The Scott Stuart Literary Prize

In March 2023, a teacher was fired for reading my picture book “My Shadow is Purple”, a book that challenges gender stereotypes and the gender binary.

Fortunately, this kicked off a court case that is aiming to end this kind of censorship in classrooms. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident.

My books, and others like it, that celebrate inclusion beyond gender stereotypes have been systematically targeted by local councils, school districts and religious groups (both here in Australia and Internationally) – each seeking to silence & censor stories that expand children’s understanding of identity and belonging.

These censorship efforts are calculated attempts to erase narratives of diversity, to limit children’s access to stories that reflect the beautiful complexity of the human experience. They are deliberate attempts to narrow children’s perspectives, and to enforce restrictive views of who they can be and how they can exist in the world.

I believe every child deserves to see themselves reflected in literature – to know they are seen, valued, and celebrated. This literary prize is one small response to this systematic censorship. One small effort in helping more books that celebrate inclusivity find their way onto shelves, and into children’s hearts.