Robin McMaugh Klein (born 28 February 1936) is an Australian author of books for children. She was born in

Kempsey, New South Wales Kempsey is a town in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia and is the council seat for Kempsey Shire. It is located roughly 16.5 kilometres inland from the coast of the Pacific Ocean, on the Macleay Valley Way near where the P ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, and now resides near

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

Early life

Robin Klein is one of nine children. She had her first short story published at the age of 16. She worked in a number of jobs before becoming an established writer, including tea lady at a warehouse, bookshop assistant, nurse, copper enamelist, and program aide at a school for disadvantaged children. In 1981, she was awarded a Literature Board grant for writing, and since then, she has published more than 20 books. She is the poet of the poem "Amanda!". Robin Klein was educated at Newcastle Girls' High School.

Career

Several of her books have been short-listed for the

Children's Book Council of Australia A child () is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking countries, the legal definition of ''chi ...

(CBCA) Children's Book of the Year Award, including '' Hating Alison Ashley'' (also a

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

starring

Delta Goodrem Delta Lea Goodrem Order of Australia, AM (born 9 November 1984) is an Australian singer, songwriter, television personality and actress based in Sydney. Goodrem signed a recording contract with Sony Music at the age of 15. Her debut studio album ...

) and '' Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left'' (filmed as a television series for the

Seven Network Seven Network (stylised 7Network, and commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is an Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, ...

in 1992). Klein's novel '' Came Back to Show You I Could Fly'' won a human rights award for literature in 1989 and also won the 1990 CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers. It was filmed as '' Say a Little Prayer'' in 1993. Several of her other books have received awards in Australia, including the South Australian Festival Award for Literature, which she won in 1998 with ''The Listmaker''. Many others, including '' Boss of the Pool'', have also won or been short-listed. Several of her books have been short-listed for the

(CBCA) Children's Book of the Year Award, including '' Hating Alison Ashley'' (also a

starring

) and '' Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left'' (filmed as a television series for the

aneurysm An aneurysm is an outward :wikt:bulge, bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also b ...

rupture, and while she survived, since 2005, she has lived in a

nursing home A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of older people, senior citizens, or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as care homes, skilled nursing facilities (SNF), or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms ...

and is no longer able to write or do significant publicity work for her books.

Awards

* Special mention – Critici in Erba Prize at

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for ''The Giraffe in Pepperell Street'' (1978) * Won – CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Younger Readers for ''Thing'' (1983) * Won – Human Rights Literature and Awards (1989) * Won – CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers for '' Came Back to Show You I Could Fly'' (1990) * Won – Canberra's Own Outstanding List: Fiction for Older Readers Award for '' People Might Hear You'' (1991) * Dromkeen Medal (1991) * Won – Canberra's Own Outstanding List: Fiction for Older Readers Award for '' Came Back to Show You I Could Fly'' (1992)

Bibliography

Collections

* ''Ratbags and Rascals : Funny Stories'' (J.M. Dent, 1984), illustrated by Alison Lester * ''Snakes and Ladders : poems about the ups and downs of life'' (J.M. Dent, 1985), illustrated by Ann James * ''Tearaways'' (Viking, 1990, first published as ''Stories to Make You Think Twice'') * ''All in the Blue Unclouded Weather'' (Viking, c1991)

Penny Pollard books

''illustrated by Ann James # ''Penny Pollard's Diary'' (Oxford University Press, 1983) # ''Penny Pollard's Letters'' (Oxford University Press, 1984) # ''Penny Pollard in Print'' (Oxford University Press, 1986) # ''Penny Pollard's Passport'' (Oxford University Press, 1988) # ''Penny Pollard's Guide to Modern Manners'' (Oxford University Press, 1989) # ''Penny Pollard's Scrapbook'' (Hodder Children's Books Australia, 1999)

''Thing'' books

# ''Thing'' (Oxford University Press, 1982) illustrated by Alison Lester # ''Thingnapped!'' (Oxford University Press, 1984) # ''Thing Finds a Job'' (Hodder Headline, 1996), illustrated by Alison Lester # ''Thing's Concert'' (Hodder Headline, 1996), illustrated by Alison Lester # ''Thing's Birthday'' (Hodder Headline, 1996), illustrated by Alison Lester # ''Thingitis'' (Hodder Headline, 1996), illustrated by Alison Lester

