Chris Owen

Summary

Chris Owen is an internationally published children's picture book author, poet and teacher. A former radio journalist and newsreader, he now lives in North Perth with his family and a growing menagerie of animals. Chris is the author of 'My Superhero' and 'Pandamonia', both published by Fremantle Press.

Biography

Chris Owen is the author of My Superhero (illustrated by Moira Court) which was shortlisted for the 2014 Western Australian Premier's Book Award. It was also inducted into the International Youth Library after receiving a White Raven Award.

Chris is also the author of Pandamonia (illustrated by Chris Nixon) which was a Notable Book in the 2017 CBCA Picture Book of the Year Awards. It has been published in several overseas markets including China, Italy, the USA and Canada, with further translations currently in the pipeline.

Chris has performed readings of his books and poetry at many libraries, schools and festivals, including the Perth Writers Festival, the Between the Lines Literature Festival and the All Saints Literature Festival. As an enthusiastic advocate of the practice of reading aloud to children, Chris presented alongside Australian children's literature icon, Mem Fox, at the 2018 United Way South Australia Read Aloud at the Zoo Day.

Aside from sharing his books and poetry with audiences, Chris has been the MC for the CBCA Book Awards and for the United Way South Australia Read Aloud Open Day at Parafield Airport. He has conducted numerous poetry writing workshops for children, and was a keynote speaker at the 2014 West Australian Association of Teacher Assistants conference and the 2015 Primary English Teaching Association of Australia (PETAA) conference.

Relevant qualifications

Grad.Dip Education (Primary) ECU, Perth, 2003
Member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)
Member of the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA)

Recent experience

2019 CBCA Book Week public library sessions (City of Joondalup)
2018 United Way SA Read Aloud Open Day (Adelaide)
2018 United Way Read Aloud at the Zoo (Adelaide)
2018 Telling Tales Story Telling Festival, Balingup, WA
2017 Perth Writers Festival