Leonie Agnew may or may not be living in South America with a poodle named Juan.
Latest interviews suggest her days are spent drinking sangrias and teaching Juan to bark in Spanish, while trading Sombreros on the black market via her iPad.
Other sources have located her in Auckland, New Zealand. She is reported to be an award winning children's author, a former advertising copywriter, and currently moonlighting as a primary school teacher. Witnesses claim her defining characteristic is a tendency to make things up. This is called lying, unless you write it down. Then it is pleasantly referred to as being an author.
For the definitive truth, check out FAQs.
Stuff I've done, won or possibly stolen ...
Winner of the Storylines Tessa Duder Award in 2022 for The Impossible Story of Hannah Kemp, to be released in 2022, published by Walker Books Australia.
The Impossible Boy, finalist for the Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction, NZ Children's Book Awards 2017
2015 Master of the Inkpot with David Fickling Books, UK. (Winning manuscript: The Impossible Boy)
Winner of the Esther Glen Medal 2015 (NZ Libraries, LIANZA award) for Conrad Cooper Cooper's Last Stand
Finalist for NZ Children's Book Awards 2015 - Junior Fiction for Conrad Cooper Cooper's Last Stand
University of Otago Children's Writer in Residence 2013
(Official title thanks to all the wonderful sponsors – take a deep breath – University of Otago, College of Education, Creative New Zealand Children's Writer in Residence. Phew.)
New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards 2012, Junior Fiction Prize for Super Finn
New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards 2012, Best First Book for Super Finn
New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards 2012, Children's Choice (Junior Fiction Category Winner)
Storylines Notable Book Award 2012, for Super Finn
LIANZA Children's Book Awards 2012, Finalist Esther Glen Award, for Super Finn
Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award 2010, for Super Finn
Storylines Joy Cowley Award finalist for The Importance of Green
Best Idea in a Jar, Standard Three age 9, Star of the Sea Primary – I made a Jellybean Tree out of sticks, green coconut, string and well, jellybeans. I won a family pass to Rainbow's End. Best day, ever.