Former Lane Cove resident Serena Geddes is an internationally published children’s book author and illustrator, best known for the popular series Howzat Pat, Lulu Bell, and Mia Megastar, as well as picture books such as We Are Matildas and Hope Is a Spark.
She has illustrated over eighty books and is the author and illustrator of the new graphic novel series Ella Forever. Lane Cove served as a key visual and emotional reference for Serena while developing Ella Forever.
Serena is passionate about inspiring young people to connect with stories through illustration, graphic novels, and visual literacy.
She regularly presents at schools and festivals, delivering engaging talks and hands-on workshops that explore storytelling, character development, and the power of images to support confident reading and self-expression.
Three years ago, Scholastic approached Serena to see if she would be interested in writing and illustrating a graphic novel for the much-loved Ella series.
Each Ella series explores a different age and life stage, with different authors contributing to Ella’s story over the years: Meet Ella, Ella and Olivia, Ella Diaries, and Ella at Eden.
Illustrator Danielle McDonald worked across all of these series, with Ella Forever marking the first time a new artist has illustrated the series.
There was a gap in Ella’s story between Ella Diaries, where she is in Year 5, and Ella at Eden, where she begins Year 7.
That missing year (Year 6) became the spark for Ella Forever, imagined as a graphic novel series to share this exciting time in Ella’s life, titled School Rivals.
School Rivals is the first book in the Ella Forever graphic novel series, with the second instalment scheduled for release in February 2027.
Lane Cove as a Creative Reference
Serena grew up in Lane Cove and moved back for a few years in 2020. Her nephew attended Lane Cove Public School, and during that time, she often worked from the Lane Cove Library, sketching book ideas and drafts.
Serena told ITC It’s been wonderful to return and witness the growth of the community.
Lane Cove became a natural reference point for building Ella’s world.
While Ella is not linked to a specific suburb or school, Serena relies on real places to help ground the storytelling visually.
Having a reference for school layouts and shared community spaces allows her to create a believable world.
With permission from Principal Terry McKinnon, Serena spent a morning at Lane Cove Public School taking reference photographs of the buildings and grounds.
These images provided a loose foundation for the layouts and visual elements. While the school in Ella Forever is not an exact replica, there are elements that recur throughout the book, and another structural reference will appear in book two.
Lane Cove provided a familiar and meaningful starting point, helping Serena build a world while still keeping Ella’s story universal and open to all readers.
About Ella Forever: School Rivals
Ella is now in Year 6 and ready to take on the final year of primary school. And to make things even more exciting, it’s time to vote for the school captain.
But, yet again, her rival, Peach Parker, is standing in her way.
Will Peach use nasty tricks to win the votes? Or can Ella find a better way to win the top job?
Book Launch and Meet Serena at the Lane Cove Library
Book Launch 1 pm – register here
Meet Serena, 3 pm – register here
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