And, in an update, I’m thrilled to announce that Peculiar Parents won the ACT Literary Award 2026 for Children’s Nonfiction. Happy author!

Delighted to see that Peculiar Parents has been shortlisted for the ACT Literary Awards 2026. A big thankyou to MARION Writers Centre and the judges, and also to super-talented illustrator Ingrid Bartkowiak, and Lauren Smith and the fabulous team at NLA Publishing. And congratulations to all the other shortlistees!

So far, 2026 has had a number of memorable moments for me: receiving an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) from Her Excellency Sam Mostyn, Governor-General of Australia; being given a Canberra Gold Award by ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr; and being shortlisted for the CBCA Children’s Book of the Year Award in the same category as Tim Winton and Annabel Crabb. Now, to top things off, my face has just been painted on mural at the Hughes Shops here in Canberra, along with some very impressive fellow former inhabitants of the suburb of Hughes. You can find out more about them here: https://www.wcs.org.au/community-murals/.

I was lucky enough to live in the leafy suburb of Hughes for many years. It is where I bought my first house, raised three wonderful kids by myself, and wrote many of my children’s books, including Lennie the Legend. Some of my best friends still live there. My image on the mural shows me with the front cover of my latest book, Peculiar Parents, illustrated by Ingrid Bartkowiak and published by NLA Publishing. And above my head flies a swift parrot, which is the subject of my book Swifty, illustrated by Astred Hicks and published by CSIRO Publishing. Swift parrots often visit Hughes on their yearly migration from Tasmania. What an honour it is to be featured on this wall!

In more exciting news, Peculiar Parents has been shortlisted for the Eve Pownall Award in the CBCA Book of the Year Awards 2026. Big thankyous to the Children’s Book Council of Australia, talented illustrator Ingrid Bartkowiak and publisher extraordinaire NLA Publishing. And what an honour to be in such exalted company, including Tim Winton and Annabel Crabb!

I’ve had the pleasure of being involved in the world of children’s literature since the 1980s as a reviewer, academic, critic, and editor. And, since retiring from Hansard in 2006, I’ve been the author and illustrator of over 30 books. Along with my family, children’s literature has been my love and my passion, and so I was totally discombobulated to find out that I had been awarded an Order of Australia Medal for services to children’s literature in the Australian Honours Awards announced on Australia Day 2026.

Over the years I’ve been supported, encouraged and inspired by many wonderful organisations and talented people. This includes the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA), the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Marion Writers, the ACT Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge and the National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature.

I’ve worked with amazing publishers, including Susan Hall and Lauren Smith at the National Library of Australia and Briana Melideo at CSIRO Publishing. I’ve been mentored by the one and only Emeritus Professor Belle Alderman AM, and I’ve had the ongoing support of many creative friends, but especially Tania McCartney, Cate Whittle and Irma Gold. They are all simply the best.

And, of course, nothing would be possible without my family – my husband John; my children Bianca, Erryn and Megan; my grandchildren Kai, Louie and Ava; and my sisters Felice and Fiona. They are my rocks! A big thank you to everyone who has been a part of my children’s literature journey. I couldn’t have done it without you!

Dr Stephanie Owen Reeder OAM

19 March 2022

Today is a big day! On 19 March 1932, 90 years ago, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened. And there in the official opening parade was a nine-year-old boy called Lennie Gwyther, riding his trusty pony Ginger Mick! Lennie and Ginger Mick had ridden all the way from Leongatha in Victoria, all alone, just to see the bridge finally opened. You can read about the resilient and resourceful Lennie and the remarkable bridge in my book Lennie the Legend: Solo to Sydney by Pony (NLA Publishing). Find out more on my Heritage Heroes page.

And today is also the launch day for my new picture book Ghostie. Based on my young granddaughter Ava and her imaginary friend Ghostie, it’s a rollicking read full of mayhem and mischief for 3 to 6 year olds. Read about it here:
Granddaughter Ava inspires Stephanie Owen Reeder’s 20th book, Ghostie | The Canberra Times | Canberra, ACT.

February 2019

Three days away in Sydney, and so much happened! The SCBWI Conference 2019 for authors and illustrators was inspiring, exhausting, challenging, informative and absolutely wonderful. A day of networking, learning, admiring other people’s knowledge and achievements, and so much more! And the next day there was more of the same at the Creating Creative Writers PD Conference for Teachers and Teacher Librarians at the State Library of New South Wales. It was such a pleasure to share the stage with other lovers of writing non-fiction texts that engage and enchant young readers.

The day was topped off with the announcement of the CBCA Notable Books – the long-list for the Children’s Book of the Year Awards 2019. Marvellous Miss May was there, along with four other books produced by the wonderful NLA Publishing team at the National Library of Australia. Congratulations to everyone whose books were included! You can see them here: https://cbca.org.au/notables-2019.

February 2018

Very pleased and honoured to have my lift-the-flap book about exploring your emotions – I’ve Got a Feeling! – included in Australia’s Biggest Child Safety Lesson 2018, presented by the Daniel Morcombe Foundation. You can access it here: https://www.danielmorcombe.com.au/australias-biggest-lesson.html.

February 2019

I’m excited to be a part of the SCBWI Creating Creative Writers Conference for teachers and librarians at the State Library of New South Wales on Tuesday 26 February 2019. As well as joining in the panel discussion with award-winning nonfiction authors Sue Whiting, Corinne Fenton, Claire Saxby and Gina Newton, I’ll be talking about Picturing the Past – using historical images to inspire creative and factual writing. Details can be found at: https://australiaeastnz.scbwi.org/events/creating-creative-writers/.

2019

I’m thrilled to see Australian Children’s Literature icons Mem Fox, Leigh Hobbs, Morris Gleitzman, Alison Lester and Shaun Tan featured on postage stamps as part of the Australia Post Legends Awards 2019. I have had the honour of meeting all of these inspirational writers and illustrators. And I shared the stage (and a taxi!) with the wonderful Morris Gleitzman at the CBCA Book of the Year Awards ceremony in Sydney in 2016.

Mem, Leigh, Alison and Shaun (plus many other Australian picture-book creators) feature in my book Story Time Stars, which celebrates a selection of much-loved and much-lauded Australian story-time characters.  It is the companion book to the National Library’s exhibition on Australian children’s  literature.

August 2018

I’m thrilled to announce that Marvellous Miss May, Queen of the Circus will have a shiny award sticker, just like the rest of the Heritage Heroes books! Marvellous Miss May has been shortlisted for the Young People’s History Prize in the New South Wales Premier’s History Awards 2018. Read the shortlist announcement here: http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/pha_2018_shortlist_mr_090818.pdf. The winners will be announced at a cocktail party at the State Library of New South Wales on Friday 31 August. Miss May is jumping for joy!