Astred Hicks

Astred Hicks

New South Wales

Speaker type

  • Author
  • Illustrator / Designer
  • Virtual visits
available for virtual visits

Astred is an Australian book designer, illustrator and author whose distinctive work for a number of Australian and International publishing houses covers fiction, non-fiction and educational, with a special emphasis on young adult fiction and children’s non-fiction.

She has lectured in graphic design and was the lead author of the popular text for tertiary students, ‘Graphic design {Australian style manual}’. She is a previous Vice President of the Australian Book Designers Association (ABDA).

Astred has won a number of book design awards during her 15-year career in publishing. Recently she won the Best Designed Children’s Non-Fiction Illustrated Book award in the Australian Book Design Awards 2020, as well as being Highly Commended in two other categories. Her illustration work has been shortlisted for a number of awards including for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Eve Pownall Award 2020 and the Wildlife Society's Environmental Award for Children's Literature 2020.

Astred has given a number of workshops and talks on book design. She has enjoyed collaborating with young creatives from primary school to junior high school, both in person and via Zoom. Through discussing book design and illustration process, idea creation, concept development and design thinking, Astred shares her years of publishing experience while celebrating design with young people who are a savvy, engaged and design-aware audience.

In 2020 Astred was invited to speak at the international design conference Adobe MAX, where she co-presented a talk on the secrets woven into book cover designs. She has also presented to the Australian publishing industry at APA/ABA Children’s Publishing seminars and to authors, aspiring and published, at the NSW Writers' Centre.

A versatile and engaging speaker, Astred reveals the often-overlooked visual processes involved in the world of publishing. With a particular emphasis on the conceptual design of books and book covers, Astred invites audiences to take a closer look.

Astred's latest project, Exit Through the Gift Shop - (written by Maryam Master, designed and Illustrated by Astred, published by Pan Macmillan) -  has been garnering an enormous amount of recognition) including:

  • ABDA Australian Book Design Awards 2022 - Shortlisted for BEST DESIGNED CHILDREN’S FICTION BOOK 
  • The Children’s Book Council of Australia 2022 - Shortlisted for Book of the Year: Younger Readers 2022 
  • The Australian Book Industry Awards 2022 - Shortlisted for Book of the Year: Younger Readers
  • NSW Premier’s Literary Awards 2022 - HIGHLY COMMENDED -  Patricia Wrightson Prize For Children’s Literature 
Click here to listen to 'Astred Hicks Designs Book Covers' on ABC

Testimonials

  • Astred Hicks has recently delivered a guest lecture to a group of students in the Master of Publishing program, for the second year in the row. Her expertise, passion, and ability to engage and inspire the students were truly remarkable. Her love for books and design was contagious, which created a positive and inspiring atmosphere in the classroom. Astred encouraged students to embrace creativity, think outside the box, and push the boundaries of traditional book cover design and illustration. Her genuine belief in the power of visual storytelling was evident, and it left an indelible impression on all the students. I wholeheartedly recommend Astred to anyone seeking to gain a deep understanding of book design and illustration, and be inspired to create visually captivating and impactful publications.

    Sydney University - May 2023

    Sydney University - May 2023
    Astred Hicks
  • Astred's presentation was excellent- content was beautifully presented and thorough. Everyone commented on the high standard and learnt some great things from Astred

    The Cardboard Box Illustrators - April 2023

    The Cardboard Box Illustrators - April 2023
    Astred Hicks
  • We did fun designing and i prefer design over writing. She was engaging and I had a good time.
    The workshop I enjoyed the most was the workshop run by Astred Hicks. This is because the content explored in her presentation was really interesting and gave an insight into book design. I thought exploring book design was interesting because you don't normally get to hear about how book covers are designed, and what goes into designing them.


    Cherrybrook Literary Festival - November 2022

    Cherrybrook Literary Festival - November 2022
    Astred Hicks
4594
Astred Hicks