Jane Godwin Explained

Jane Godwin (born 1964 in Melbourne, Australia^[1]) is an Australian author, and is a publisher at Penguin Books Australia for children and young adult books.

She was inducted into the Australian Book Industry Awards Hall of Fame on 9 May 2024;^[2] she also won the 2024 Pixie O’Harris Award.

She lives in Melbourne and works with school pupils^[3] and Indigenous children through the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.^[4]

Recognition and awards

Godwin has sole-authored many books which have been published internationally, and she has earned many commendations.

• 1999: shortlisted for New South Wales State Literary Award Patricia Wrightson Prize - Sebby, Stee, The Garbos and Me
• 1999: finalist Young Australian Best Book Award - Sebby, Stee, The Garbos and Me
• 2000: winner of the Queensland Premier's Literary Award - The Family Tree
• 2006: shortlisted for CBC Book of the Year Awards in the Younger Readers category - The True Story of Mary
• 2021: shortlisted for the Children's prize at the Indie Book Awards - Sing Me The Summer^[5]
• 2021: shortlisted for CBCA - When Rain Turns to Snow^[6]
• 2024: winner of Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) - Children's Picture Book of the Year (ages 0–6) - A Life Song^[7]

She lives in Melbourne with her husband and has two children, including Wil Wagner.^{[8] [9]}

Books

• The Family Tree (1998)
• Poor Fish (2000)
• When Anna Slept Over (2001)
• Millie Starts School (2001)
• Jessie and Mr Smith (2003)
• The Day I Turned Ten (2004)
• Minnie and The Super Guys (2004)
• The True Story of Mary (2005)
• When Elephants Lived In The Sea (2006)
• Falling from Grace (2006)
• Little Cat and the Big Red Bus (2008)
• Sam Sullivan's Scooter (2009)
• Where's Sunday? (2010)
• ’All Through the Year (2010)^[10]
• Today We Have No Plans (2012)
• Starting School (2013)
• Animal Tales (2014) (contributor)^[11]
• How Big is Too Small? (2016)
• Go Go and the Silver Shoes (2018)
• What Do You Wish For? (2018)
• As Happy as Here (2019)
• Poor Fish (2019)^[12]
• Sing Me The Summer (2020)
• When Rain Turns to Snow (2020)
• Don’t Forget (2021)
• Arno and His Horse (2021)^[13]
• All the Words I Need to Know (2022)^[14]
• A Life Song (2023)^[15]

External links

• • Author profile at Penguin Books

Notes and References

1. Web site: Jane Godwin. Penguin Books. https://web.archive.org/web/20080207232315/http://www.penguin.com.au/puffin/Authors/Questions/0000000731.cfm?Heading=Yes. 2008-02-07.
2. https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2024/04/04/249864/stager-godwin-to-be-inducted-into-abia-hall-of-fame-business-publisher-shortlists-announced/ Books+Publishing website, Stager, Godwin to be inducted into ABIA Hall of Fame; business, publisher shortlists announced, article dated 5 April 2024
3. https://www.scribblekidsbooks.com/creators/jane-godwin Scribble Kids Books website, Jane Godwin
4. https://www.indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au/news-events/non-commercial-books-become-commercial The Indigenous Literacy Foundation website, Non-Commercial Books Become Commercial!, article dated 10 May 2022
5. Web site: 2021-01-20 . Indie Book Awards 2021 shortlists announced . 2021-01-20 . Books+Publishing . en-AU.
6. Web site: 2021-03-30 . CBCA 2021 Book of the Year shortlists announced . 2021-03-30 . Books+Publishing . en-AU.
7. Web site: ABIA . 2024-05-09 . Australian Book Industry Award Winners 2024 . 2024-05-10 . ABIA . en-AU.
8. Web site: Show & Tell Promotions with Jane Godwin . showtell.com.au . https://web.archive.org/web/20090913052317/http://showtell.com.au/victoria/authors/jane_godwin.htm . 2009-09-13.
9. Web site: Michael Wagner & Jane Godwin: talented literary partners . 8 April 2018 . The Boomerang Books Blog blog.boomerangbooks.com.au .
10. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/all-through-the-year-9780670073993 Penguin website, All Through the Year
11. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/animal-tales-9780143308607 Penguin website, Animal Tales
12. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/puffin-nibbles-poor-fish-9780141306650 Penguin website, Poor Fish
13. https://faberwritingacademy.com.au/writer/jane-godwin/ Faber Writing Academy website, Jane Godwin
14. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/all-the-words-i-need-to-know-9781760897277 Penguin website, All the Words I Need to Know
15. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/a-life-song-9781761047640 Penguin website, A Life Song