Enid Moodie Heddle facts for kids

Enid Moodie Heddle (born 1904, died 1991) was a talented Australian writer, poet, and editor. She was especially known for creating books for children. Enid was born in Elsternwick, Victoria. She spent her life working with books, helping to shape what young Australians read.

The Life of Enid Moodie Heddle

Early Life and Education

Enid Moodie Heddle went to Sydney Girls' High School. After that, she studied at the University of Melbourne. She earned a special degree called an MA there.

A Career in Books

Enid started her career as a teacher. She taught in schools in South Australia and Victoria. She even spent some time in England. There, she taught and learned about children's libraries.

In 1935, Enid joined a publishing company called Longman. Publishers are companies that print and sell books. She worked as an adviser for Longmans and Collins. This job lasted from 1935 to 1946.

After the Second World War, she became the Education Manager. This was from 1945 to 1960. In this role, she helped publish many textbooks. These books were used in schools and universities.

Her Famous Works

Enid Moodie Heddle wrote two collections of poetry. A poetry collection is a book filled with poems. She also edited many other books. To "edit" a book means to prepare it for publishing. This includes checking for mistakes and making sure it reads well.

One of her most famous books was The Boomerang Book of Legendary Tales. This book won a special prize in 1957. It was called the Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers. This award shows how important her work was for young readers.

She also wrote articles for magazines. These included Meanjin and Walkabout. Enid also edited Australian versions of poetry books. Some of these were The Poet's Way and Discovering Poetry.

Enid Moodie Heddle passed away in Glen Iris, Victoria in 1991.

Books by Enid Moodie Heddle

Poetry Collections

• Solitude and Other Vagaries (1937)
• Sagita Says (1943)

Non-fiction Books

• Story of a Vineyard - Chateau Tahbilk (1968)

Books She Edited

• Some Australian Adventurers (1944) – a collection of short stories.
• Action and Adventure : A Book of Australian Prose (1954) – another short story collection.
• The Boomerang Book of Australian Poetry (1956) – a poetry book for children.
• The Boomerang Book of Legendary Tales (1957) – a story collection for children.
• A Galaxy of Poems, Old and New (1962) – a poetry collection edited with E. W. Parker.
• More Australian Adventurers (1970) – more short stories.