Kyle Mewburn (born 1963) is an Australian-New Zealand writer whose books have won many prizes and awards. She lives in

Millers Flat Millers Flat is a small town in inland Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand. It is located on the Clutha River, 17 kilometres south of Roxburgh. Fruit growing is the main industry in the area. Most of the town lies on the north bank of the ...

Central Otago Central Otago is located in the inland part of the Otago region in the South Island of New Zealand. The motto for the area is "A World of Difference". The area is dominated by mountain ranges and the upper reaches of the Clutha River and tributa ...

, writes picture books and junior fiction and is a popular and well-known speaker at schools and literary festivals.

Biography

Kyle Mewburn was born in 1963 in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

, Australia. She completed a Bachelor of Business Degree at the

Queensland Institute of Technology Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is a public research university located in the urban coastal city of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. QUT is located on two campuses in the Brisbane area viz. Gardens Point and Kelvin Grove. The univ ...

, then travelled across Europe and the Middle East and settled in New Zealand in 1990. After working at a variety of jobs including journalist, EFL teacher, Environment Centre manager, dishwasher, interviewer, traffic surveyor, apple-picker, machine operator and Kibbutznik, Mewburn became a full-time writer in 1997. She has always loved writing and sees writing for children as her "dream job". Her favourite book as a child was

The Phantom Tollbooth ''The Phantom Tollbooth'' is a children's fantasy adventure novel written by Norton Juster, with illustrations by Jules Feiffer, first published in 1961. The story follows a bored young boy named Milo who unexpectedly receives a magic tollb ...

by Norton Juster, which she loved for its word games and puns, qualities which also appear in her own work. Kyle was President of the

New Zealand Society of Authors The New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN New Zealand Inc.) promotes and protects the interests of New Zealand writers. It was founded as the New Zealand PEN Centre (Poets, Essays and Novelists) in 1934. It broadened its scope and became the New Ze ...

(PEN NZ Inc) from 2012-2016. She visits schools to speak to students about being a writer and to take workshops and has often appeared at literary festivals such as the New Zealand Mountain Film and Book Festival at

Wānaka Wānaka () is a popular ski and summer resort town in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand. At the southern end of Lake Wānaka, it is at the start of the Clutha River/Mata-Au and is the gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park. ...

in 2016, the Storylines National Children's Writers and Illustrators' Hui in 2017, the Tamar Valley Writers Festival in

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

in 2018 and the National Writers Forum in 2018. After more than 25 years of hiding her true identity, Mewburn told her wife, Marion, she was

transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through tr ...

. With Marion's support, Kyle travelled to Argentina in 2017 to receive facial feminisation surgery. In April 2018, she was a panellist in the inaugural Dunedin Pride Festival and in June 2018, she took part in a series of events for Pride Fest, celebrating International Pride Month, organised by

Palmerston North Palmerston North (; mi, Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the ...

City Library. In 2021 her memoir, ''Faking It: My life in transition,'' was published by Penguin. She has spoken out in favour of the move for a New Zealand children's laureate and the recent decision by the

World Health Organisation The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...

(WHO) to change its definition of transgender from being a mental health disorder. Kyle lives with her wife, Marion (a well-known potter), two cats and 24 chickens, in a self-built house with a grass roof in

, Central Otago.

Awards and prizes

Mewburn's books have been published in 27 countries and won numerous awards including New Zealand Children's Book of the Year with ''Old Hu-hu'' in 2010 and a number of Storylines Notable Book Awards. Mewburn won the Joy Cowley Award (presented by Storylines Children's Literature Foundation of New Zealand) in 2005, and won both the Picture Book Category and the Children's Choice Category with ''Kiss! Kiss! Yuck! Yuck!'' at the 2007

New Zealand Post Book Awards The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are literary awards presented annually in New Zealand. The awards began in 1996 as the merger of two literary awards events: the New Zealand Book Awards, which ran from 1976 to 1995, and the Goodman Fielder W ...

for Children and Young Adults. Kyle was the

University of Otago College of Education / Creative New Zealand Children's Writer in Residence The University of Otago College of Education/Creative New Zealand Children's Writer in Residence is a six-month Fellowship for children's writers who normally live in New Zealand. History and conditions This residency was first offered in 1992 ...

Otago University , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...

in 2011.

Bibliography

*''The Hoppleplop'' (illustrated by Deborah Hinde; Scholastic, 2004) *''The Bear in the Room Next Door'' (ill. Deborah Hinde; Scholastic NZ, 2006) *''Kiss! Kiss! Yuck! Yuck!'' (ill. Ali Teo and John O'Reilly; Scholastic NZ, 2006) *''No Room for a Mouse'' (ill.

Freya Blackwood Freya Blackwood (born 1975) is an Australian illustrator and special effects artist. She worked on special effects for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy from 2001 to 2003 and won the Kate Greenaway Medal for British children's book illustration ...

