Young artists will create their very own characters with Leigh Hobbs, Australian Children’s Laureate, author and artist, creator of the Old Tom, Horrible Harriet and Mr Chicken books, in this exciting workshop at The National Library of Australia. 

Older audiences (14+) are invited to join Leigh Hobbs – author, artist, and creator of the Old Tom, Horrible Harriet, Mr Badger and Mr Chicken books, for an exciting, hands-on workshop.

These holidays, we celebrated art, culture, and storytelling with Ngunawal artists Jazz and Kristal Matthews from Wilay Designs. During the session, participants explored the Wangka Wakanutja exhibition to be inspired by the Papunya Community’s remarkable publishing and artistic output.

Learn about 2025 National Library of Australia Scholar Caitlin Hughes’ research into interdisciplinary art in Indonesia. 

Sylvia Martin has spent decades writing about women who lived in the early part of the 20th century. Find out how a photograph sparked the inspiration for the subject of her latest biography Double Act.

Discover the decades-long, remarkable efforts of the Papunya community to record language and culture and keep it alive.

Artist Sharon Peoples, and the Friends of the National Library, presented a concertina book workshop for adults.

Dr Sylvia Martin

Award winning animators and artists Eleanor & Giovanni presented a workshop for children based on their Enlighten Festival 2026 illumination The Page Turner, created for the National Library.

Ann Stephen and ADS Donaldson

Explore 2 different examples of artistic responses to the Second World War. 

Papers including letters, newspaper cuttings, published caricatures, original cartoons, letters and literary manuscripts, mostly related to Australian and New Zealander writers, journalists, composers and artists.