Laurene Kelly has worked with abused children and women in refuges for many years and now works part time as a carer of children. She is the author of a trilogy of novels, I Started Crying Monday, The Crowded Beach and Still Waving. Her books are widely read in secondary schools.   

Her interest in young adult fiction derives from a wish to give hope to teenagers in our often chaotic and confusing world. She is a contributor to the anthology, Australia for Women. She lives in Tasmania and is working on a new novel.