ABOUT INGRID

Ingrid Laguna is an author and educator. Her memoir, Serenade for a Small Family (A&U) was awarded a Varuna Fellowship and, after publication, The Age Non-Fiction Book of The Week. Songbird (Text Publishing), Ingrid’s debut children’s novel, was given Notable recognition by the Children’s Book Council of Australia and shortlisted for Speech Pathology Australia’s Book of the Year Award 2021. It has been published in Australia, NZ, the UK and the US. The companion novel and sequel, Sunflower, was long listed for the ABIA and shortlisted for the Chilren’’s Peace Literature Award. Bailey Finch Takes a Stand won the 2022 Environment Award for Children’s Literature (fiction), as well as Best Primary Resource and Best Chapter Book with Educational Publishing Awards Australia (EPAA) 2022. Kit & Arlo Find a Way (Consent for Young Readers), co-created with Vanessa Hamilton won the same awards with the EPAA in 2023. Ingrid has written for numerous publications including The Monthly, The Age, Magpies Magazine and the AEU magazine. She was the Education Advisor for the Melbourne Writers Festival over two Festivals.

As a percussionist, singer and songwriter, Ingrid has toured Europe, Asia and Australia, and taken percussion and songwriting workshops. With performance group Ruby Fruit Jungle, she supported Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, playing at Australia's biggest entertainment venues.

In the Australian film industry, Ingrid worked as a crew member on numerous television commercials, a tele-movie and a short film.

While in Central Australia, she directed the NT Youth Film Festival and was integral to the Kunka Career Conference for Aboriginal Women, the Indigenous Music Awards, and music programs for Aboriginal youths.

Further to her Master of Teaching studies at the University of Melbourne, Ingrid has spent many years working with migrant and refugee children.