Robin McMaugh Klein, also known as Robin Klein, is an Australian author of children’s and young adult fiction who is widely recognised for her sharp social observation, humour, and memorable characters in books such as Hating Alison Ashley, Came Back to Show You I Could Fly, and the Penny Pollard series.
She has published more than forty titles and remains one of Australia’s most celebrated writers for young readers.
| Robin Klein | |
|---|---|
| Wiki Facts & About Data | |
| Real Name: | Robin McMaugh Klein |
| Stage Name: | Robin Klein |
| Born: | 28 February 1936 (age 90 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia |
| Nationality: | Australian |
| Ethnicity: | Australian |
| Religion: | Christianity |
| Parents: | Leslie Macquarie McMaugh, Mary (Cleaver) McMaugh |
| Siblings: | 8 |
| Spouse: | Karl Klein (m. 1956–1978) |
| Relationship: | Divorced |
| Children: | Michael Klein, Peter Klein, Ingrid Klein, Rosalind Klein |
| Occupation: | Author |
| Net Worth: | $200,000–$500,000 |
Early Life and Education
Robin Klein came into the world on 28 February 1936 in Kempsey, New South Wales, to parents Leslie Macquarie McMaugh, a farmer, and Mary (Cleaver) McMaugh. She was the eighth of nine children.
She attended Newcastle Girls’ High School and left formal schooling at the age of fifteen. She is of Australian origin, and her religion is Christianity.
Career
Robin Klein had her first short story published at the age of sixteen. Before turning to writing full-time she held a variety of jobs, including tea lady at a warehouse, bookshop assistant, nurse, copper enamelist, and program aide at a school for disadvantaged children.
Her first book, The Giraffe in Pepperell Street, appeared in 1978 and received special mention at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
In 1981 she received a Literature Board grant that enabled her to write full-time; from that point she produced a steady stream of picture books, middle-grade fiction, and young-adult novels that quickly established her reputation for lively dialogue and insight into the lives of young people.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s she published more than forty books, many of which were shortlisted for or won Children’s Book Council of Australia awards.
Notable titles include Thing (CBCA Junior Book of the Year), the Penny Pollard series, Hating Alison Ashley, Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left, People Might Hear You, and Came Back to Show You I Could Fly.
Several works were adapted for film and television. In 1991 she received the Dromkeen Medal for her contribution to Australian children’s literature, and in 2004 the University of Newcastle awarded her an honorary Doctor of Letters.
After suffering an aneurysm around 1999 she was no longer able to write, yet her body of work continues to be read and adapted.
Awards and Nominations
- CBCA Children’s Book of the Year Award: Younger Readers for Thing (1983)
- Human Rights Award for Literature for Came Back to Show You I Could Fly (1989)
- CBCA Children’s Book of the Year Award: Older Readers for Came Back to Show You I Could Fly (1990)
- Dromkeen Medal (1991)
- South Australian Festival Award for Literature for The Listmaker (1998)
- Honorary Doctor of Letters, University of Newcastle (2004)
- Multiple shortlistings for CBCA and state literary awards
Personal Life
Robin Klein, 90 years old, was married to Karl Klein from 1956 until their divorce in 1978. The couple had four children: Michael, Peter, Ingrid and Rosalind.
She has lived for many years in regional Victoria near Melbourne. Following an aneurysm in the late 1990s she has resided in a nursing home and is no longer able to write or undertake public appearances.
Net Worth
Robin Klein has an estimated net worth in the range of $200,000 to $500,000.
Earnings have come primarily from book sales, royalties, literary grants, and adaptation rights for film and television across a career spanning more than four decades.