Thalia Kalkipsakis
She cut her teeth as a series author: 'Go Girl,' 'Girlfriend Fiction,' the nonfiction series 'It's True' and more recently, 'Girl V the World.' Her books have been translated into a variety of languages and sold into countries around the world, including Brazil, the USA, Canada, Turkey, China and Korea.
Her first venture beyond series writing is a collection of unconventional short stories called 'Head Spinners: Six Stories to Twist your Brain.' One story in the collection, 'It Began with a Tingle,' is a finalist in the Children's Fiction 2011 Aurealis Awards.
These days she lives in north-eastern Victoria with her husband and two children, and their black cat named Bindi.
Author's Comment: Q: What did you like reading as a teenager?
A: Lots of fantasy books - 'The Neverending Story' by Michael Ende made me want to write my own fantasy stories. 'The Chrysalids' by John Wyndham had the same effect. For some reason I also loved apocalyptic 'end of the world' stories like 'Empty World' by John Christopher. I had an Agatha Christie phase, thought I never read murder mysteries anymore. I think I just liked her build-up of suspense and the exotic old-fashioned worlds that she wrote about. One of my favourite books was called 'The Fortunate Few' by Tim Kennemore - about a future world where elite gymnasts are 'bought and sold' between clubs the same way professional footballers are today. I liked the way the set-up empowered teenage girls... that one made me want to write my own stories too.
Nationality: Australian