Poetry, Fiction & Nonfiction for Children, Young Adults & Adults
Found
I dropped my page
in a puddle –
and it became
a poem.
Original photo by Benjamin Dougherty
Michelle writes for children, young adults and the young at heart! She’s published seven books of poetry including 100 Ways To Fly, If The World Belonged To Dogs, If Bees Rode Shiny Bicycles and The Angel Of Barbican High. Michelle is a mum and an occupational therapist, and reckons being a writer makes her braver and more creative in all the other jobs she does!
Michelle Taylor was born in Brisbane in 1968, and grew up in Darwin and Brisbane. She has lived in Suffolk, Glasgow, London and the island of Madeira in Portugal. She has been writing and publishing for over twenty years. Michelle particularly enjoys taking poetry to young audiences and is a popular choice as a performer and workshop leader in schools and at literary festivals. Michelle has a degree in occupational therapy with many years experience working with those with mental and emotional health problems. She also has a Master of Arts in which she researched the role of monsters in stories to empower children and manage fears.
Michelle has received many awards including Australia Council Literary Grants to write 100 Ways To Fly, and If The World Belonged To Dogs; If Bees Rode Shiny Bicycles voted one of the Top Titles for 2003 by The Australian Centre for Youth Literature; Australian Family Therapists Award for The Angel Of Barbican High as a book useful for therapists; Harri Jones Memorial Prize (for an Australian poet 35 years or under whose work in the field of poetry is judged to be outstanding); Arts Queensland Individual Writers Grants to write If Bees Rode Shiny Bicycles and The Angel Of Barbican High; Shortlisted 2000 QLD Premier’s Literary Awards – Emerging QLD Author for The Angel Of Barbican High; Varuna Writers Centre 3 week Fellowship and a Poetry Mentorship Fellowship; First Prize 1994 ABC Radio National Poetry Competition, Second Prize 2000 Arts Queensland Award For Unpublished Poetry, Shortlisted Stand International Poetry Competition 1997
“The topics, humour and consummate word choice ensure that 100 ways to Fly is perfectly pitched to children aged three to nine”
BOOKS & PUBLISHING
My title uses metaphor – to fly or flight – and is one way to think of poetry. Sometimes that small group of words crafted into a poem can unexpectedly lift you up, take you away somewhere wonderful and bring you safely home again after you’ve experienced a whole new view of the world.
