By Liv LORKIN
From Design Desk to Festival Grounds
There are no idea shortages in the Storyfest office, and for good reason. Now in its 33rd iteration delivering impactful writers’ festivals from the Gold Coast to Regional Queensland, it's a small, yet dedicated team of creative powerhouses.
I wear a couple of hats, or jerseys if you will, as a member of the Storyfest Squad. In between freelance graphic design, marketing, photography and videography, I’m also a children’s book author and illustrator. If you’ve seen a festival guide in the last year, you’ve seen my work.
Big picture, Storyfest is growing, and with two new festival locations in 2026, it's about to get busy! That’s not to mention their already buzzing year-round schedule, which sees over 130 events delivered: Annual Giving Day, Business Lunch, Charity Golf Day, just to name a few.
There comes a time when all brands need a moment to reflect and prepare for such growth. That’s where Andy Geppert - brand strategist and multidisciplinary children’s book author and illustrator - stepped in. His concept was simple yet progressive: unify the countless storytellers welcomed into the Storyfest Squad through two creative projects.
First, a jersey; something that shows we’re a team but also looks cool while you’re wearing it. Think sports-team chic with this emoji thrown in. Something every Storyfest Squad member would wear during their festival days, identifiable amongst the crowds of children and people swarming around the bookshop and merriment.
Second, my favourite of the projects - Trading Cards. Packs of cards featuring Australian #kidlit storytellers ready to be traded, bartered and collected. The result? Supporting the literary community, Storyfest and individual storyteller legacies through every purchase, every trade. Now that’s a win all around!
I’m woeful at keeping secrets, and these projects had been in the works for more than six months.
That’s plenty of time for me to come up with vague ways of phrasing, ‘I’m working on something really cool, but I can’t tell you what it is yet, but trust me, it’ll be launched really soon at Storyfest Gold Coast…’ and ‘make sure to keep an eye out’.
I managed to keep it under wraps with the one trick that always works. I focused solely on the deadline looming and got stuck into the design. Fast forward to March 2026, and I’m wearing a Storyfest Squad jersey, roaming the festival grounds, saying hi to all the storytellers I’ve been staring at on the computer screen. That was one of the funnier and unexpected outcomes from the Trading Cards. Having seen their headshots countless times throughout the creation process, I already knew everyone's names and face.
Amongst the activations and student sessions, I had a chance to soak it all up. I saw children bartering for authors, double-ups being swapped and storytellers signing cards with their faces on them. Andrea Lewis, ‘Boss Lady’ - Storyfest CEO, has a way of encapsulating such precious moments. She said, ‘it was my legacy’. I initially laughed, but with time, the gravity of those words sunk in.
As a designer, I love what I do; it’s fun, and I find fulfilment in purpose-driven work, but it seemed that without me noticing, I was building something much greater than I could comprehend.
My younger Pokémon and Tarzo-loving self would not believe that her face would one day be on one of the 80 Trading Cards, let alone signing them for avid collectors; but that’s what’s amazing about building a fun-filled legacy. It takes you in a direction you never thought possible.
You can start your own collection of Storyfest Trading Cards here, and look out for Number 25, I heard that one's quite the collector's item. There are also 36 holographic cards to find, and if you do, I’m happy to take them off your hands for authentication, of course. Kidding, I want to find them fair and square.
Also, if you see anyone in a striped Storyfest Squad shirt, make sure you say hi! You won't miss them.
