Karen May

Karen L May has always been drawn to reading and writing. Even at Harrow Primary School in Victoria she wanted to buy a typewriter with her prize money from the Year 6 scholarship award.

Growing up in the countryside in Australia, Karen had many activities to do and much to explore, whether riding her horse Trigger, or snorkelling on The Great Barrier Reef. In fact it was her immersion into this mesmerizing underwater world that calcified Karen's passion for all nature.

Karen took a slightly different turn as she approached the world of work. She studied at the Australian Catholic University in Ballarat, Victoria, qualifying as a primary school teacher. Karen's cultured side wasn't abandoned as she majored in Creative Arts. After two years of teaching a Bachelor of Education followed.

Karen settled in Adelaide and Murray Bridge as a primary teacher-librarian, where her love of literature blossomed even further. Reading out loud to her students, Karen watched as they were swept away by the stories. She witnessed first hand the incredible ability of books to inspire and open children's imagination.

Before Karen could put pen to paper herself, her own story was still underway. She made a huge move to England with her husband, where she taught primary school children in the picturesque villages of east Sussex and gained her English Qualified Teacher Status. After five years in England, Karen crossed the oceans again, travelling back to Australia and settled in Launceston, Tasmania. Karen eventually returned to England with her family of two children, lured by the stunning Sussex countryside and wild woodlands.

Following several years as a teaching assistant and a secretary, Karen retired from her teaching career. As she sat in her garden, watching squirrels scamper in the branches, Karen realised how she could combine her enthusiasm for education, her committment to conservation and finally fulfill her dream of being an author. Karen began to write stories which drew on her own experiences and were full of the wonders of the natural world.

To date, Karen has published 4 books in 2010 and 2011 that were sold worldwide. Sadly the British Arts Council Funded Publisher YouWriteOn.com no longer exists and the four books have all sold out are are no longer available to buy.

Karen hopes that, one day, her new stories will be found in schools, libraries and homes everywhere inspiring, educating and entertaining children of all ages.

When she isn't writing, you might find Karen watching nature documentaries, knitting scarves and patchwork blankets and playing with her shy cat Smitten and her cheeky cat Kiki.