Current Australian Children’s Laureate Jackie French is a woman full of surprises. She is the author of over 140 books, many of them about Australia’s history, such as Waltzing Matilda; her new novel, I am Juliet, takes on Shakespeare.

Dyslexic herself, Jackie is a passionate advocate for literacy, and her classic book, Everyone Can Read, has just been re-released. She talks to children’s literature doyenne Kate de Goldi about writing history for a young audience and literacy activism.

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.