About the Author

Born in New Zealand, Ruth Park moved to Australia in 1942 to continue her career as a journalist. She has written over fifty books, and her many awards include the prestigious Miles Franklin Award for Swords and Crowns and Rings; the Australian Children's Book of the Year Award and The Boston Globe-Horn Book Award (USA) for Playing Beatie Bow and the Age Book of the Year award for A Fence Around the Cuckoo. She was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1987 and in 1994 was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of New South Wales. Ruth Park lives in Sydney.