About Thalia
I grew up on a farm on the outskirts of Melbourne with a mum who tried to save battery hens by on-selling them as backyard chickens. My dad worked as an industrial chemist while also growing strawberries, carrots and Christmas trees on the farm. It was not unusual to find plant shoots in the freezer, or the hair dryer missing because it was needed to heat one of Dad’s experiments. My childhood showed me the magic that can happen when science and nature combine with human creativity.
Some of my books have been best sellers in Australia before being released in countries around the world, including Brazil, the USA, Canada, Turkey, Italy, Germany and China.
My first venture beyond series writing was a collection of short stories called Head Spinners: six stories to twist your brain. Of all the stories I’ve written, these are some of my favourites. (You can find out why here.) One story in the collection, "It Began with a Tingle", was a finalist in the Children’s Fiction 2011 Aurealis Awards.
After sixteen years as a tree changer in regional Victoria, I returned to Melbourne with my husband Campbell Mattinson, our two adult kids and two cats (one black, and one white-and-black). Campbell is a respected wine critic and award-winning biographer who draws on literary techniques to bring his subjects to life. His debut novel, We Were Not Men, was released in 2021.
My latest release - and another of my favourite stories - is the final book in The Lifespan of Starlight trilogy. All three books are available in bookshops or online.
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