Catherine Jinks is a renowned Australian author, celebrated for her contribution to literature with over thirty books for all age groups to her name. She was born in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1963 and spent her childhood in Papua New Guinea, where her father worked as a patrol officer. After attending Ku-ring-gai High School in Sydney, she went on to study medieval history at the University of Sydney, graduating with honors. Her high-school library was named after her in 2007, recognizing her significant literary achievements.
Jinks' writing career began when she was just eight years old, and she has since become a prominent figure in Australian literature. She has received numerous awards, including three Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards, a Victorian Premier's Award, an Aurealis Award for Science Fiction, the Australian Ibby Award, and the Davitt Award for Crime Fiction. Her work has been published in over ten countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Britain, the United States, Germany, Spain, France, Portugal, Poland, Russia, the Czech Republic, and Thailand.
Jinks' career as a writer began in earnest in 1993 when she and her Canadian journalist husband moved to Nova Scotia, Canada, for a brief period. Since then, she has been living in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales with her husband, Peter, and their daughter Hannah. She has two brothers and two pet rats and is an active member of her local community in Leura, NSW, where she is known to be passionate about her garden. Despite her many achievements, Jinks remains humble and committed to her craft, with no plans to stop writing anytime soon.