Dr Helen Edwards

Fact File

The best thing about my job
I have had lots of different jobs, but being an author is the one I have wanted to do since I was small. The number one best thing about it is that I am actually living my dream! I get to spend my days making up characters and worlds and adventures. I have a fast-moving brain which is happiest when writing. I also enjoy research (I do have a PhD!). Not just for my historical fiction books, all stories need research to make them believable, even the most fantastical ones! The other best thing is being able to go to schools and libraries and meet young people, where we chat about books and stories and life! Sorry, that is a lot more than one best thing! I really do love my job! 🙂

My favourite food:
Chocolate, toast and cheese. Also, bananas. There are a lot of others that I could list here, but sadly, I have a few chronic conditions and some of these mean that I have quite a limited range of foods I can eat. I had to stop eating some of my favourite foods quite a while ago. But, I really look forward to my daily treat of a little bit of chocolate with a cup of tea.

My dream car:
I would like an XJS Jaguar. In red of course. From the 1970s. With a soft top.

My worst injury:
I have never broken a bone. But, I once slipped down an entire staircase at the gym and badly sprained my ankle. Despite it being HUGE and black and blue, I didn’t go and see the doctor, not sure why, but it has never been the same.

My favourite colour:
I have two – blue and green. Can you see a pattern here? I find it hard to choose one thing when asked!

My favourite movie:
I have no problem choosing here – Dances with Wolves. It’s an epic tale of survival, humanity and love, that shows the ways in which human beings can be both terrible and wonderful, as well as delving into race, culture and acceptance. The cinematography and music are stunning.

My hero and why:
Nelson Mandela. He was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician who was the first black president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. His government focused on dismantling the terrible legacy of apartheid. He was arrested and imprisoned in 1962 and was sentenced to life imprisonment. He served 27 years in prison. He is thought of around the world as an icon of ‘democracy and social justice’. He received more than 250 honours, including the Nobel Peace Prize. He never gave up. He signifies the best of the human spirit to me, and when I went to South Africa some years ago now, it was very emotional for me to be in the place where he lived.

My favourite possessions:
I am a collector and a very sentimental person. I have lots of collected items that include things given to me by my grandparents, parents and other older relatives, things I have gathered over the years, and things from nature, like shells and feathers. I also have a lot of my books from childhood which are very special. When I was a little girl, my great aunt and uncle would give me a little china animal from their cabinet every time we visited. I still love to collect anything animal related. But my most precious possessions would be the notes and artwork that my three sons have made me over the years, especially the ones they addressed personally to me.

If I wasn’t doing my current job, I would like to be:  
Working with animals, probably in conservation, probably related to the ocean.

The most important things in life:
Having someone to love, who loves you back. Caring for our planet and each other. Finding something to do each day that makes you smile. Being able to ask for help. Knowing you are not alone. Noticing the small things. Music, stories and art. Animals. Laughter.

My Ambassador reading tip:
There are no rules when it comes to reading. I used to read everything from comics, to picture books, to novels, as a child and teenager and I still do today. I often buy myself picture books. Find what you like and read that. Reading should be something you enjoy, not just something you HAVE to do. Take breaks if you find yourself drifting off and try to read somewhere that you aren’t distracted by screens. Make yourself a comfy corner in your bedroom, or in the house somewhere that you know you will feel happy in when you are reading. Or read outside!

Other Information:
Dr Helen Edwards is an award winning author who writes diverse stories of nature, magic and history. She has a PhD in Psychology and a long background working in mental health. Helen writes stories that reduce stereotypes and increase understanding of diversity. Helen has lived with type 1 diabetes herself since 1979. She also lives with anxiety and ADHD, both diagnosed in adulthood, as well as a number of other chronic conditions. In 2001, Helen founded an award-winning online counselling service for people with diabetes, which she ran for 16 years. Helen has been shortlisted in and won a number of awards, including being a mid-career SA State Library Literary Fellow in 2025, supported by Writers SA. Also of note, Helen was a State Finalist for Australian of the Year for her work in diabetes in 2016. She is a member of the CBCA SA committee, a Role Model for Books in Homes, and part of the Author Pen Pal programme.

Helen has had three books published by Riveted Press including The Rebels of Mount Buffalo, a captivating time-slip tale in which a girl lost to grief meets a daring rebel on a misty mountain who guides her to rediscover her courage and find her way home. In Feb 2024, The Rebels of Mount Buffalo was longlisted in the DANZ Children’s Book Award for books which feature diversity in all forms. In June 2024, it was shortlisted in the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards.

Legend of the Lighthouse Moon was the category two winner of the Forevability Awards in March 2025. Rich with folklore and brimming with adventure, Legend of the Lighthouse Moon is a dazzling tale of family, resilience, and the enduring magic of the sea. Set on Kangaroo Island in 1970, with a main character living with type 1 diabetes, it features the history of the Cape Willoughby lighthouse and the endangered sea lion colony, as well as drawing on legends from the islands where Helen’s grandmothers were born in the Irish Sea.

On Gallant Wings was released on 2nd April 2025. It’s a sweeping WWII adventure about family, courage and knowing when to break the rules, that shines a light on many little-known aspects of the war’s impact on Australians at home.

The Disappearing Circus, co-written with award-winning author Kate Gordon, will release on 29th July 2025. It’s a spellbinding tale of friendship, hope, and summoning the courage to become the hero of your own story.

See more about Helen and her books at her website https://www.helenedwardswrites.com/ and on her social media @drhelenedwardswrites