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. His next novel, My Brother Ben, was released in October 2021.
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 