Welcome! My name is Dr Helen Edwards. I'm an Adelaide-based children's author who weaves diverse stories of nature, magic and history.
I'm represented by Golvan Arts Management for my literary works and by Lamont Authors for school bookings.
My debut middle-grade novel, The Rebels of Mount Buffalo, is out now with Riveted Press, distributed by Simon & Schuster.
With a neurodivergent main character and an inspiring real-life mountain guide from the 1890s, 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.
It was recently longlisted in the DANZ - The Diversity in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand Children's Book Award. This award has been created to recognise, award, and celebrate diverse children’s fiction. This means a children’s book published in Australia or New Zealand which 'pushes boundaries, challenges stereotypes, and celebrates diverse and marginalised people and communities.'
You can order your copy from me here and from Riveted Press here . It's also available in many bookshops and libraries. If you can't find it in your local bookshop or library, just ask them to get it in for you!
See more about The Rebels of Mount Buffalo here.
My next middle-grade novel - Legend of the Lighthouse Moon - is coming in November 2024 with the fabulous Riveted Press
I absolutely love this story about 13-year-old Mona McKenna, a girl living in 1970 with type 1 diabetes in an island lighthouse, featuring the stunning backdrop of Kangaroo Island and the gorgeous and endangered sea lions, as well as drawing on the true history of Cape Willoughby Lighthouse. As usual, I'm weaving nature, plenty of magic, and true history to create a very special and diverse story that's full of heart and wonder, inspired by my grandmothers who were both born on islands in the UK, the legends from these regions and my life growing up with type 1 diabetes. With thanks to Arts SA for supporting this project.
Cover reveal, blurb, pre-order details, and more details for Legend of The Lighthouse Moon are coming soon!! Sign up to the newsletter to keep up to date with details on release dates, pre-orders and events.
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've 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
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Latest From My Blog
Four Fast Facts you need to know about the sustainability of Wool
Do you love the feel of snuggling under a woolen blanket? Or slipping into a snuggly jumper? There are so many more uses and varieties of wool than you realise. Wool is pretty much an Australian Icon and we have all grown up with sheep and their fleecy coats being part of our lives…
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Time is a bitch & why Christina Perri made me cry
Time is a bitch isn’t she? So sneaky and underhanded, making you think there is so much of her and then changing tack half way and deciding that there isn’t enough of her to go around. When I was out jogging the other day I had one of those feeling memories, you know the ones?…
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Our Vintage Home in Daylesford, a house tour
We all love a story book cottage and I am sure you all have dreams about your ideal home. One of mine is a country cottage, complete with a pretty garden and some chickens. You might have seen that we found this on our stay in Daylesford last week. And quite a few of you…
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Road trips, Clare Bowditch & The Big Hearted Business (un) conference
Road trips. Don’t they just remind you of a little microcosm of life? Stuck in a car for days on end as you traverse the country, means you experience all the highs, and all the lows, of family life. There is always a settling in period in our car. A time where everyone is getting…
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Flourishing & Happiness, Decorating Your Home With Happy
I was feeling tired last night, a little virusey, but also incredibly happy as I munched on a carrot while simultaneously cooking dinner and balancing on a chair looking in the medicine cupboard for some cold and flu Echinacea and Horseradish tablets, basking in the late afternoon Autumn sun shining in through the window, when…
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5 Ways Trees Can Grow Community Values
Hoping you are all having a wonderful Easter break and are getting to enjoy one of my favourite things in the whole world – trees. Rachel Reef has been working on the project of promoting the importance of trees for our environment, regardless how urban it may be and is a guest poster today on Recycled…
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Letting go of my Black Cat Morris
To me pets are a very important part of home. I think you are a pet person or not. I am in the firmly pet person and mostly, cat person camp. I had to do a very hard thing last week. One of the hardest you can ever do as a pet lover. I had…
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Sometimes You Have to Skate Backwards
Did you used to skate? I was a big roller skater for a time and an occasional ice skater when we would visit the “big smoke” from our little country town. I loved the feeling of freedom. It felt just like flying, when skating down the road. Going backwards was one of the best…
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Fear, Anxiety & Feeling Trapped: The Train To Freedom
Happiness is a place all of us strive for, yet sadness and a range of uncomfortable emotions are part of life. In fact we must experience these, in order to have happiness. To me, a sense of freedom and control are vital to my own happiness. I think growing up with type 1 diabetes, a…
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