AUTHOR / LECTURER

Described as 'Australia's best known academic' by ABC radio and a 'celebrity academic' by other media, Karen was also a professional actress for over 18 years, a childrenÕs playwright and an Army Officer in the Royal Australian Army Survey Corp as well as a checkout-ÔchickÕ, an assessment clerk with the NRMA, a waitress, a dress-boutique manager, a theatre director, a wife (twice) and mother (twice over too!).

Karen currently lectures at the University of the Sunshine Coast in the areas of youth, sexuality and popular culture using a psychoanalytical model. She has established a national and international reputation for her work on popular culture and is constantly called upon to address seminars and conferences and provide in-service training and advice for educators, parents and other professionals within Australia and prepare papers/book chapters for publication overseas.

Karen is also a dynamic and successful teacher, her courses being amongst the most popular at the university. In 2002, Karen was awarded the Vice-Chancellor's medal for outstanding teacher. Apart from the attention she has received for her ground-breaking courses and innovative research, Karen is also a columnist for The Courier Mail and is now a resident 'expert' on both Channel 7's Sunrise and Today/Tonight. In February this year, she also appeared on ABC's The Einstein Factor as part of the 'Brain's Trust'. Karen also writes for Copeland publishing, which produce the CHILD series of magazines offering advice on parenting and education throughout every capital city in Australia and which attract over one million readers.

A published creative writer, Karen's first novel, a young adult fantasy, IT'S TIME, CASSANDRA KLEIN, was published to rave reviews by Lothian in July 2001. Her second, THE GAZE OF GORGON was released in 2002, followed by THE BOOK OF NIGHT in 2003, and THE KURS OF ATLANTIS in 2004. Karen's fifth novel, THE RIFTS OF QUENTARIS, which is part of the highly successful QUENTARIS shared world series of Michael Pryor and Paul Collins was published in February 2005.

In November 2004, Karen travelled to Beijing, China as the first Australian writer-in-residence at the Western Academy and has recently returned from Teiko University in The Netherlands where she taught international students from diverse cultural backgrounds about culture and the media.

Currently, Karen is awaiting to hear from publisher regarding her sixth novel and is also preparing a non-fiction book entitled IMAGINATION WARS, which deals with the everyday struggles parents, teachers and young people face with the culture they love to loathe.

Karen is available for keynotes, talks and workshops for teachers, parents, librarians, academics, professional associations, corporate organisations etc. on topics surrounding the themes of:

-Popular Culture
-Youth
-Sexuality
-Education in the New Millenium
-Parenting
-Cultural & Media Studies

Karen recently delivered the keynote at The Evolution of English Seminar in Brisbane in March 2006. She also conducted a workshop on how to effectively teach Shakespeare. Following is some of the fantastic feedback she received:

"Her keynote was inspiring, informative and educational."
"Very enriching, widening thoughts which we could we could apply to plays other than Macbeth."
"Intellectual and entertaining!"
"Interesting and relevant to understand(ing the) role of critical literacy in school."
"Dynamic and inspiring. Varied, thought provoking and confirming."
"Very informative and entertaining."
"She's learned but also accessible."
"Relevant and reassuring."
"It would be so good to have Karen's keynote address presented to the entire English department!"