Committee Members

• Mary Callahan

  President

  Mary Callahan Design

  • freelance work
  • independent and self-publishing projects
  • professional designers

  Mary has been designing books for more than 20 years. Her passion for this pursuit has resulted in a high profile throughout the publishing industry and is recognized by the many awards her book designs have received. Since expanding her…

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• George Saad

  Vice-president

  Designer

  • freelance work
  • professional designers

  George is a freelance book designer and the recipient of the Emerging Designer’s Award, 2022. He loves type, and gets inspiration from film and other media. He is interested in blending the traditional world of books with more modern media.

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• Susan Le

  Secretary

  Designer, Art director & Illustrator.

  • professional designers

  Susan Le is a designer, & illustrator specialising in publication design. She was previously art director at Evi-O.studio. Books have always been her passion. She studied Visual Communications Design at UTS and has been designing and illustrating books since 2018.

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• Liz Seymour

  Treasurer

  Seymour Designs

  • freelance work
  • professional designers

  Liz Seymour is a Sydney-based freelance book designer with over 20 years experience. She designs across a diverse range of genres, such as children’s fiction, illustrated non-fiction, lifestyle and corporate books.

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• Maya Abraham

  Committee Member

  Marketing Designer at HarperCollins ANZ

  Maya is a Sydney-based graphic designer having joined HarperCollins Design Studio in 2021, and specialising in crafting compelling marketing materials for book releases. As a Marketing Designer, Maya takes pride in her diverse design skills working with digital ads to…

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• Josh Durham

  Committee Member

  Design by Committee

  • freelance work
  • independent and self-publishing projects
  • professional designers

  Josh worked in magazine design before setting up his company Design by Committee under the mentorship of Australian book design luminary W.H. Chong. He draws upon a broad skill base to offer both illustrative and concept driven solutions to literary…

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• Emi Chiba

  Committee Member
  Designer, Evi-O Studio
  
  Emi Chiba is a Sydney-based designer whose curiosity has been piqued by the wondrous world of publishing. In 2021, Emi graduated from University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) with a BA Design in Visual Communications and a BA in International Studies. Now a Midweight Designer, Emi has found a design calling in blurring the beauty and the accessibility–a golden touch in commercial publishing. She believes that books can be objects of art, and that this philosophy is integral to the future of publishing design. Her current position has exposed her to experiences working with local and international publishing houses and brands, and learn the rigorous techniques of publishing design traditionally accessible only in publishing houses.

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  Jenna Lee

  Deb Brash Emerging Designer of the Year 2023
  
  Jenna Lee, a proud Gulumerridjin (Larrakia), Wardaman, and KarraJarri Saltwater woman, works as a graphic designer and contemporary artist, and her mission is to boost visible First Nations representation in the publishing world. She holds a Bachelor of Design from Queensland College of Art and over ten years of design industry experience. Jenna is ABDA's 2023 Deb Brash Emerging Designer of the Year
  For the past three years Jenna has worked independently specialising in book covers, publication designs, and exhibition identities for First Nations authors, artists, and curators.
  Jenna has had the privilege of collaborating with publishers and institutions like UQP, Hardie Grant, Fremantle Press, NGA, MUMA, IMA, Powerhouse Museum, TarraWarra, and the Rising Festival.
  Jenna has a deep passion for book cover design and publishing, especially in amplifying the voices of First Nations authors and their stories.
  

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  Lucia Fox-McPhee

  Student Intern, ABDA Committee
  
  Lulu is a student and designer based in Melbourne. Visual culture and communication have always been central to her studies and work. In 2020, Lulu completed a Bachelor of Arts, specialising in Art History and Curating at Monash University. She is now studying Communication Design at RMIT University. Lulu is our Student Intern on the ABDA committee.

• Elysia Clapin

  Committee Member

  Book designer and illustrator

  • freelance work
  • independent and self-publishing projects

  Elysia is a book designer and illustrator based in Sydney. She has worked in publishing for over a decade at Pantera Press, and loves all the parts of her job - from creating covers to scribbling bespoke dinkuses. In 2020,…

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