Miscellaneous

* ''The Giraffe in Pepperell Street'' (Hodder and Stoughton, 1978), illustrated by Gill Tomblin * ''Junk Castle'' (Oxford University Press, 1983), illustrated by Rolf Heimann * '' People Might Hear You'' (Puffin Books, 1983) * ''Oodoolay '' (Era Publications, c1983), illustrated by Vivienne Goodman * ''Brock and the Dragon'' (Hodder & Stoughton, 1984), illustrated by Rodney McRae * '' Hating Alison Ashley'' (Puffin Books, 1984) * ''Thalia, the Failure'' (Ashton Scholastic, 1984), illustrated by Rhyll Plant * ''The Enemies'' (Angus & Robertson, 1985), illustrated by Noela Young * '' Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left'' (Viking Kestrel, 1985) * ''Serve Him Right!'' (Edward Arnold (Australia), 1985), illustrated by John Burge * ''You're on Your Own!'' (Edward Arnold, 1985) * ''Good For Something'' (Edward Arnold Australia, 1985) * ''Separate Places'' (Roo Books, 1985), illustrated by Astra Lacis * ''Games'' (Viking Kestrel, 1986), illustrated by Melissa Webb * '' Boss of the Pool'' (Omnibus in association with Penguin, 1986) * ''The Princess who Hated It'' (Omnibus Books, 1986), illustrated by Maire Smith * ''Robin Klein's Crookbook'' (Methuen Australia, 1987), illustrated by Kristen Hilliard * ''Don't Tell Lucy'' (Methuen Australia, 1987) * ''Birk, the Berserker'' (Omnibus Books, 1987), illustrated by Alison Lester * ''The Lonely Hearts Club'' (Oxford University Press, 1987), with Max Dann * ''I Shot an Arrow'' (Viking Kestrel, 1987), illustrated by Geoff Hocking * ''Christmas'' (Methuen, c1987), illustrated by Kristen Hilliard * ''Laurie Loved Me Best'' (Viking Kestrel, 1988) * ''Jane's Mansion'' (Shortland, 1988), illustrated by Melissa Webb * ''The Kidnapping of Clarissa Montgomery'' (Shortland, 1988), illustrated by Jane Wallace-Mitchell * ''Against the Odds'' (Puffin Books, 1989), illustrated by Bill Wood * ''Honoured Guest'' (Angus & Robertson, 1989) * '' Came Back to Show You I Could Fly'' (Viking Penguin, 1989) * ''The Ghost in Abigail Terrace'' (Omnibus Books, 1989), illustrated by Margaret Power * ''Boris and Borsch'' (Allen & Unwin, 1990), illustrated by Cathy Wilcox * ''Dresses of Red and Gold'' (Viking, 1992) * ''Amy's Bed'' (Omnibus Books, 1992), illustrated by Coral Tulloch * ''Seeing Things '' (Penguin Books Australia, 1993) * ''Turn Right for Zyrgon'' (Puffin, 1994) * ''The Sky in Silver Lace'' (Penguin, 1995) * ''The Listmaker'' (Viking, 1997) * ''Barney's Blues'' (Puffin, 1998), illustrated by David Cox * ''The Goddess'' (Lothian, 1998), illustrated by Anne Spudvilas * ''Gabby's Fair'' (Omnibus Books, 1998), illustrated by Michael Johnson * ''Anything Happens'' * ''Tor Atar Gu'' (Abhishek Das Books)

Adaptations

Television

* ''Thing'' * ''Penny Pollard's Diary'' * '' Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left'', adapted by Michael Harvey and John Reeves (1991–1992)

Stage

* ''Hating Alison Ashley: The Play'', adapted by Richard Tulloch * '' Boss of the Pool'', adapted by Mary Morris

Film

* '' Say a Little Prayer'', based on '' Came Back to Show You I Could Fly'', adapted and directed by Richard Lowenstein (1993) * '' Hating Alison Ashley'', adapted for the screen by Chris Anastassiades and Christine Madafferi (2005)

References

External links

Penguin Books author profile
* for the '' Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left'' television series
Sophie Masson describes Klein's illness
*
Say a Little Prayer (movie)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Klein, Robin 1936 births 20th-century Australian novelists Australian children's writers Australian women novelists Living people People from Kempsey, New South Wales Writers from New South Wales Australian women children's writers 20th-century Australian women writers Kempsey, New South Wales