Entertainment
24 April, 2026
Bringing stories to life
A FREE literacy event featuring two Australian authors will be held at MacKillop Catholic College in Mount Peter later this month, bringing children, families and educators together for a live storytelling session.
Multi-award-winning children’s book author and illustrator James Foley will travel from Perth to Far North Queensland as part of the LitUp program, which supports regional communities to engage with children’s authors.
James Foley will appear alongside Cairns artist Lachlann Carter for a panel session titled “James Foley and Lachlann Carter chatting and live drawing” on Thursday 30 April from 4pm to 5pm.
The event is free, but bookings are essential.
Mr Carter said events like this were important in regional areas where access to creative industries could be limited.
“Any opportunity to be able to bring some of that into a community, creatives, authors, children’s authors, opening up and sharing their process… can be really, really special,” he said.
He said the visit would give local children the chance to connect with creators and see new possibilities.
“To be able to, you know, meet their favourite creators… is just going to be super special,” he said.
Mr Foley said his approach to storytelling was centred on creativity and enjoyment rather than expectation.
“I’m just making something that I hope will entertain my inner child and me,” he said.
He said encouraging children to try, even if they were unsure of their ability, was key.
“You’ve got to be willing to put something down on the page and possibly look silly. But unless you got something down on the page, you can’t edit it,” he said.
Mr Carter said the sessions aimed to shift how children viewed their own creativity.
“There’ll be the kids who hadn’t necessarily considered themselves as a creative… and then they can get them to a point where they surprise themselves with something that they’ve created,” he said.
Mr Foley said the goal was to encourage children to explore storytelling in their own way.
“As long as they’re having a go and having fun, I think that’s the most important thing,” he said.
The event is supported by Cairns School of Distance Education, Cairns Regional Council, MacKillop Catholic College and the funders of the LitUp program, Australia Reads, Cultural Fund and Creative Australia.
Organisers say the session will include a live drawing component, with both authors potentially engaging in an interactive drawing activity with the audience.
