About
Janeen Brian is a multi-award-winning children’s author and poet who writes picture books, novels, chapter books and occasionally non-fiction. Her poetry constantly features in anthologies and children’s magazines.
Popular books are I’m a Dirty Dinosaur, Little Chicken Chickabee, Eloise and the Bucket of Stars, The Fix-it Princess, That Boy Jack and Yong: the journey of an unworthy son. Many of her books have been translated and published internationallyand her latest titles are Are you the Easter Bunny? and Somewhere You Can Dream.
Janeen has received four Children’s Book Council of Australia Honour Awards and twelve Notables and her books, I’m a Dirty Dinosaur and Look Baby! were both winners in the Speech Pathology of Australia Awards. She’s also received multiple shortlistings and Honourable mentions for her poetry, short stories and books.
Yong: the journey of an unworthy son was adapted into a play by MonkeyBaa Theatre for Young People and performed in the Sydney Opera House, the Melbourne Arts Centre and toured regional Victoria.
When Janeen is not reading or writing, she creates mosaics from recycled materials, enjoys Yoga, Aquarobics, walking along the beach, gardening, the theatre, and spending time with friends and family.
Janeen didn’t ever aspire to become an author. ‘Little by little, it just happened.’ Now she couldn’t imagine being anything else but describes writing as hard fun!
Janeen has been a primary school teacher, performer and has recorded voiceovers for videos and documentaries. Now she loves reading to children and making up words!
Autumn is her favourite season, her favourite colours are green and red and she loves trees, birds and flowers. She also tries to help the environment in as many ways as possible.
100-Word Bio
Janeen Brian is an internationally published, award-winning children’s author and poet with over 110 books published. She enjoys writing picture books, junior fiction, poetry, novels and non-fiction. More than 200 stories, poems, plays and articles have been published in children’s magazines or anthologies.
Janeen received a May Gibbs’ Children’s Literature Trust Fellowship in 2009, was the recipient of the 2012 Adelaide Festival of Literature Carclew Fellowship in 2012 and is an Ambassador for Raising Literacy Australia.
She lives in the seaside city of Glenelg in South Australia and loves reading, creating, Yoga, Aquarobics, theatre and seaside and country walks.
Janeen Brian 