Jeni Mawter
Jeni Mawter, sometimes known as J.A. Mawter to disguise her true identity, is the popular author of the So! series. So Gross!, So Feral!, So Sick!, So Festy!, So  Grotty! and So Stinky!, These books are full of cheeky stories that are particularly aimed at reluctant boy readers, but have proven to have a very wide general appeal. Also in audio with Bolinda Publishing.
Just released is Unleashed!
Book one in the exciting new adventure/mystery Freewheelers series about a group of bike-riding city kids.
"Mawter's stories have the uncouth humour reminiscent of Roald Dahl and Paul Jennings and therefore children will find them absolutely delightful."
Reviewed in Good Reading Magazine, May 2005
Mawter uses edgy humour to hook children on reading...
Weekend Gold Coast Bulletin, 29/01/05
We adored the short stories from J.A. Mawter's So Stinky! book so much... and her wacky, zany and painfully real ideas...
Reviewed in Girl Power magazine, March 2005.
News Flash! Unleashed has been shortlisted for the 2009 WAYRBA Awards for Older Readers.
Other trade fiction titles include a picture book There's a Sun Fairy in Our Garden and a tween novel Team Dream.
'An inspiring story of overcoming barriers and reaching for your dreams ...'
Nick Farr-Jones, former Wallabies' Captain.
Other works published include junior readers: Maisie's Race; Go the Mobile!; The Most Unusual Pet and Turkey Pox as well as YA fiction: a verse narrative Slow Swimming and a prose narrative, The Kiss, in the anthology Alive and Kicking. Non-fiction books for teacher-resource material include Special Days; Natural Disasters; Feelings; Families and Homes; Food; The Snowy Mountain Scheme and The Changing face of Xmas in Australia. Jeni is also co-authoring a series on Critical Thinking and text, which is a critical analysis of humour for classroom use.
Jeni, who lives in Sydney with her family, was originally a speech pathologist, but decided a few years ago that she would much rather be an author. She completed a Masters' Degree in Children's Literature at Macquarie University, and has a Diploma in Book Editing and Publishing from Macleay College, and now is a full-time writer and teacher. Jeni's teaching credits include Nestlé Write Around Australia, Macquarie University, Sydney University, the Sydney Writers' Festival, the Norman Lindsay Literature Festival, Newington Literature Festival, Somerset Literature Festival, Spikefest, the NSW Writers' Centre, North Sydney Community Centre, School Librarians Association of Victoria, as well as being with Lateral Learning and Show & Tell. She has been a judge for the Stanton Library Creative Writing Competition and the Wakakirri National Storytelling competition. Workshops include:
Workshops
Jeni runs workshops for Primary and High School students and teachers, university students and adults who'd like to learn more.
- Writing a best-selling series. How hard is it?
- Writing for a Wide Market Audience.
- A Female in a Man's World. (All my competitors have names like Andy, Andrew, Morrice, Paul etc). When women write 'out of gender'.
- Writing Humour
- Humour and Literature
- Humour and Literacy
- How to get Published
- Why Gross Humour Works for Kids
- Education and Trade Publishing
- Creative Writing
- Mistakes I'm Glad I've Made
- Second Book Syndrome
- Writing is a Health Hazard. (Issues of life insurance, RSI, neck and shoulder injuries, mental health)
- A Lifelong Apprenticeship
- Marketing and Self Promotion
- 101 Sure-Fire Procrastination Techniques That Work
- My work
- Critical Thinking, Humour and Text
- Writing for Children and Young Adults
- Boy and Books
- How to Write a Novel
- How to Write a Short Story
We thoroughly enjoyed Jeni Mawter. The Year 4, 5 & 6 students loved her talk & wanted to borrow her books... The small group workshops were great.
Carol, Menai Primary School
"Jeni engaged the children at their level and they listened to her stories intently. Every child was inspired to write."
Nestle Write Around Australia
- I feel this teacher has been an inspiration to my life.
- Jeni Mawter is relaxed, approachable, honest and has a sense of humour.
- Very calm and practical approach to creative writing. Easy to understand, very constructive and supportive.
Macquarie University Student Feedback 2006
- Jeni has a special interest in the discovery of interesting and unusual words, and researching all sorts of unusual information that provides the background to her stories. She is eager to share her love of words and her love of writing with school groups and to share the funny experiences that have inspired her stories.
"Thank you for single-handedly bringing my 10 year old son back to reading." Email from Jill.
- "Jeni Mawter's humour... will win over reluctant boy readers, adventurous girl readers and teachers who need to end the day with a giggle."
Review in Good Reading Magazine, July 2003.
- Mawter uses edgy humour to hook children on reading Weekend Gold Coast Bulletin, 29/01/05
- We adored the short stories from J.A. Mawter's So Stinky! book so much... and her wacky, zany and painfully real ideas... Reviewed in Girl Power magazine, March 2005.
- "Mawter's stories have the uncouth humour reminiscent of Roald Dahl and Paul Jennings and therefore children will find them absolutely delightful."
Reviewed in Good Reading Magazine, May 2005
Teaching Notes, a personal interview, articles, talks and other fun stuff can be found at the HarperCollins site and on her own site.
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