Settle in for story time with beloved children’s author Alison Lester as she shares her Antarctic tales at the Australian Antarctic Festival this week.

The Australian Antarctic Division and Ms Lester will host two story time sessions on Thursday and Friday at the Waterside Pavilion.

The leading Australian author will read some of her well loved stories, two of which were inspired by her trip to the continent as an Antarctic Arts Fellow in 2005.

During her voyage on Australia’s icebreaker the Aurora Australis, Ms Lester shared stories with school children, encouraging them to draw what she was writing about.

Thousands of children followed her journey, sending in colourful paintings and the Kids Antarctic Art exhibition was born. A selection of works from the exhibit will also be on display during the Festival.

Sophie Scott Goes South’ tells the tale of 9-year-old sailing south on Australia’s icebreaker, the Aurora Australis.

Along the way she spots some of Antarctica’s most loved animals, gets to know the crew of the ship and spends time with expeditioners heading to Antarctica to live and work on the icy continent.

One Small Island’, co-authored with Coral Tulloch, is about sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island, its unique geological history and the impact of humans on the environment.

Ms Lester will also be signing books at the Antarctic Festival Expo at Princes Wharf 1 on Saturday, 4 August.

Alison Lester exhibition and pop-up shop

Thursday 2 to Sunday 5 August from 10am-4pm at the Waterside Pavilion, Mawson Place

Meet Alison Lester in person

Thursday 2 August: 1–1:30pm Story time, 2-4pm Book signing

Friday 3 August: 11–11:30am Story time, 12-2pm Book signing

Saturday 4 August: 10am–12pm Book signing at the Antarctic Festival Expo at PW1.

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