lenses that had an orange tint. This was the time that The Story Snatchers was first written. C. Hook chose to become the story character, ‘Samuel’. He also designed the machines in the story e.g. those found in The Shredding Basement. Writing a book with his mother and sister gave him the confidence to explore books that were not written as comic strips or printed in large, well-spaced text. He would now describe himself as a bookworm who often gets lost in a book and becomes distracted from what he should be doing!

C .Hook loves learning, creating things with Lego, playing sport, piano and doing drama. He and M.E. Grace have also acted in a children’s theatre performance of The Story Snatchers which was adapted for stage by A.J. Hill. He certainly knows the power of coloured lenses during school and sporting activities and often comments how they ‘calm him’ when places are noisy or busy. His second book, The Picture Pinchers, was written with his mother and he is already planning what will happen to The Story Weavers on their next adventures.

Di Holding – book cover designer and person who makes ideas ‘happen’!

Born in Sydney, Di Holding grew up in a family that loved books and stories. She studied Agricultural Science and moved to regional NSW after completing her degree. She met A.J. Hill when she moved to Wagga Wagga. The friends worked together on a number of agricultural publications for farmers, agronomists, schools, TAFE and universities. More recently they have worked together on publications produced by AnDi Communications (www.andicom.com.au). When The Story Snatchers was in pre-publication, A.J. Hill asked Di if she would help design the cover. The two friends and the junior authors have really enjoyed producing the Story Weaver adventures for Bacalen Books. Once Di Holding was introduced to the world of Bacalen, she knew it was a story that needed to be told and the authors are certainly glad that she has helped make that happen.