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The Moon Story’ shines bright: ILF book wins 2025 Karajia Award for children’s literature
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Fiona Alston
Oct 15, 2025
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The Moon Story, a bilingual picture book written by Marshia Cook and illustrated by Cook and her son Tamua Nuggett, has won the 2025 Karajia Award for Children’s Literature in the picture fiction category.
Announced on 11 October at the launch of Nature Book Week in Sydney, the Karajia Award is presented by the Wilderness Society and celebrates First Nations storytellers whose work honours connections to Country, culture and Community. Set on Country in Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia, The Moon Story draws from Marshia Cook’s childhood memories of winter camping trips with her family. Written in both English and Kriol, the story follows a family camping under the stars, watching the moon rise beside a beloved old gum tree. "The Moon Story is about a camping spot we used to go every winter time when we were small with our families," said Marshia. "It's a nice camping place near that old gum tree telling stories watching the moon rising." Her message to children: “Keep writing stories, keep your language strong, keep your culture strong while you got your Elders still around. That's really important to know who you are, where you come from. To be a future role model.” The Moon Story is published by the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) through its Community Publishing program, which supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in remote Communities to write, illustrate and publish their own stories in languages of their choice. Samantha Mansell, ILF Publishing Project Editor, celebrated the award win: “Seeing The Moon Story, a bilingual book in both Kriol and English, winning this award is an incredible achievement that highlights the strength of First Nations' cultures, languages and storytelling.” The Moon Story was one of three ILF-published books shortlisted for the 2025 Karajia Award, demonstrating the breadth and impact of Community-led storytelling. The other shortlisted titles were:- ngayawanj bagan-nggul, ngayawanj barra barra-nggul: we belong to the land, we belong to the sea Written and illustrated by Vincentia High School with Kirli Saunders and Jaz Corr
- bagan, barra barra, mirriwarr: The Boys Who Found Their Way Written by Tyran Uddin and Kayden Wellington with Kirli Saunders and Jaz Corr, illustrated by Vincentia High School
Photo credit: ILF Supplied - Marshia Cook with her son Tamua Nuggett from Fitzroy Crossing, have created an award winning bilingual children’s bedtime story written in English and Kriol.
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