Steven Herrick facts for kids

Steven Herrick (born in Brisbane, 1958) is an Australian poet and author. He has written many books for adults, young adults, and children. He is known for being one of the first authors to write "verse-novels" for young people. These are novels told through poems.

Herrick was the youngest of seven children. He wrote his first poem, called Love is like a gobstopper, when he was eighteen. He left school in year 10 but later studied poetry at university. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Queensland in 1982.

In 1984, Steven moved to Sydney. He performed his poems in pubs and clubs, often before local bands played. Soon, a record company asked him to record his poetry. He released two records, 'The Esoteric Herrick' and 'The Herrick Manifesto'. These records were played on alternative music radio stations.

In 1994, he moved with his family to the Blue Mountains, where he still lives today. This is when he started writing books for children and young adults.

Awards and Recognition

Steven Herrick's books have won many awards.

• He won the NSW Premier's Literary Awards in 2000 and 2005.
• Many of his books have been shortlisted for the Children's Book Council of Australia "Children's Book of the Year Awards".
• These include Love, Ghosts and Nose Hair (1997), A Place like This (1999), The Simple Gift (2001), Tom Jones Saves the World (2003), Pookie Aleera is not my boyfriend (2013), Bleakboy and Hunter Stand out in the Rain (2015), The Bogan Mondrian (2019), and How to Repaint a Life (2022).
• His books Do-wrong Ron (2004) and By the River (2005) were also recognised as Honour Books.

His books for children and young adults have been translated into many languages. They are often used as school texts in Australia. In 2019, the German version of By the River won two big awards: the German Catholic Book of the Year Award and the important German Youth Literature Award.

School Visits and Travel

Steven Herrick often visits schools across Australia. He talks with students about poetry and soccer, which he has loved since he was a child. He has also performed his poetry in many other countries. These include the United Kingdom, USA, Singapore, Canada, Croatia, Spain, Vietnam, Germany, The Netherlands, and the Czech Republic.

He has also written nine travel books about his cycling trips in Europe. One very popular book is 'baguettes and bicycles'. Other travel books include 'Cycling North', which describes a 4000-kilometre bike ride from Marseille, France, to Bergen, Norway. 'Cycling South' tells the story of his journey from the Highlands of Scotland to the Mediterranean Islands of Sardinia and Corsica. Steven also writes cycling articles for The Guardian newspaper in Australia.

He lives in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains with his wife, Cathie. They have two adult sons, Jack and Joe.

Books by Steven Herrick

Steven Herrick writes different kinds of books, including fiction novels, poetry collections, and novels in verse. Here are some of his titles:

• How to Repaint a Life (University of Queensland Press, 2021) ISBN: 978-0-7022-6315-6
• Zoe, Max and the Bicycle Bus (University of Queensland Press, 2020) ISBN: 978-0-7022-6300-2
• The Bogan Mondrian (University of Queensland Press, 2018) ISBN: 978-0-7022-6110-7
• Another Night in Mullet Town (University of Queensland Press, 2016) ISBN: 978-0-7022-5643-1
• Bleakboy and Hunter Stand Out in the Rain (University of Queensland Press, 2014) ISBN: 978-0-7022-5267-9
• Pookie Aleera Is Not My Boyfriend (University of Queensland Press, 2012) ISBN: 978-0-7022-4851-1
• Black Painted Fingernails (Allen & Unwin, 2011) ISBN: 978-1-74237-459-8
• Slice: Juicy Moments from My Impossible Life (Random House, 2010) ISBN: 978-1-86471-603-0
• Untangling Spaghetti (University of Queensland Press, 2009) ISBN: 978-0-7022-3730-0
• Rhyming Boy (University of Queensland Press, 2008) ISBN: 978-0-7022-3673-0
• Cold Skin (Allen & Unwin, 2007) ISBN: 978-1-74175-129-1
• Lonesome Howl (Allen & Unwin, 2006) ISBN: 978-1-74114-656-1
• ... Bunyip Dancing (Allen & Unwin, 2005) ISBN: 978-1-74114-655-4
• By the River (Allen & Unwin, 2004) ISBN: 978-1-74114-357-7
• Do-Wrong Ron (Allen & Unwin, 2003) ISBN: 978-1-86508-661-3
• Tom Jones Saves the World (University of Queensland Press, 2002) ISBN: 978-0-7022-3336-4
• Love Poems and Leg Spinners (University of Queensland Press, 2001) ISBN: 978-0-7022-3317-3
• The Simple Gift (University of Queensland Press, 2000) ISBN: 978-0-7022-3133-9
• The Spangled Drongo (University of Queensland Press, 1999) ISBN: 978-0-7022-3095-0
• A Place Like This (University of Queensland Press, 1998) ISBN: 978-0-7022-2984-8
• Poetry to the Rescue (University of Queensland Press, 1998) ISBN: 978-0-7022-3318-0
• My Life, My Love, My Lasagne (University of Queensland Press, 1997) ISBN: 978-0-7022-3326-5
• Love, Ghosts and Nose Hair (University of Queensland Press, 1996) ISBN: 978-0-7022-2878-0
• The Sound of Chopping (Five Islands Press, 1994) ISBN: 978-1-875604-17-3
• Water Bombs (University of Queensland Press, 1992) ISBN: 978-1-875491-07-0
• Caboolture (Five Islands Press, 1990) ISBN: 978-0-9587972-8-3