About

Official biography

Grace Braeburn is an Australian writer and storyteller. An avid reader since she was knee-high to a grasshopper, Grace survived high school by escaping into the vivid worlds created by Georgette Heyer, Mary Stewart and Elizabeth Cadell. Getting lost in a book has been keeping her sane ever since.

Grace has degrees in Science and Arts from the University of Queensland. Her scientific career has encompassed a range of fields, from bushfire ecology to cybernose technology. After more than a decade of writing technical reports that cured insomnia, she began to moonlight as a fiction writer.

Nowadays, Grace wages war on weevils by day and weaves stories by night. When she is not reading or writing, she is likely to be travelling, bushwalking or trying to avoid housework. She lives in the Australian Capital Territory with her Prince Sarcastic and two cheeky dogs.

Want to know more? Check out my five fast facts

Fact 1: Childhood

I was born and raised in Queensland, Australia. My father is from the USA and my mother is Australian. Unsurprisingly, my older brother and I grew up playing backyard basketball and baseball. I didn’t learn how to play the Australian staples of netball, cricket or football (Aussie Rules) until I was in middle primary school. I still struggle to grasp football, in every sense!

Fact 2: Family

I am the proud aunt of three lovely nieces. My partner and I also have two mischievous dogs, Lucky and Alfie. Lucky is a playful Toy Poodle x Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (aka Cavoodle or Cavapoo) that likes to nose boop horses. Alfie is a rescue dog and a man of mystery. He’s possibly a Toy Poodle x Schnauzer (aka Schnoodle)…unless he isn’t!

Fact 3: Romance

While I adore romance, honesty compels me to admit that I first fell in love with my partner when he kicked a cardboard box down some stairs. Love sure is mysterious! Apart from occasionally kicking boxes, Mr Braeburn is a mad cyclist. He has cycle toured throughout Australia and many corners of the world, from Norway to Tajikistan. When he’s not cycle touring, he’s probably mountain biking!

Fact 4: Adventure

I once rescued three women trapped in an old cage lift in Florence, Italy. I figured out how to release the mechanism jamming the door because it bore an uncanny resemblance to a dodgy ironing board that I’d used for many years. This marks the only time in my life when I’ve been grateful for the existence of ironing.

Fact 5: Writing

The first story I wrote was the sweeping epic, Poor Camel. Here’s the synopsis:

When a devastating drought strikes her homeland, Poor Camel is the only animal able to remain due to her special ability to store water in her hump. Initially grateful to be able to stay, Poor Camel soon becomes lonely when the other animals leave to find water. She sheds so many tears for her missing friends that a flood ensues. Poor Camel must then battle the raging floodwaters to rescue her friends. After a joyous reunion, they return home to find that the floodwaters have receded and their land is fertile once more. They all live happily ever after.

Here’s what reviewers have [allegedly] said:

“A camel’s hump stores fat, not water.” THE BASIC SCIENTIST

“A unique take on spelling and punctuation.” THE GRAMMAR GUARDIAN

“Derivative of Noah’s Ark, yet lacking moral significance.” THE NEWER TIMES

“A shining example of why a five-year-old is yet to win the Booker Prize.” THE UNDERAGE

A woman, aka Grace, wears a green dress and dark jacket

Photo of Grace by Thorson Photography https://thorsonphotography.com.au

Bike in front of snow capped mountains along the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan

Cycle tour of the Pamir Highway. This snowy photo was taken in Tajikistan in the height of summer!

A small black dog, aka Lucky, is nestled in a blanket while holding a large blue toy in his mouth.

Lucky is always within a paw’s reach of a toy

Photo of a small black dog, aka Alfie, staring off into the sunset

Alfie, a pup of uncertain origin