Dr Helen Edwards on Writing Difference: Lighthouses, Selkies & Strength

Host Ky Garvey interviews author Helen Edwards about her Foreverability Award win for Legend of the Lighthouse Moon, a middle-grade novel featuring a main character with type 1 diabetes set in 1970. Helen shares how her own diagnosis informed the story, the emotional truths that remain the same across eras, and the importance of inclusion in children’s literature.

The conversation explores stigma around diabetes, mental-health challenges, and how books act as mirrors and windows for readers. Helen also describes immersive research trips to lighthouses and shipwreck sites, upcoming projects (including A Light on the Rocks and collaborations with Kate Gordon), and practical advice for emerging historical and magical-historical writers.

Listeners hear about reader responses, the power of representation, and Helen’s passions for music, art, and collaborative writing. The episode celebrates storytelling that blends history, nature, magic, and diverse voices.

Dr Helen Edwards writes diverse stories of nature, magic and history. She is also a freelance writer, mentor and speaker and has a PhD in Psychology. Helen has type 1 diabetes, and lives with anxiety and ADHD. She likes to include characters in her stories who are neurodivergent and/or who live with physical and mental health conditions, out in the world, having adventures. Helen is passionate about inspiring action for our planet and encouraging people to understand how important nature is to all of us. Animals and the environment feature in all her stories. Her debut novel, The Rebels of Mount Buffalo, was published by Riveted Press in 2023. 

https://www.helenedwardswrites.com/

https://www.forevability.org/

https://rivetedpress.com.au/

 

*Affiliate link

You can purchase a copy of Helen's book 'Legend of the Lighthouse Moon':

https://www.qbd.com.au/legend-of-the-lighthouse-moon/helen-edwards/9781763526013/?a=GARVEY

Totally Lit recieves an affiliate payment from sales using this link which contributes to the costs associated with running the podcast.

 

Host: Ky Garvey

Theme Song: Claire Houghton

Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/

Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/

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