She described the opportunity as fantastic to learn from someone like Rhodes who has designed for celebrities such as Helen Mirren and Kylie Minogue as well as Elizabeth Taylor.
Palacio's acclaimed story of a boy born with a facial deformity will compete in the 5-12-year-old category against Jim Smith for his novel Barry Loser: I Am Not A Loser, Helen Peters' The Secret Hen House Theatre, as well as Rodkey's tale about cut-throat pirates.
She said too many women writers tried to copy the style of Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary, concentrating on the well-worn theme of women worrying about careers, boyfriends and children.