All about Author Penny Harrison

I started reading at an early age and escaped into a world of books, where  favourites such as The Secret Garden and Anne of Green Gables opened my eyes to a natural world that was lush and pretty and green. But before I long I was devouring everything I could, from Enid Blyton, Noel Streatfeild and Ruth Park, to the weekly local newspaper, my mum’s collection of Country Style magazines and World Vision newsletters.

By the end of school, I knew I wanted to be a journalist and, after university, I landed a job in the features department at The Sydney Morning Herald, where I was lucky enough to work with incredible writers and editors, including Susan Wyndham, Ali Gripper and Candida Baker.

Later, I moved to Melbourne and my small community and country roots started calling, so I pursued the Leader Community Newspaper group and scored a place on their Mornington Peninsula rag and later at Bacchus Marsh, a small rural town known for its orchards.


I eventually ended up at the Herald Sun Home Magazine as a production editor. Now, for the past 10 years, I have been working as a freelance journalist – once more pursuing my love of the natural world, writing about gardens, farmers/growers, and creatives.

It was when my two children were born that I was quickly transported back to my childhood farm and all those glorious picture and chapter books that consumed me. I wanted to share these stories with them. And, suddenly, I felt a strong urge to write my own.

Many of my stories aim to cultivate a sense of wonder for the natural world and our need to cherish it. Extraordinary! is actually inspired by a favourite quote of mine, by William Martin. For years, I’ve had this quote (illustrated by the amazing author/illustrator Jess Racklyeft) pinned to my wall.

This quote conjures up my childhood and serves as a reminder for me to slow down and teach my children to embrace the ‘ordinary’ things in life. 

I hope Extraordinary! will do the same for others – inspiring them to notice the little things, to experience nature with all their senses, to share these moments with loved ones, and to treasure them.

Extraordinary!

A gentle tale about reaching for the stars and being extraordinary... but remembering the ordinary too. 
Extraordinary! celebrates the best moments in life: the ones we share with friends and family. 
They may be simple, they may be ordinary, but they are moments we will cherish forever.

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