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Jackie French wins Senior Australian of the Year

Jackie, whose gardening column in The Weekly has been a favourite with readers for years, was honoured at a a ceremony in Canberra.
Jackie French senior Australian of the Year

Jackie French, photographed by The Weekly.

Jackie was recognised for her work to improve children’s literacy.

Jackie has published 140 books in 32 languages and received more than 60 literary prizes for beloved children’s classics such as Diary of a Wombat.

Overcoming dyslexia herself, Jackie is a tireless advocate for children with learning difficulties.  As the current national Children’s Laureate, Jackie is travelling the country to promote literacy and share the transformational power of reading, creativity and story-telling in the lives of young Australians.

Passionate about the conservation of wildlife and our planet, 61 year old Jackie is also a director of The Wombat Foundation which raises funds for research into the preservation of the endangered northern hairy nosed wombat.

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