Phil Cummings

Phil Cummings has written over sixty books for children. He is an ambassador to the Premier's Reading Challenge in South Australia and has been named South Australia's National Literacy and Numeracy Champion three times. He was also South Australia's Ambassador to Canberra for National Literacy and Numeracy Week in 2008. In 2009 Phil had the honour of being asked to write the Wang Wang and Funi picture book for the pandas now residing at the Adelaide Zoo. More recently The Adelaide Festival of Music has commissioned John Schumann of Redgum fame to write a suite of songs based on Phil’s novel Danny Allen was here to be performed by primary school choirs in over 300 schools in the 2012. Phil will also be opening the National Children's Book Council of Australia Conference in May 2012. He will also be an ambassador for the National Year of Reading in 2012. Phil has received a number of honours and awards in Australia and overseas for his work including the Carclew Fellowship at the Adelaide Festival of Arts in 1998, Children's Book Council of Australia Notable Book honours and his novel Danny Allen was here was shortlisted for the prestigious children's literature awards at the Adelaide festival of Arts in 2008.