Hazel Edwards


Hazel Eileen Edwards is an Australian author who has written 200 books, including the classic children's book There's a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2020 and is a short film by Pocket Bonfire Productions which toured nationally with Little Big Shots International Film Festival. Also toured nationally in 2017 as a musical 'Hippo Hippo the Musical' with Garry Ginivan Productions. Since its publication in 1980, Hippopotamus on Our roof has been reprinted annually, evolved into a series of seven picture books and inspired a junior chapter book, classroom play scripts, stage production and a short movie. The Hippopotamus books have also been translated into Chinese, Braille and Auslan signing for the hearing impaired and were presented as an official Australian government gift to the children of Princess Mary of Denmark.
Edwards is a National Ambassador for the 2012 Year of Reading and the Premiers' Reading Challenge and other literacy organisations including Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

Biography

Melbourne-born and based, Hazel Eileen Edwards attended Ashburton Primary and Camberwell High School. After working in a bank and studying at night, she entered Toorak Teachers' College. She taught at Westall High School and was invited to lecture at Frankston Teachers' College while studying at Monash University at night. Later she lectured in children's literature and psychology at Toorak Teachers' College, and the Institute of Early Childhood Development, then became a freelance author-lecturer after the publication of 'General Store' and the now classic There's a Hippopotamus On Our Roof Eating Cake which toured nationally with Garry Ginivan productions as 'Hippo Hippo the Musical'.
Edwards writes fact and fiction across media, for adults and children. She collaborates with psychologists, directors, scientists, puppeteers and illustrators and enjoys quirky and fanciful approaches to learning, participant-observation and experimenting with new media.
She has co-written in social issues areas such as transgender in f2m:the boy within and about sociopaths in Difficult Personalities and 'Hijabi Girl'. Her adult 'Celebrant Sleuth: I Do or Die' has an asexual sleuth.
Her memoir 'Not Just a Piece of Cake:Being an Author' was published in 2015.
2012 National Year of Reading Ambassador and three times nominee for ALMA award.
Her books have been translated into Tamil, Chinese, Korean, French, Indonesian, Polish, Russian and Finnish.
She was a director on the board of management of the Australian Society of Authors for 20 years. In 2009, she received the Australian Society of Authors' medal.
She received an OAM in the 2013 Queens Birthday Honours. In 2017 she was awarded the Graham Davey Citation by YABBA for mentoring young readers and writers.In 2018 she became Patron of the Society of Women Writers.

Antarctica

As 2001 Australian Antarctic Division writer, awarded the Antarctic Fellowship, Edwards travelled to Casey Station, Antarctica on the Polar Bird. Literary output based on her experience includes Antarctica's Frozen Chosen, Antarctic Writer on Ice, Antarctic Dad, Right or Wrong, Grandma Leaps the Antarctic and Antarctic Closeup, a National Museum initiative.

Published works

Cake Eating Hippo series

E-book series
'The Frequent Flyer Twins' series.
Literacy Performance Scripts
Memoir; Not Just a Piece of Cake; Being an Author

Works in collections