After completing an Honours degree in Sociology at Flinders University, I joined the SA Writers' Centre in 1991. Unsure of what to expect from the Centre, and of myself, I attended practically all the writing seminars and workshops in the first couple of years.

One weekend workshop began with me thinking I had nothing to say and at the end, I'd sent my first short story to a publishing house. It's the first and only time I gasped a few tears at being accepted.All my short stories are for adults (between 2-5000 words), and usually humorous.

When I was awarded the inaugural writing residency at Carrick Hill, I wrote a radio play, several short stories, and a performance piece which included dancers on the grand staircase. With two weeks left of my 3 months there, I wrote Chickpea. Until then I didn't know I could write for children. It was published in 1997 and was shortlisted for the Book of the Year for Younger Readers in the Children's Book Council 1998 Awards. Encouraged by school children I met during Book Week to write more stories for them, I have continued writing for primary school and high school readers. I am married to Trevor. We have three children, Toby and Tess who have now left home, and Angus who is studying IT. (he made this webpage - and my mother aged 86 drew the pictures). The kids are all taller than me and are excellent at making me laugh. We love living in the Adelaide Hills, even though our log cabin burnt down in a huge bushfire in 1983. Now, on the same site, we live in a mudbrick fort, still being built by Trevor. I love writing more than a double-chocolate-with-macademia-nut icecream in a yummy chewy cone, but only just. I'll write stories until I'm so old I'll disappear! Workshopping with kids who really enjoy writing is so rewarding because they are totally willing to listen, experiment and share ideas. Helping them is the next best thing to writing my own stories. I hope that each book I write will be published the second I've finished - all writers secretly dream of this even though it's impossible. [I hope everyone enjoys what I write. I love receiving letters and drawings about my stories.]

 

WRITE TO ME at hannsyme@internode.on.net