“He's my father!" she bellowed, pointing to Trevanion."Vestie!" Beatriss said firmly, stopping to stare up at her. "I'll snip at the tongue if I ever see it in such a way again! Trevanion, speak to her."Vestie hung her head, shamefaced."Vestie," he said, his voice still gentle."Yes, Father.""Shout it out louder, my love. Shout it out louder.”

Australian writer and teacher

Melina Marchetta is an Australian writer and teacher, known for her young adult novels and for the books that have made her a familiar name in contemporary Australian fiction. She is best known for Looking for Alibrandi, Saving Francesca and On the Jellicoe Road. Her work has been recognised with the CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers twice, in 1993 and 2004, and with the 2009 Michael L. Printz Award for Jellicoe Road, given by the American Library Association for the year's best book for young adults.