Ron Gorman has extensive experience in teaching and leading a diversity of schools in WA and Victoria. Ron has also presented nationally, on reading, writing and children’s literature, and has edited and contributed to numerous publications. Ron’s broad, deep interests in the arts has involved him in many organisations related to children, literature and the importance of reading. He is past-Chair and current Board member of the Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation, advocating for Australian authors and illustrators. Ron has also recently been awarded a Doctor of Education by Edith Cowan University for his contributions to the wider education community.

Francesca Spillane is an educator, artist and literacy advocate based in Victoria. She works as part of the education team at Zart Art, where she designs and delivers professional learning for teachers across Australia. With over 15 years of classroom experience, Francesca specialises in embedding creativity within literacy through evidence-informed, inclusive practice. She advocates for inclusive education and accessibility. Her work focuses on multimodal learning, student voice and critical response to text. Francesca presents at national conferences, contributes to professional publications and is passionate about strengthening teacher confidence in creative, disciplined literacy instruction.