A retired classroom teacher and professional photographer, author Susea Spray now lives the life of a cruising sailor. She and her husband don’t have a brick-and-mortar house. Instead, their home is a traditional big, blue sailing boat. After four years of preparation, they departed Adelaide, South Australia in 2013. In the boat, they have sailed three oceans, seen amazing animals, and visited incredible places.

The Big Blue Boat now lives in Europe. Northern hemisphere summers find Susea and her husband on board, continuing their journey through the rivers and canals of Europe. The sailing journey has been the inspiration for Susea to at last find her writing voice for children.

During the time of Covid and its restrictions, unable to sail, Susea was at last able to put pen to paper and the rhythmic A Big Blue Boat series was born!

An avid reader who has always written in one form or another, Susea is now sharing her love of language and sea with young and old, through the eyes of a big blue boat and a young girl, the Captain. Her first book, A Big Blue Boat, is a cumulative tale introducing the boat and her captain. It was a 2022 Literary Titan Silver Award winner, and a 2022 and 2021 finalist in the Page Turner Awards.

If you are ordering a book as part of a school visit by Susea please:

• Add your child's school and class in the order notes
• If you want the book signed by Susea to a child or children - set out their name in the order notes as well
• Use the shipping code 'Author / School Visit' to get free delivery to your school

The Book Cow will provide free delivery of school visit books at the visit or as soon as possible after the visit.