Robin Klein

Robin McMaugh Klein (born 28 February 1936) is an Australian author of books for children. She was born in Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia, and now resides near Melbourne.

Early life Robin Klein is one of nine children. She had her first short story published at the age of 16. She worked in a number of jobs before becoming an established writer, including tea lady at a warehouse, bookshop assistant, nurse, copper enamelist, and program aide at a school for disadvantaged children. In 1981, she was awarded a Literature Board grant for writing, and since then, she has published more than 20 books. Robin Klein was educated at Newcastle Girls' High School.

Career Several of her books have been short-listed for the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Children's Book of the Year Award, including Hating Alison Ashley (also a film starring Delta Goodrem) and Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left (filmed as a television series for the Seven Network in 1992). Klein's novel Came Back to Show You I Could Fly won a human rights award for literature in 1989 and also won the 1990 CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers. It was filmed as Say a Little Prayer in 1993.

Several of her other books have received awards in Australia, including the South Australian Festival Award for Literature, which she won in 1998 with The Listmaker. Many others, including Boss of the Pool, have also won or been short-listed.

Robin Klein suffered an aneurysm rupture, and while she survived, since 2005, she has lived in a nursing home and is no longer able to write or do significant publicity work for her books.

Legacy Editor and author Jon Appleton published the memoir Letters From Robin in 2022. The book details his correspondence and friendship with Klein during the height of her career.

Awards Special mention – Critici in Erba Prize at Bologna for The Giraffe in Pepperell Street (1978) Won – CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Younger Readers for Thing (1983) Won – Human Rights Literature and Awards (1989) Won – CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers for Came Back to Show You I Could Fly (1990) Won – Dromkeen Medal (1991) Won – Canberra's Own Outstanding List: Fiction for Older Readers Award for Came Back to Show You I Could Fly (1992)