Gordon Winch has had a lifelong involvement in literacy as a teacher, researcher and author. He was Head of the Department of English at Kuring-gai College of Advanced Education (later the University of Technology, Sydney) and a pioneer in postgrduate education in literacy and literature. Winch has also written books for various reader series, including Reading Rigby, Spectrum and the Insights series. He was one of the founders of the Primary English Teaching Association (PETA) and its president for several years.