The Moon Story wins Karajia Award for Children's Literature!

The Moon Story, written by Marshia Cook, has won the Wilderness Society's 2025 Karajia Award for Children's Literature in the picture fiction category.

The Karajia Award honours First Nations storytellers sharing stories about connections to Country, culture, and Community.

The Moon Story is the perfect bedtime story and a stunningly illustrated book, written in English and Kriol. The story follows a family from Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia, as they go camping under the moon and stars.

“The Moon Story is about a camping spot we use to go every winter time when we were small with our families. It's a nice camping place near that old gum tree telling stories watching the moon rising,” says Marshia.

Marshia learnt her knowledge about Country from her Elders, “Out bush, down the river, peaceful and quiet and relaxing. That's where the story starts,” says Marshia.

Marshia is a Walmajarri woman from her mother’s side and Torres Strait Islander on her father’s side. She works with children in Fitzroy Crossing area to share stories of both Walmajarri and Kriol languages, and pass on knowledge of Country and culture to the next generation. 

Reflecting on her work, Marshia’s favourite stories when she was young were not books, but oral stories from her Elders. 

“I can’t remember any books from my childhood, because they were in English - and my First Languages were Walmajarri and Kriol.”

Now, she is writing books in both Walmajarri and Kriol to ensure children in her Community have books in their First Languages, to be strong in language and culture. 

“My message to the children all over everywhere is 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” says Marshia.

Two other ILF published titles were shortlisted for the Karajia Award this year, both by students from Vincentia High School. 

The other books shortlisted 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 and bagan, barra barra, mirriwarr: The Boys Who Found Their Way written by Tyran Uddin and Kayden Wellington with Kirli Saunders and Jaz Corr and illustrated by Vincentia High School. 

Ben Bowen, Indigenous Literacy Foundation CEO said, "These awards recognise the value of First Nation's people's stories, and the kinds of stories they wish to tell - stories that speak of Country and connection to Country. 

“Country isn't just a piece of land; it is everything - language, culture, mob and more. These books reflect just that," says ILF CEO Ben Bowen.