Susan Hawthorne is a poet, novelist and non-fiction writer with ten authored books and ten anthologies. She is Adjunct Professor in the Writing Program at James Cook University, Townsville and also a publisher. She grew up in the Riverina and indulges her love of the country by 'going bush' regularly. She is passionate about ecology, concerned about climate change and has a great love for animals.Awards history:Susan Hawthorne's poetry and fiction have been shortlisted for prizes in Australia and internationally. Her book Cow was Shortlisted for the 2012 Kenneth Slessor Poetry Prize in the NSW Premier's Awards and a Finalist in the 2012 Audre Lorde Lesbian Poetry Award (USA), while Earth's Breath was a 2010 Shortlisting in the Judith Wright Poetry Prize. Her novel, The Falling Woman was listed as on the Year's Best Books in The Australian and a Top Twenty Title in The Listener Women's Book Festival (NZ). Of her non-fiction titles, Wild Politics was an Australian Book Review Year's Best Book and The Spinifex Quiz Book was Shortlisted for The Australian Awards for Educational Publishing.