; Scholastic Australia, 2007) *''Muddletopia'' (''Kiwi Bites'' series; ill. Dave Gunson; Penguin, 2007). *''Duck's Stuck'' (ill. Ali Teo and John O'Reilly; Scholastic NZ, 2008) *''Ant's Pants'' (ill. Dave Gunson; Scholastic NZ, 2008) *''Funny Little Dog'' (''Pop Hooper's Perfect Pets'' series; ill. Heath McKenzie; Little Hare, 2009) *''Scruffy Old Cat'' (''Pop Hooper's Perfect Pets'' series; ill. Heath McKenzie; Little Hare, 2009) *''Old Hu-hu'' (ill. Rachel Driscoll; Scholastic NZ, 2009). Te reo retelling by Kāterina Mataira, ''Hū-Hū Koroheke'' *''The Eleventh Sheep'' (ill. Claire Richards; Scholastic, Australia 2008) *''Slowcoach Turtle'' (''Pop Hooper's Perfect Pets'' series; ill. Heath McKenzie; Little Hare, 2010) *''A Crack in the Sky'' (ill. Sarah Nelisiwe Anderson; Scholastic, 2010) *''Hill & Hole'' (ill.

Vasanti Unka Vasanti Unka is a New Zealand writer, illustrator and graphic designer who has been involved in the book and magazine industry for many years. A number of her books have been shortlisted for awards and she won Best Picture Book and Margaret Mahy ...

; Penguin, 2010) *''Daisy's Maze'' (ill. Michaela Sangl; Scholastic, 2010) *''Hester & Lester'' (ill. Harriet Bailey; Random House, 2011) *''Dinosaur Rescue: T-Wreck-asaurus'' (ill. Donovan Bixley; Scholastic, 2011) *''Dinosaur Rescue: Stego-snottysaurus'' (ill. Donovan Bixley; Scholastic, 2011) *''Dinosaur Rescue: Veloitchy-raptor'' (ill. Donovan Bixley; Scholastic, 2011) *''Dinosaur Rescue: Diplo-dizzydocus'' (ill. Donovan Bixley; Scholastic, 2011) *''Moon Cow'' (ill. Deirdre Copeland; Puffin, 2011) *''The Grumble Bee'' (ill. Ingrid Berzins; Scholastic, 2011) *''Do Not Push'' (ill. Sarah Nelisiwe Anderson; Scholastic, 2011) *''Three Cheers for No-Ears!'' (ill. Deborah Hinde; Scholastic, 2011). Te reo retelling by Kāterina Mataira, ''He Mihi Nui mo Taringa-Kore!'' *''Bog Frog Hop'' (ill. Rebecca Cool; Little Hare, 2012) *''Melu'' (ill. Ali Teo and John O'Reilly; Scholastic, 2012) *''Seesaw Po'' (ill. Katz Cowley; Scholastic, 2012) *''Dinosaur Rescue: Spino-rottysaurus'' (ill. Donovan Bixley; Scholastic, 2012) *''Blue Gnu'' (ill. Daron Parton; Scholastic NZ, 2012) *''Dako-snappysaurus'' (ill. Donovan Bixley; Scholastic NZ, 2013) *''Scuto-stickysaurus'' (ill. Donovan Bixley; Scholastic NZ, 2013) *''Salto-Scerdypus'' (ill. Donovan Bixley; Scholastic NZ, 2013) *''Tumble Ted'' (ill. Mat Russell; Scholastic NZ, 2013) *''Chick's sick!'' (ill. Ali Teo and John O'Reilly; Scholastic NZ, 2013) *''Luther and the cloud-makers'' (ill. Sarah Nelisiwe Anderson; Scholastic NZ, 2013) *''A perfect chirpy Christmas'' (ill. Patrick McDonald; Random House, 2013) *''Dragon Knight - Fire!'' (ill. Donovan Bixley; Scholastic NZ, 2015) *''Dragon Knight - Rats!'' (ill. Donovan Bixley; Scholastic NZ, 2015) *''Dragon Knight - Witch!'' (ill. Donovan Bixley; Scholastic NZ, 2015) *Dragon Knight - Dragons!'' (ill. Donovan Bixley; Scholastic NZ, 2015) *''The House on the Hill'' (ill. Sarah Davis; Scholastic NZ, 2016) *''Dinosaur Trouble – The Great Egg Stink'' (Scholastic NZ, 2017) *''Dinosaur Trouble – The Lava Melt Shake'' (Scholastic NZ, 2017) *''Dinosaur Trouble – The Runaway Coat'' (Scholastic NZ, 2017) *''Dinosaur Trouble – The Secret Hunt'' (Scholastic NZ, 2018) *''We Saw a Spinosaurus'' (ill. Daron Parton; Scholastic NZ, 2022) *''Have you seen tomorrow?'' (ill. Laura Bee Bernard; Penguin, 2022)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mewburn, Kyle 1963 births Living people People from Brisbane People from Otago Transgender writers Transgender women New Zealand children's writers New Zealand women children's writers Australian emigrants to New Zealand Australian LGBT writers New Zealand LGBT writers