I hope you and your loved ones are holding together. Here in Melbourne, Philip, Jonah and I are hunkered down for a second, six-week lockdown. Curfew runs from 8pm to 5am and we can’t travel more than five kilometres (three miles) from the house. Masks are mandatory, and outdoor exercise is limited to an […]

Jonah and I have been keeping our distance from the world these past couple of weeks. He’s an old hand at this. As an indoor cat, he’s been in lockdown his whole life.  With his tuition, I’m beginning to appreciate the upside of self-isolation. In this new reality, many things I took for granted are […]

Earlier in the year, I came up with the crazy notion of making 2019 one for “remarkable experiences”. Things certainly turned out that way. Thank heavens Jonah was on hand to run my personal and professional life with his usual flair. It started with the release of an updated and extended version of my first […]

My son was saved from his grief by a small black kitten When our son, Rob, lost his older brother Sam, he was only six years old. The boys had been playing under the Hills hoist in our backyard when they found a sick pigeon lying on the ground. Sam, aged nine, had a passion […]

Stuff.co.nz wrote a wonderful piece on the value of helping children to grieve and how a book like ‘Cleo & Rob’ can help with that process. Columnist Helen Brown has a new children’s book coming out in October, based on her international bestselling book, CLEO. It’s the story of her son being hit by a car, and […]

I can’t wait to celebrate the launch of the book I’ve wanted to write for years, Cleo & Rob. Join me and talented young illustrator Phoebe Morris at one of these fabulous events. See you there!   Friday October 11th Jeffreys Books 140 Glenferrie Road, Malvern. 11.30am Illustrator Phoebe Morris will decorate the shop’s front […]

Emotional healing is intensely personal. People find consolation in countless forms – from bush walking to music, clinical therapy to religion. For many of us, the presence of a pet is better than any anti-depressant. Coming to terms with loss and trauma is one of life’s great challenges. Recovery may never happen, but I’ve seen […]

I’m thrilled to announce the long-awaited children’s version of CLEO will be released by Allen & Unwin NZ toward the end of 2019. Exquisitely illustrated by Phoebe Morris, CLEO AND ROB tells our story through Rob’s six year-old eyes. Ever since CLEO was published, I’ve had countless emails from people asking for a book that […]

OPINION:A New Plymouth old girl was back in town recently, speaking to a mainly female audience about something that would have equally benefited men – how to deal with life. I’m typical of the men who didn’t attend, probably. When I bought Helen Brown’s first book, Cleo, nearly a decade ago I put it down after […]

I’ve always loved New Zealand readers. When I began column writing all those years ago, they became my exacting tutors. They insisted I was better at writing about dog poo than politics. Later on, when times were tough, they embraced me with great kindness. They taught me a person is never entirely alone. Since the […]