Meet Our Committee

Deborah Hinde — Regional Advisor

Deb has been in the graphic design industry for over 40 years, first as a paste up artist and then later as an illustrator freelancing for a range of clients that included advertising agencies, print houses, publishers and manufacturers. While working with publishing companies for many years providing line art and educational artwork, it wasn’t until 2002 that she illustrated her first picture book A Kiwi Night Before Christmas (Scholastic NZ, published 2003). Since then she has illustrated another 40 or so books. In 2016 she published her first authored and illustrated book Hare, under the imprint PictureBook Publishing. She now runs a small independent publishing business based in the Waikato producing quality books that she has written and illustrated as well as other author’s work. Deb loves to create worlds and characters that children can relate to and has been a member of SCWBI for 10 years. www.deborahhinde.co.nz

Emma Wood — Assistant Regional Advisor

Emma Wood is the author of the bestselling picture book Tulip and Doug: Friends for (Almost) Ever, and its sequel, Tulip and Sprout: A Growing Friendship, both published by Scholastic NZ. Emma is a former broadcast journalist who writes non-fiction for the education market, reviews the latest kidlit titles for the Otago Daily Times, and works as a freelance writer and communications specialist. She lives with her family in beautiful Ōtepoti Dunedin. www.emmawoodbooks.com

Cesar Lador — Illustrator Coordinator

Cesar grew up in a small Swiss village, surrounded by nature and stacks of European comic books. Though initially drawn to comic book creation and enrolled in a Comic Art School in 1998, he shifted focus to study environmental engineering, determined to contribute more practically to solutions for global challenges. After a backpacking trip to New Zealand, he decided to stay, living there for 15 years while raising children and teaching water management to future engineers. Now a full time comic book artist, Cesar is currently illustrating the third book of the Miles and Jones comic series written by Sam Smith. www.cesarlador-illustration.com

Sherryl Clark — PAL Coordinator

Sherryl Clark has been a SCBWI member for over 20 years, and has published more than 70 books for children and YA. Her books have won awards in Australia, and have been published overseas in the USA, UK, China, Spain and Mexico. She has taught writing and editing for over 30 years and now works as a freelance writer and editor. Her most recent title, Mina and the Whole Wide World, has won the Australian Prime Minister’s Literary Awards in 2022. She moved back to New Zealand in 2022. www.sherrylclark.com

Frances Plumpton — Publisher Liaison

Frances has been an active member of SCBWI since she first joined in 2006, advocating for New Zealand members as Australia East/NZ ARA until 2019. She has served as assistant regional co-ordinator for Australia-East, which included New Zealand. After a 40 year career as a children’s librarian in public libraries across west Auckland, she became a literary agent, establishing my own agency in 2012. In 2022 she self-published her debut picture book, TIDE’S OUT Tai Timu, in November 2022, which is gathering some very favourable book reviews already. SCBWI NZ 2023: Mentor. www.francesplumpton.com

Katie Furze

Katie is an author of children’s stories and books who lives in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. Her debut non-fiction picture book, Tuatara, a Living Treasure, illustrated by Ned Barraud and published by Scholastic NZ in 2023 was a regional finalist in the SCBWI Crystal Kite Awards, received a Storylines Notable Book Award, and a finalist in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. A second title in the series Ruru, Night Hunter came out in July 2024. Katie’s stories and articles are regularly published in The School Magazine in Australia. She has also written early readers and children’s plays for the educational market, and published stories in anthologies. Read more about Katie at: www.katiefurze.com