Peter Carnavas writes and illustrates stories for children. He has created over twenty books, many of which have been shortlisted or won awards. His work has been translated into many languages across the world and he has presented at many festivals and schools around Australia.
Peter’s first book, Jessica’s Box, was released in 2008, while he was working as a primary school teacher. Many picture books followed, including Last Tree in the City, The Children Who Loved Books and Blue Whale Blues. During these years, he also worked with other authors, most notably as illustrator for Damon Young’s series of children’s books.
After focusing on picture books for nearly a decade, Peter released his first novel, The Elephant, in 2017. The story, about a young girl and an elephant that nobody else can see, was shortlisted for five national awards and won the Children’s Book Award at the Queensland Literary Awards. The Elephant has since been sold to over ten territories across the world.
My Brother Ben, a novel about brothers, birds and boats, was released in 2021. The book was shortlisted in several national awards, was named a CBCA Notable Book and won a NSW Premier’s Literary Award, as well as a Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year award.
Peter’s latest novel, Leo and Ralph, will arrive in March 2024. It tells the story of Leo and his best friend, an imaginary alien called Ralph. When Leo’s family moves to a small country town, they hope he’ll finally make a real friend. But someone like Ralph is hard to leave behind.
Peter lives in the Sunshine Coast hinterland with his wife, two daughters, a dog called Florence and a cat named Harry. He divides his time between writing and working as a teacher-librarian.
Peter Carnavas 