Here’s the official word:
Jane Godwin is a highly acclaimed author of over forty books for children, across all styles and ages. Her work is published internationally and she has received many commendations, including the Queensland Premier's Award (Children's Books), the Aurealis Award and the Animal Welfare Award, and shortlistings in the CBC Book of the Year Awards, the Prime Minister’s Literary Award, the New South Wales State Literary Award (Patricia Wrightson Prize) the YABBA Awards, the Speech Pathology Awards, The Family Award for Children’s Books, and the Australian Book Industry Awards.
For many years, Jane worked as the Children’s Publisher at Penguin Books Australia.
Jane's most recent novel is Look Me in the Eye, published by Hachette in September 2022. It’s for the same age group as Falling from Grace, As Happy as Here, When Rain Turns to Snow and A Walk in the Dark.
Jane’s most recent picture books are Can You Teach a Fish to Climb a Tree?, illustrated by Terry Denton (Hardie Grant) and shortlisted in the 2024 CBCA Book of the Year Awards - Early Childhood category, and A Life Song, illustrated by Anna Walker (Penguin Random House) and shortlisted in the ABIA Awards - Picture Book category. You can find out more about Jane’s books by clicking on BOOKS at the top of this page.
And two new junior novels are here as well! Jane has created a new junior fiction series, The Isabelle Stories, illustrated by Robin Cowcher. There are two books - Izzy and Belle, and Hurry Up, Harry! Both are published by Hachette.
Anna Walker and Jane have created nine children's picture books together – Little Cat and the Big Red Bus, All Through the Year, Today We Have No Plans, Starting School, What Do You Wish For?, Go Go and the Silver Shoes, Tilly, Don’t Forget and A Life Song.
Jane writes her own books but much of her time is spent in encouraging and supporting authors with whom she works. Along with her friend Davina Bell, Jane is the creator of Our Australian Girl, a highly successful series of quality historical fiction for middle readers.
Jane spends as much time as she can working with young people in schools and communities, running various literature and writing programs, making books and encouraging students in their own creative ventures.
Jane lives in Melbourne with her family. Most of her waking hours are dedicated to pursuing quality and enriching reading and writing experiences for young people, whether it’s as a writer, a publisher or a speaker/facilitator in schools.
And here are 11 things you probably didn't know about me:
1. I was often mistaken for a boy when I was young.
2. Two of my favourite picture books when I was little were Big Sister, Little Sister by Charlotte Zolotow and Swimmy by Lio Lionni. They are still two of my favourite picture books.
3. When I was eight I stole a biscuit and accidentally ran through a glass door to go outside and eat it.
4. During secondary school I wanted to be a child psychologist or a photographer, not an author.
5. I love making things (books, scones, friends) and playing games (boggle, volleyball, five hundred).
6. I always write down my dreams (as in sleeping dreams, not aspirations).
7. It took me three years to write my first book. And it was a picture book!
8. My middle name is Kristina.
9. My great-great grandfather came from Sweden to Ballarat during the Gold Rush.
10. I'm in a poetry club of three people. Two friends and I send each other a poem a couple of times a month. They are not written by us - they are just poems that we want to share.
11. I take one photo every day of my life. (You can see them on my instagram account.)
If you'd like to know more, click on NEWS (at the top of this page) and you can read my digital diary and see some more photos.
If you'd like to learn more about an individual book, click on BOOKS (at the top of this page) and then the cover of the one you're interested in.
Oh, and thanks to my friend Anna Walker for letting me use her beautiful illustrations from All Through the Year and Today We Have No Plans throughout this website.