Irini Savvides
, b. 1967
Irini Savvides grew up in Sydney as part of a Greek-Cypriot family. She teaches English and drama in addition to writing for young adults. She holds a Master of Arts from Macquarie University and a Master of Education from the University of Sydney, and in 2013 received her PhD from the University of Western Sydney. Published in 2001, her first novel, Willow Tree and Olive, was based on work undertaken as part of her Masters degree, and won a White Raven Award from the International Youth Library. Her second novel, Sky Legs (2004), received a Children’s Literature Peace Prize. Her other works include Aliki Says (2006), and a verse novel, Against the Tide (2008). Her picture book, Hide and Seek (2008), illustrated by Owen Swan, was translated into Japanese and sent to survivors of the tsunami. Since 2016 she has been a judge for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards for Children’s and Young Adult Fiction. She lives in the Blue Mountains, near Sydney.
Bio prepared by Miriam Riverlea, University of New England, mriverlea@gmail.com
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