Libby Hathorn is the author of many works for children and young adults. She has won awards and honours for excellence in works of fiction both in Australia and internationally. Her work has found its way into many other formats including plays, movies, online presentations and opera. As well as her works of fiction, Libby's educational texts have been widely used in Australian schools over the past twenty years. Her company has been involved in the production of teaching and learning materials with national curriculum bodies.
Libby Hathorn's novel Thunderwith has been made a full-length television movie re-titled The Echo of Thunder by Hallmark Hall of Fame, Hollywood, starring Judy Davis, Ernie Dingo, Lauren Hewett and Emily Browning. It screened in the US to excellent reviews and Judy Davis was nominated for an Emmy for her outstanding performance as Gladwyn. Her picture storybook Grandma's Shoes formed the basis of a children's opera libretto for which she was awarded an AWGIE in 2001.The opera was premiered by Opera Australia and Theatre of Image, 2000, with music by Graeme Koehne. A later opera based on her picture storybook Sky Sash So Blue, was performed in Birmingham, Alabama in 2004.
Libby has been an Australia Day Ambassador since 1992, speaking in many country towns on Australia Day about the importance of children's literature to national literacy. Libby's most recent overseas literary tours include; United States in 2004, China, April 2001 to see the launch of her book entitled The River, in Shanghai; India where she gave a paper onBooks and Multimediaat IBBY in New Delhi; and a literary tour which took her to the Wordplay Festival in Wales, as well as to libraries in the United Kingdom.
More recently, her CDROM series Weirdstop won the AIMIA Award, 2004 (Australian Interactive Media Industry Awards) as Best Children’s Product; and in 2005 the NSW Society of Women Writers’ Bi-annual Award for Older Readers. Wonderstop won the Energy Australia National trust Heritage Award (Education) 2007.
Libby lectures part-time in Creative Writing (Children’s Literature), at Sydney University. She travels widely, talking about her work and Australian literature, and is leading a tour group for a Writers’ Retreat in Vietnam, with Centre for Continuing Education, Sydney University. Within Australia, as an Australia Day Ambassador, Libby travels to country towns each year where she talks about the importance of Australian literature.
Libby’s novel, Letters to a Princess, (ABC) was released September, 2007. Her recently completed historical novel, Georgiana: Woman of Flowers (Hachette Livre) as well as the play based on her picture storybook, The Tram to Bondi Beach (Currency Press) and a poetry anthology, all released in 2008.
Libby is currently working on a special arts project entitled 100 Views in several schools, both here and internationally. 100 Views celebrates community through poetry, artwork and a festival. Her anthology of poetry All Along the River is in development with the ABC.
All About Anna, Hodder Headline, Australia, 1999; First published by Reed Heinemann, Australia, a Children's Book Council of Australia (CBC) Honour Book, 1980
The Blue Dress, Hodder Headline, Australia 1999; First published by Reed Heinemann, Australia, 1991
Chrysalis, Hodder Headline Australia 1999; First published by Reed Heinemann, Australia, 1997
The Climb, Penguin, Australia 1996; Winner NSW Society of Women's Writers Award, 1997; A CBC Notable Book, 1997
The Extraordinary Magics of Emma McDade, Hodder Headline Australia, 1999; First published by Oxofrd University Press, 1989; Shortlisted CBC Books for Younger Readers, 1990
A Face in the Water(Uma Krishnaswamy, illus), Tulika Press, Chennai, India, 2000; Curriculum Corporation, Australia, 2002
Feral Kid, Hodder Headline, Australia 1994; Winner NSW Society of Women's Writers Award, 1995; A CBC Notable Book 1995
Freya's Fantastic Surprise, Ashton Scholastic, Australia, 1988
Friends and Secrets(formerly Paolo's Secret, Methuen Australia, 1985 ) Hodder Headline 1999; Shortlisted for the Children's Book of the Year Award, Australia 1986; the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, 1986
The Garden of the World, (Tricia Oktober illus) Margaret Hamilton, 1989 (o.p.)
