Melanie Guile


Melanie Guile is an Australian writer for children and adults. She was born in the north of England in 1949 and emigrated to Australia at the age of five.

Early life

Guile was educated at Methodist Ladies’ College and Melbourne University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree, a Master of Arts and a Diploma in Education. She worked for several years as a lecturer in children’s literature at Melbourne University’s School of Early Childhood, and published many reviews and articles on children’s books.

Writing career

Guile knew she wanted to be a writer from the age of seven, but only began her first novel for children after the birth of her second child. In 1996, her junior fiction title, Revenge of the Green Genie, was published by Scholastic Australia, followed by Mr Venus, Computer Wizard in 1997. Since then, she has published a wide range of fiction and non-fiction titles for both children and adults. She currently works as a full-time writer in Melbourne.

Selected works

Revenge of the Green Genie

Children in Australian History series

Culture in Vietnam

Gold in Australia series

Clyde School - An Uncommon History

Ghost Granny

Stories from Australia’s History series