KimberleyTerrell.com
Who is Kimberley Terrell?
I’m a Mum to three awesome boys. One of my boys, Ollie, has cerebral palsy affecting the right side of his body (hemiplegia).
When Ollie was little, I wanted to read him picture books with kids who also wore arm splints and ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) like him. But I didn't want the stories to be about disability. I wanted regular adventure stories with kids like Ollie right in the middle of the action. I did track some down, but they were hard to find.
This experience and later, becoming a teacher and teaching neurodiverse students in every classroom, made me realise how badly we need diverse characters in fiction. Inspired by Ollie, my books are helping right the balance - in the most entertaining way possible.
This is where you can find Ollie now - right in the middle of the action.
kneeboarding
fundraising by running up mountains (this is Ollie on top of Australia's highest mountain, Mt Kosciuszko)
skiing
playing tennis
I have always been a writer;
although at times, the subject matter has been a little drier than zombie apocalypses.
What's the best part about writing books and teaching in a school?
Dressing as my own character (Ember, from Werekids: Flight) for the bookweek parade.
lifelong writer
I wrote and illustrated my first book when I was six. It was called “Moondust", and I wrote it because my Mum inherited her grandfather's typewriter and I wanted to have a go.
My sister remembers me writing stories about her and posting them under her bedroom door to cheer her up.
teacher
Through teaching, I re-discovered my love of reading about and writing for middle grade children.
It is now my books that I read aloud to my classes, but I am seeking representation to help me reach a broader audience.
academic
I excelled at academic writing, receiving a University Medal in history, and completing both a Ph.D. on Anglo-American nuclear relations and a Masters in Primary Education.
My degrees taught me to persevere and see projects to completion.
https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:105615
brief writer
My years as a public service brief writer taught me the art of recrafting my writing using feedback.
Highlights were travelling to the United Nations in New York and to South-East Asia and meeting my husband playing on the work touch football team.