Samantha Turnbull

Author, Poet, Storyteller/Performer

Samantha Turnbull is a children’s author, journalist, podcast producer and slam poet.

Her books include Remember the Rainbows (Five Mile), Fierce Girls (Five Mile), and The Anti-Princess Club series (Allen & Unwin). Her podcasts include Fierce Girls, Dino Dome, News Time, and Little Green Pod (all ABC). She has worked as a journalist across newspapers, magazine, TV, radio and online. And she has competed in (and won) loads of poetry slams.

Sam’s favourite thing to do (apart from writing) is visiting schools.

Where were you born?
Lismore, northern New South Wales, also known as the ‘rainbow region.’

What other jobs have you had?
Perfume sprayer, kids’ entertainer, checkout chicken.

What themes are recurring in your work?
Friendship, family, social justice, diversity, and challenging stereotypes.

What have been the highlights of your career?
Running a radio station at a summer camp in the USA for children who lost their parents in the World Trade Centre attacks on September 11, 2001.

What are you passionate about?
Smashing stereotypes.
Body image.
Reading and writing.
Slam/performance poetry.
Podcasting.
Multimedia journalism/storytelling.
Trail running.
Travelling.

Haven’t I seen you before?
You may have seen me spruiking my books in the media or reporting on ABC radio and TV.

Anything else you’d like to share with us?
I can run really, really long distances. My longest running race so far has been 250km through the mountains of New Zealand.