Leigh Hobbs works across a wide range of artistic mediums, but is best-known for his children’s books featuring Old Tom, Horrible Harriet, Fiona the Pig, the Freaks in 4F, Mr Badger and Mr Chicken. Old Tom was also a popular TV series, and Leigh has won every major Australian children’s choice award. Mr Chicken Goes to Paris was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, is a bestseller at Paris’s Louvre Bookshop, was adapted for the stage by NIDA, and was shortlisted for the CBCA Awards – as were Horrible Harriet and Old Tom’s Holiday. Horrible Harriet appeared at the Sydney Opera House in 2017. In 2019, Leigh was one of five Australian Legends of Children’s Literature featured by Australia Post on a stamp.
Leigh was the Australian Children’s Laureate 2016–2017.
Bio: Allen & Unwin
Photo: Robert Littlewood, courtesy of Allen & Unwin
