Julie Ditrich
Communications Coordinator – Part-time

Julie Ditrich is a fiction writer, working predominantly in the visual storytelling niche. Julie has a BA in Professional Writing (University of Canberra), and has worked in mainstream publishing as a bookseller, publicist, author, and marketing manager. She was also employed as publications manager at the Australian Society of Authors. Julie has worked extensively as a comic book writer with sales of over 270,000 comics all over the world. In 2016 she launched the Comics Mastermind™ professional development service for evolving Australian comics creators. She also began volunteering as a Role Model at Books in Homes® in 2012 before being employed as the Role Model Coordinator between 2014 and 2015. Julie returned to Books in Homes® in late 2016 where she took on the position of Communications Coordinator. Julie enjoys working with Sponsors and Partners, Role Models and the schools on the Program, as well as Books in Homes’ many supporters.

Hester Lee
Consultant – Casual

Hester Lee’s journey with Books in Homes® began in 2005 when she volunteered as an office administrator. After completed her degree in Bachelor of Commerce, she took on further duties including the financial accounting, as well as constructing the Salesforce CRM platform for the charity. During this time, Hester thoroughly enjoyed working alongside the many incredible Principals and teachers on the Program, while learning about the many different communities in Australia. Hester is now a mum who is building her own home library, so her son can grow up immersed in the fantasy of books.

Sandra Wigzell
Role Model Recruiter – Casual

Sandra Wigzell has been an avid reader since the age of four, when she read all her Little Golden Books to her dog. After a career in both finance and the teddy bear industry she achieved her dream of buying a book shop in North Sydney, which she ran for several years. After closing the book shop in 2014, she has continued to work with books, publishing and children’s literacy, including Books in Homes as the Role Model Coordinator between 2014 and 2015, and as the Schools Coordinator between 2016 and 2018.

Sasha Wasley
WA Ambassador

Sasha Wasley is a general fiction author from WA. She completed a PhD in cultural theory in 2006 and is passionate about social justice, with special interests in feminism and equality. A former copywriter, Sasha works part time for a non-profit youth organisation as well as writing. She is published by Penguin Random House, Curiosity Quills and Evernight Teen. She has two teenagers and a host of pets on half an acre in the Perth hills. Sasha was invited to become a Books in Homes Role Model in 2017 and became increasingly interested in the Program. Since the beginning of 2018, she has volunteered as a Books in Homes® Ambassador in WA, working to ignite interest in the important work of the Program, especially in remote communities.
www.sdwasley.com and www.sashawasley.com

Maura Pierlot
Grant Application Coordinator

Maura Pierlot has been reading and writing stories for as long as she can remember. She pretends to be an adult but secretly she’s still a teenager inside; maybe that’s why she loves writing for children and young adults. Inspired by her music-loving children, Maura’s first picture book, The Trouble in Tune Town, won the 2018 ACT Writing and Publishing Awards. Her latest play, Fragments recently played to sell-out crowds at Canberra’s Street Theatre, and her young adult novel will be published in 2020. When she’s not busy thinking, dreaming, laughing or creating – and sometimes even when she is – Maura enjoys spending time with her family at their avocado farm near the coast, a property they share with wombats, echidnas, lyrebirds, kangaroos and two energetic Bordoodle pups. Maura loves thunderstorms and cheesecake, and tries to learn something new every day.
http://maurapierlot.com

Katherine Walker
Reading and Literacy Researcher

Katherine Walker is a Digital Marketing Executive by day, based in regional NSW. She has always had a passion for reading, writing and volunteering, and has recently joined Books in Homes® as a remote research volunteer inspired by the organisation’s mission.