Stream live or watch on demand. The Australian Reading Hour is back! Celebrate with some of your students’ favourite authors and illustrators including Peter Helliar & Sally Rippin!

This event is presented by Australia Reads in partnership with Sydney Opera House, and is supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

The Magic of Storytelling will be hosted by comedian and Frankie Fish series author Peter Helliar, our stellar line up of authors – Sally Rippin (Billie B Brown series), Gregg Dreise (My Culture and Me) and Andrew McDonald (Real Pigeons series) – will work together to create and narrate an imaginative and collaborative story, line by line.

Listening attentively, the evolving story will be illustrated LIVE by 3 celebrated illustrators – Ben Wood (Real Pigeons series), Chris Kennett (School of Monsters series), and Shiloh Gordon(The Underdogs series). They’re all listening to the same story as it evolves, but will their illustrations all LOOK the same when revealed at the end?

Together Peter Helliar and our other talented creators will discuss the multiple interpretations a single story can have while introducing students to key storytelling techniques, encouraging them to think in ways that are imaginative, creative, interpretive and critical. After the event, use our free teacher resources to apply these learnings in the classroom!