Rhiân Williams

Author, Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development/Welfare, Social Issues

Rhiân is an enthusiastic and engaging story teller, equally at home running a treasure hunt for beetles and Australian animals for a group of three year olds at a public library, to bringing fire fighters and other emergency personnel together with kids and grown ups alike to discuss emergency preparedness, through to speaking on radio about the importance of reading and books with her regular segment on ABC Canberra. 

Where were you born?

I was born in Barry in Wales. It is famous for the BBC TV series Gavin and Stacey and for being where former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard was from.

What other jobs have you had?

Lots! I have earned a living doing all kinds of things and discovering all kinds of stories along the way. I drove a Mr Whippy van and learned soft serve ice cream likes to imagine it is a volcano and will, under certain conditions, explode, leaving happy children covered in ice cream snow. I worked as a tour guide on boats cruising the Great Barrier Reef where I could sail through the tail end of cyclones and keep my sea legs steady but salt and vinegar chips made me seasick.

I have also taught some of the thousands and thousands of primary and secondary school students who visit cultural institutions in the nation’s capital every year and helped them discover the stories of our country and our peoples. I now work with researchers and economists to help them tell the stories that will help politicians and policy makers to better understand the needs of all kinds of different people in our community. 

What themes are recurring in your work?

I love figs and fire trucks. And dogs and beetles and turtles – oh and so many other things. I really hope my books inspire a curiosity about nature, the environment, community and connection.

What have been the highlights of your career?

I am so proud of the fact that my first book Ten Little Figs was selected by the Victorian Statewide Vision Resources Centre to be made into a Braille version for students with vision impairment. I am also delighted to have run a successful crowd funding campaign to make an Auslan Storytime Video version of my book Emergency Emergency – Vehicles to the Rescue.

Where have your works been published?

My books have all been published in Australia.

What are you passionate about?

I am passionate about the joys of reading and the power of stories to help children and others find new ways of seeing and understanding the world and how to make a difference for the better.

Haven’t I seen you before?

You might have heard me talking about literacy and books on ABC Canberra.  You might have seen me at Parliament House with a whole host of other Canberra region children’s authors where I organised the donation of picture books to the Parliament House Giving Tree. Or you might have met me out and about at bookshops, your local library or childcare centre along with local firefighters talking about emergency preparedness and all the amazing equipment you will find on a fire truck.

Anything else you’d like to share with us?

I do love books. I used to work in a rather wonderful, independent bookshop called Bookpassion in Canberra. It’s where I got to know the contagious joyousness of books that enchant little adventurers and those who read to them. And where I saw, firsthand, the power of story to intrigue and captivate even the tiniest of babies, who, from the moment they are born, begin to stretch and strengthen their imaginations and colour in the world around them.