Helen Edwards Children's Author
The Rebels of Mount Buffalo by Helen Edwards endorsment by Andrea Rowe, award-winning author of Jetty Jumping
The Rebels of Mount Buffalo by Helen Edwards
The Rebels of Mount Buffalo by Helen Edwards endorsment
The-Gorge-Helen-Boulder

Welcome! My name is Dr Helen Edwards and I'm an Adelaide-based writer who loves to weave stories of nature, magic and history.

My debut middle-grade novel - THE REBELS OF MOUNT BUFFALO - will be published in October 2023, by Riveted Press!

It's 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

You can Pre-order your copy NOW!

Head here to order your copy of The Rebels of Mount Buffalo.

Here is the blub!

It's 1998 and Clara and her parents are staying at the Mount Buffalo Chalet for the national park centenary celebrations. It couldn't be more different from their last visit - they were a family of four then.

With her twin brother Darius gone, Clara has no reference point anymore, no guide. It's like being lost in the bush without a compass. 

Without him, she doesn't really know who she is.

After a strange night, Clara wakes up in 1893. There she meets Alice, a girl who lives within the fern-filled valleys at the base of Mount Buffalo. To her surprise, Clara realises she is Guide Alice, considered a rebel of her time, an adventurous non-conformist who spent much of her life boldly leading people along the rugged trails between granite tors and misty mountain peaks.

The 1890s were a difficult era in Australia's history. The country is in the grip of a terrible Depression, and desperate people can be dangerous. When Alice's life is threatened, Clara must rediscover the courage she has always had, and become the girl she was always meant to be. 

Bringing in themes of early feminism and issues such as bullying, never being a bystander, managing grief and finding your courage, this engaging middle grade timeslip story draws on the true history of Mount Buffalo and the incredible role the Manfield family, and Guide Alice in particular, played in the preservation of the National Park and the development of tourism in the Mount Buffalo region.

Bookings are NOW OPEN for the free book launch event at The Mount Buffalo Chalet on 11th October. Book here. 
More events across North East Victoria and South Australia will be added to my Events page in coming weeks.

A Little Bit About Me!

I have a PhD in Psychology and before becoming an Australian children's author, I worked in mental health for many years. I have done all sorts of things in my life, including founding an award-winning charity and online counselling service, supporting thousands of people with diabetes across the world. I was even a state finalist in the Australian of the Year Awards for this work!

After completing my PhD in Psychology, I decided to follow my life-long dream to become a children's author and here I am! I'm passionate about inspiring action for our beautiful, fragile planet and nature features in all of my books. I find history fascinating and uncover stories that may have been forgotten, or hidden, and bring them into the light. I also believe that fantastical things can happen and see magic in the everyday.

More about me here.

Sign up to The Story Weaver for all the latest details about my own books, book reviews and recommendations, and more. More info about bookings for author talks and workshops available here.

x Helen

Latest From My Blog

Five Minutes with Benjamin Ryan #LoveAusAuthors

By Helen Edwards | November 18, 2022

Benjamin Ryan writes ‘all things fantasy,’ and says that he has been nurtured by the genre since he was very young. He was given many fantasy books to read by his mum and aunties, and so, the genre he loves the most, became the genre he wanted to write. He is fascinated by the intricacies…

Read More

Heroes, Rebels and Innovators, by Karen Wyld & Jaelyn Biumaiwai

By Helen Edwards | November 11, 2022

This Children’s Book Council 2022 Honours winner, Heroes, Rebels and Innovators, by Karen Wyld and illustrated by Jaelyn Biumaiwai, shares seven inspiring stories about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from history. Author Karen Wyld, a writer of Martu descent, and illustrator Jaelyn Biumaiwai, of Mununjali and Fijian descent, have created a beautiful book, that…

Read More

The Amazing Pigeons of WWII

By Helen Edwards | October 31, 2022

My current work, an historical fiction WWII drama, set at the time of the Darwin bombings and moving to Lake Boga and the top secret Flying Boat base, has two main characters – one is a 13 yr old girl called Ava. The other is her young homing Pigeon called Essie, who plays a very…

Read More

Visiting Mt Buffalo and The Chalet

By Helen Edwards | October 17, 2022

Research is at the centre of all good stories, whether they are fact or fiction. Even the most fantastical tale must be believable, within the context of the story and characters. Research can of course be undertaken via books and online resources, at libraries, museums and historical sites, through interviews and other media and via…

Read More

Five Minutes with Elise Carlson #LoveAusAuthors

By Helen Edwards | September 26, 2022

Elise Carlson says they include a number of common themes in their writing, including grief, because, they find it cathartic. ‘I hope my writing shines a light on readers’ own experiences with grief and that the stories are relatable.’ Elise wants to ensure there is more nonbinary representation in books, because, they say, there are…

Read More

The Magic of Mountains

By Helen Edwards | September 20, 2022

I was thinking recently, about why mountains often seem to feature in my stories. Mountains have always been magical to me. As a small girl, living in Port Augusta, South Australia, camping in the purple-blue mountains of the Flinders Ranges was a regular part of our lives. Later, we moved to the very flat wheat-coloured…

Read More

Five Minutes with Rebecca Fung #LoveAusAuthors

By Helen Edwards | September 16, 2022

Rebecca Fung writes mostly children’s fiction, including illustrated chapter books and middle-grade. She also writes speculative fiction short stories across genres, including horror, fantasy and science fiction. Like many writers, she is open to all sorts of themes and topics. She has a number of ideas for young adult stories and would love to write…

Read More

Whalesong by Kate Gordon

By Helen Edwards | September 12, 2022

“There is no now and no then, only in between and always. Open the box. Come and see.” CBCA Award-winning author Kate Gordon, is one of my favourite authors. Everything I have read of hers, I have loved – for her beautiful, lyrical prose, and for her insight into human beings, our mental health and…

Read More

Publishing News!

By Helen Edwards | September 8, 2022

As I write this, the door propped open, birds singing in spring rain, I am filled with joy and excitement to announce that my debut middle-grade novel – an Australian historical fiction time-slip adventure, set at Mt Buffalo, inspired by and featuring Guide Alice Manfield – will be published by Riveted Press/Yellow Brick Books, in…

Read More
Member-badges
Member logo colour
Individual Project Grant 2023
Individual Project Grant 2023
1st Place Winner
AOTY_2016_logo_Semi-Stacked (1)
unnamed
Recipient Richard Llewellyn Deaf and Disability Grant 2021
Recipient Richard Llewellyn Deaf and Disability Grant 2021
SUSTAINABILITY-BRONZE-TRANSPARENT-HIGH-RES-1