As an advocate for children's literacy, author & illustrator Susan Berran loves encouraging kids to read and write, particularly those reluctant readers so close to moving on to high school yet not at the required reading level. 

Susan has been heavily involved with the Write Around the Murray Writers Festival for a number of years now. Work-shopping with schools, judging the 'Nano' story competition for primary children among other roles. 

Coordinating author for the 'SEED Project'. Working with 8 regional schools to produce a 'choose your own adventure' story. Which she then worked with renowned animator, Dave Jones, to animate the entire story.

I've always loved drawing and writing weird, freaky funny stories and when a teacher in grade 5 said “You should think about becoming an author” .. it stuck.

Being the middle child of five we lived in the Blue Mountains south of Sydney until I was twelve when my family moved to the quiet country town of Albury. All I could see was cows, dirt and paddocks, but no mountains and no more bush! I was not amused.

I served ten years in the Australian Army as an Illustrator Reprographic. Also attending Royal Military College for officer training. Unfortunately due to an injury during training I was medically discharged.

Whilst in the Army I met my partner and together we moved to the small township of Bethanga, 30min from Albury/Wodonga. A few years later saw the birth of our beautiful daughter, Mel. It was with her birth that I started to seriously take another look at the stories that lay forgotten among years of dust inside my head.

Mel had a story told to her every night while she was young. “Every child deserves to drift off to sleep safe and happy.”

At the age of 8 Mel harassed me until I read one of the stories to her school class.

.

By the end of that same year I'd had two publishing offers and my feet haven't touched the ground since.

.

Albury has grown some-what and I still live in the small town of Bethanga with my partner, our daughter Mel, her dog Spitzy (Fluff Butt) and her brother and sisters, Echo the Knob-Tailed Gecko, Freddo the White Lipped Tree Frog & Ally the cat.