Meet award-winning author Dianne Wolfer as she shares insights into her novel Soaring with the Sugarbird Lady, and answers your questions about writing and inspiration.

About the book

Imagine flying solo, crisscrossing the north-west of Australia in your own plane, and single-handedly delivering life-saving vaccines to remote communities. Robin Miller did this at a time when most people didn’t think women should be pilots at all. Her arrival seemed like magic to the outback children, who received their polio vaccine on sugar cubes. Before long, Robin became known as the ‘Sugarbird Lady’. And this was just the start of her extraordinary real-life adventures.

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About the author

Dianne Wolfer writes across genres and is the award-winning author of 27 books, including the acclaimed ‘Light’ series, adapted for stage, street theatre, and choirs. Her book Scout and the Rescue Dogs won the WA Premier’s Award and was CBCA and WAYRBA shortlisted. Soaring with the Sugarbird Lady was shortlisted for the 2025 Young People’s History Prize of the NSW History Awards. Her latest titles include The Colt From Old Regret illustrated by Erica Wagner, and Cattle Muster with Frané Lessac. Dianne completed PhD research into anthropomorphism at the University of Western Australia and loves talking about animal characters in children’s literature. Her next book, about a beloved Australian, will come out August 2027.