Ghostop Book 1, Double Sorrow, Hodder Headline, Australia, 1999
Ghostop Book 2, Twice the Ring of Fire, Hodder Headline, Australia, 1999
Ghostop Book 3, For Love to Conquer All, Hodder Headline, Australia 1999
The Gift(Gregory Rogers illus) Random House, Australia 2000; Selected as a White Raven, Bologna Book Fair 2001; A CBC Notable Book, 2001
Grandma's Shoes(published with new Australian artwork by Caroline Magerl) Hodder Headline Australia, 2000; Winner Crichton Award for Illustration, 2001; Winner of an AWGIE for the libretto for the opera (Australian Writers' Guild,) 2001
Grandma's Shoes, Little Brown US, 1994; Pick of the lists American Publishers Weekly, 1994
Heard Singing, Poetry Collection, Out of India Press, Pondicherry, India, 1998
Jezza Sez, Collins Angus&Robertson, 1991 (o.p.); A CBC Notable Book Australia, 1991
Lachlan's Walk(Sandra Laroche illus) Methuen, (dual language Greek and Italian) 1980 (o.p.)
The Lenski Kids and Dracula, Penguin, Australia 1992; Shortlisted for Multicultural Awards 1993; Re-published as a Puffin Aussie Bite, 2000
Looking Out for Sampson, Hodder Headline, Australia 1995, first printed Oxford University Press, 1987 (o.p.); Children's Book Council of Australia Honour Book, 1988
Love Me Tender, Hodder Headline, 1999, first printed, Oxford University Press, 1991; A CBC Notable Book 1992.
Magical Ride, (Gary Fleming illus) Hodder Headline, Australia,1999; A CBC Notable Book, 2000
Okra and Acacia. The Story of the Wattle Pattern Plate(Brigitte Stoddart illus) Hodder Headline, Australia, 2002
The Painter, Hodder Headline, Australia, 2001
Rift, Hodder Headline, Australia 1998; Winner of Society of Women Writers of NSW Younger Readers Award; shortlisted 1998 Christian Schools Award and commended in Family Therapy Awards; A CBC Notable Book, 1999
The River(Stanley Wong illus), Curriculum Corporation, Asia Education Foundation, 2001
Sky Sash So Blue, (Benny Andrews illus) Simon and Schuster US, Hodder Headline, Australia 1998; The Society of School Librarians International Honour Book, USA 1998; Chosen as a Best Book of 1998 Children's Book Committee, Boston, US)
So Who Needs Lotto?Penguin 1991(o.p.); A CBC Notable Book Australia, 1991
Stephen's Tree, (illus Sandra Laroche), Methuen, 1978, (dual language Greek and Italian), (o.p.)
Stuntumble Monday(Melissa Webb illus) Collins Dove, 1989 (o.p.)
The Spirited Boy, Lothian, Australia, 1998
Talks With My Skateboard, Poetry Collection, ABC, 1994
Thunderwith, Hodder Headline, 1999; First printed Reed Heinemann, 1989; Honour Award, CBC Awards for Older Readers, Australia, 1990; named an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults, United States, 1991; CPNS Award, (Collective Promotion of Dutch Literature) Netherlands 1992; Runner up in Family Therapy Award, Australia, 1990
The Tram to Bondi Beach, Collins, A&R, 1981; Australia Highly Commended, Children's Book of the Year Award, 1981
Dear Venny, Dear Saffronco-authored with Gary Crew, Lothian, 2000
Valley under the Rock, Hodder Headline Australia, 1999, first printed Reed Heinemann, Australia 1993
Volcano Boy, verse novel, Lothian, 2001
The Wishing Cupboard, (Libby Stanley illus) Lothian, 2002
Way Home, Random House, Australia 1994 (Greg Rogers illustrator); Winner Kate Greenaway Medal, United Kingdom 1995; Winner NSW Women Writers' Award for Picture Storybook 1995; A Parents' Choice Award, United States 1994; Short-listed TDK Talking Books Award, Australia, 1995; The Australian Violence Prevention Certificate Award 1995; A Notable Book in the Field of Social Studies (CBC United States, 1995); Highly Commended ABPA Design Awards 1995
What a Star!Angus&Robertson, 1994 (o.p.)
The Wonder Thing, (Peter Gouldthorpe) Penguin, 1995; CBC, Australia, Notable Picture Book, Shortlisted for the Wilderness Society Environment Award for Children's Literature, 1996