Libby Hathorn has loved poetry since childhood, and in her senior years, she still takes great pleasure in sharing her passion with youngsters.
The author and poet has been writing books for children and teenagers for almost half a century.
Her work has been translated into several languages, and earnt her accolades and honours in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
Her best-selling young adult novel Thunderwith was adapted into the film The Echo of Thunder, which saw star Judy Davis nominated for an Emmy award.
She has won a number of literary awards including the Centenary Award for Services to Australian Children's Literature, the Alice Award and the Pixie O'Harris Australian Book Industry Award.
Her most recent picture book Mother Earth (Hachette, 2023) contains a series of poems about the wonder of nature. Her 2021 picture book No! Never! (Hachette) was cowritten with her daughter Lisa Hathorn-Jarman and won the prestigious Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) award for Early Readers.
Libby said she had had a passion for poetry since childhood, when she would bunker down behind the lounge to write.
"I don't remember a time when I didn't have a pencil in my hand," she said.
A former teacher and librarian, she also took great pleasure in sharing her love of literature with children - a passion that led to her writing her first picture book Stephen's Tree, which was published in 1979.
As her children got older and she became able to focus on writing full time, she found herself branching out into junior, and young adult novels.
"I think children deserve quality literature. They like, of course, to laugh, and that's a lovely thing to do.....but it's important to remember they also love to wonder."
Libby's poetic and lyrical books encapsulate a number of themes, from behavioural issues to nature and identity.
A collection of 20 of her stories will be brought to the stage in Incredibilia, a collaboration with multi-disciplinary artist Kim Carpenter. The pair previously collaborated on the operatic adaptation of her story Grandma's Shoes - which was presented by Carpenter's Theatre of Image and Opera Australia.
The show will see audiences joining two best friends on a journey over the moon, through deserts, exotic gardens and spooky cities, incorporating theatre, live music and 101 extraordinary objects.
While Kim devised the idea and selected the stories, Libby was tasked with combining them into one narrative. She also had to devise song ideas, which were turned into compositions by musician Peter Kennard.
The show will be at the State Library of NSW from May 12-26 and Parramatta's Riverside Theatre from May 28-June 1.
Incredibilia is not the only upcoming project by Carpenter, his latest exhibition, A Midsummer Night's Dream - inspired by the classic Shakespeare work - will be at Maunsell Wickes Gallery, Paddington from April 6-21.
