Rosanne Hawke
Reading is so important that I even learned to write stories by reading. I grew up in the bush and went to a one-teacher school. It didn’t have a library, just one small bookcase of books. We could take one book home every Friday. I loved reading and sometimes I got into trouble for reading when I was supposed to be doing jobs. Now I say reading is part of my job as a writer so I read every day, usually at night. Reading opens up the world for us so we can see how others live and what their experiences are. Reading can help us feel better by having a good laugh. People who read are interesting to talk to. Reading is awesome.
Fact File
The best thing about my job:
Being immersed in another world for six months creating the draft of a story that I’d like to read and later discovering that it inspired someone else.
My favourite food:
Creative salads with chicken or fish with a touch of chilli. And I like curries. And Vegemite …
My dream car:
One that drives itself.
My worst injury:
I fell off a stallion in a stony paddock and landed on my back.
My favourite colours:
Maroon, purple, green …
My favourite animal:
Snow leopard (and cats).
My hero and why:
My favourite human heroes are fire fighters because they save lives at great risk to themselves.
The person who inspires me the most:
My eldest daughter inspired me to be a writer and also inspires a lot of my stories.
My favourite possessions:
Beautiful books and journals, my Lamy piston fountain pen.
If I wasn’t doing my current job, I would like to be:
A librarian
The most important things in life:
What you believe, being kind to others, especially your family, and being thankful for at least one thing every day.
My Ambassador Reading Tip:
Try reading books that are different from your favourites. Reading makes you smarter, wiser, a better writer and a sympathetic friend.
More about Rosanne Hawke
Rosanne Hawke is the author of 30 books for children and YA. She lived in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates as an aid worker for ten years and many of her books reflect these experiences. Her books include The Messenger Bird, winner of the 2013 Cornish Holyer an Gof Award for YA & Children’s Literature; Taj and the Great Camel Trek, winner of the 2012 Adelaide Festival Awards for Children’s Literature and shortlisted for the 2012 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, and Soraya the Storyteller, shortlisted in the CBCA Awards.
She is the 2015 recipient of the Nance Donkin award; an Asialink, Carclew, Varuna and May Gibbs Fellow, and a Bard of Cornwall. She was a lecturer in creative writing at Tabor Adelaide, and writes in an old Cornish farmhouse with underground rooms near Kapunda.
Her latest release is a YA novel called Flying Blind.
Other Information
Find out more about me here: www.rosannehawke.com
