About Jackie

Jackie French AM is an Australian author, historian, ecologist and honorary wombat (part time); 2014-15 Australian Children' Laureate; and 2015 Senior Australian of the Year. 

Jackie was born in Sydney, grew up on the outskirts of Brisbane, and is still not dead. She has lived for more than 50 years at the top of the gorge in the Araluen Valley, where her ancestors lived too. Only one school she attended burned down. This was not her fault. 

Some of Jackie’s books have sold millions of copies and won over 100 awards in Australia and internationally. Others were eaten by the wombats.  

Instead of hobbies she has: written over 200 books; built a house and power system; planted thousands of trees; eaten lunches with friends; read to her grandkids; tried to find her glasses; eaten dark chocolate, whatever fruit is in season and the odd feral species (some are very odd). She coined the term ‘moral omnivore’ to describe her diet. There is a dispensation for chocolate.

Jackie has studied over 400 wombats and been the (almost) obedient slave to some of them. She is an enthusiastic cook married to an enthusiastic eater. It is the duty of a guest to eat. Lots. Then eat some more. Do not bring cake if you are worried about calories, hike up the mountain and look for endangered species. But you will find more on a bush mooch than a bush walk. Watch out for the eight species of snake. Don’t worry. They’ll also be watching out for you.

Jackie writes for adults, young adults, and very young humans, on history, ecology, and her award-winning historical fiction for all ages, but write just one picture book about a wombat and no one lets you forget it. Ever. Please do not mention the word ‘prolific’. Or the story of how her first book was accepted because a wombat had left its droppings on her typewriter as, after 35 years of repeating it, she knows it by heart and may leave out the interesting bits. 

Jackie is also dyslexic and patron of literacy programmes across Australia with a wide and deep-if accidental-experience in learning differences and methods and their outcomes for students, as well as a passionate advocate for equal-opportunity education. No one can read her handwriting, including herself.  She still can't spell.

​