Robyn Annear

Robyn used to think history was boring until, working on an archaeological dig in Melbourne, she discovered history under her fingernails. She dug up a husband there, too. Now they live with their daughter in a country town with too many cafes. Robyn thinks 'housework' is a dirty word; her hobby is collecting dust.

Frequently asked questions

How many books have you written?
Five — four for adults, one for younger readers.

What was your first book?
Bearbrass: Imagining Early Melbourne (1995)

When did you start writing?
About 1993

Is it a challenge writing books for children?
It's hard trying to remember what it's like to be young and not to know the stuff I know. In other words, it's hard to forget (that I'm old).

Where do you get your ideas from?
Reading, looking, walking, thinking about stuff, thinking about nothing.

How do you create characters that will appeal to children?
Important figures in history often were just ordinary people who found themselves in extraordinary situations. I try to portray them that way, prompting readers to think (maybe): 'Wow, they weren't that different from me! How would I have acted in their shoes?'

Who are your favourite writers/illustrators? And favourite books?
Dan Brown, Robert Louis Stevenson, Dan Brown, Leon Garfield, Dan Brown, Christopher Brookmyre, Dan Brown, Tove Jansson. Oh, and Dan Brown.

Which character from a book would you most like to meet?
A hattifattener from the Moomin books.

What do you use to write your books?
Begin with notes on pen and paper, then computer.

What were you like at school?
Sullen, bored, uninspired.

What is your favourite food?
The bread I bake myself. And chocolate.

What are your hobbies?
Working, walking.

Do you have any pets?
A yellow budgie, named Beppo. And rats in the ceiling.

What is your most treasured possession?
A pair of 18th-century slippers I found in an op-shop. And my sanity.

If you weren't a writer, what would you be?
I'd be the other things that I am besides a writer: a library assistant, a bookshop assistant, an exhibition curator, a mother, a (sometimes) lazy sod.