National Co-ordinator, South AfricaMarj Brown is Head of History at an all girls school in Johannesburg, SA, called Roedean. She brought the quiz to SA in 2004, after seeing it in Yorkshire, UK. After fundraising and spreading the quiz slowly, it operates in 8 regions in SA. SA has hosted the International finals twice.
Marj has many passions in life, but reading and History are two of them, and as a teacher she feels reading is important for many cognitive reasons, but also as a much needed escape for everyone.
SA has many challenges in terms of literacy, and thus there is a limited pool of schools that can enter the KLQ. (About 90% of SA schools do not have functioning libraries). She thus started a literacy quiz, called Phendulani, and she fundraises to donate books and run a literacy quiz in schools that are disadvantaged. This quiz now reaches over 100 schools in SA. Kids' Lit Schools are twinned with disadvantaged schools, and help run the quiz.
National Co-ordinator, SingaporeJohanna is a librarian with the National Library Board in Singapore. She is part of the Read[at]School team, a school outreach programme that aims to make reading and learning exciting for students aged 7 to 17. She is glad that the Kids’ Lit Quiz rewards children for reading and is a motivation for them to continue enjoying stories of every kind. As National Co-ordinator, she looks forward to being a part of the enriching experience that KLQ is for all participating children.
National Co-ordinator, NigeriaMaluchi Chukwuemeka is a voracious reader who obtained a bachelor of Arts degree in English and then proceeded to obtain a post graduate diploma in Mass Communication. Her love for reading and children made her think of organising an African literature quiz for children, and she went on a search to get ideas on the startup. She then discovered the Kids' Lit Quiz and fell in love with it. She believed that it would give Nigerian children a broader worldview in literature, increase their reading for pleasure and expose them to other cultures by way of interacting with other national reading champions and by travelling to the international competition. She assumed national coordination of the Kids' Lit Quiz in 2017. She's married with three children.
National Co-ordinator, AustraliaNicole Deans comes from a background of teaching and libraries having worked in both schools and a University library over the last 30 years. She has a passion for books, reading and children and what she loves most about Kids’ Lit Quiz is that it rewards and celebrates children that love to read. The opportunities for children who take part in Kids’ Lit Quiz goes beyond allowing children to share their passion and be part of a team, they become part of an International Reading Community and have the opportunity to share books and experiences from all over the World.
National Co-ordinator, USADan Donshik has been involved with Kids' Lit Quiz since 2012 when his son Andrew won the US competition and traveled to New Zealand for the World Final. He is a business owner and software consultant and an avid reader. He is an advocate for children's literacy and is excited to be a part of the Kids' Lit Quiz.
National Co-ordinator, ThailandFor more than 20 years, Angela Hilderbrand has been sharing her passion for teaching and reading with students in both the USA and abroad. Her journey as an educator has led her through various roles: a classroom teacher, a Title 1 reading specialist, a library teacher, and head of a primary library in a vibrant international school community. Holding a Master of Education and library certifications from the United States, Angela is dedicated to one simple but powerful mission: to spark a love of reading in every child she teaches. Her greatest joy is watching students discover the magic of books and become confident, lifelong learners
Kidpublish is a children's book publisher, publishing books written by young authors (aged 6 - 15 years old). Annually we run a writing competition and storytelling festival in English and Bahasa Indonesia. We also collaborate with schools and bookstores in promoting skill development in reading and writing. We run many writing and illustrator workshops, summer programs and book launches throughout the year.
National Co-ordinator, CanadaChris has been a teacher and Principal in the Toronto District School Board for over 20 years. He has a passion for books which he developed at an early age. He studied English and Philosophy at the University of Toronto and has Specialist Qualifications in Reading and Drama.
He first volunteered with Kids’ Lit Quiz Canada in 2012 and he joined the Board soon after. He loves how the quiz motivates children to read and encourages book clubs to form in schools across the country. He also loves how this Sport of Reading recognizes and celebrates students in such a fun and unique way.
National Co-ordinator, Hong KongAnnie Tam is the National Coordinator of the Hong Kong Kids’ Lit Quiz. She has over 25 years experience as an English teacher and Teacher Librarian in both local and international schools. She holds an MEd from the University of Melbourne and an MEd in Teacher Librarianship from Charles Sturt University.