Before becoming a full-time writer, Wendy Blaxland was an academic teaching English and then drama at Macquarie University and the University of New England, Armidale. Her twin passions are books and theatre: she works as a dramatist, writing children’s plays for the Marian Street Theatre for Young People, and has written over 100 books for educational publishers. The Christmas Rose is Wendy’s first picture book. She currently lives in Sydney, Australia.
Lucy Hennessy is an Australian artist who was born in Sydney. She has degrees from the Institute of Art and Restoration in Florence, Italy, the University of Sydney and the National Art School. Lucy has exhibited her work in many shows and her work has been selected for some notable prize exhibitions including the Sulman Art Prize, AGNSW, and the Mosman Art Prize. Lucy follows a long line of artists who are primarily storytellers. Storytelling through her visual medium is a way of making sense of life and connecting with others. The Christmas Rose is her first book.