Erina grew up on a small, isolated farm in Rural Victoria. The fifth of six children in a tight knit Irish Catholic family. The first of her generation to complete university, she studied politics and literature and then taught briefly at Melbourne University before becoming a journalist.

As South Pacific Correspondent she was awarded journalism’s highest honour, a Walkley Award for her coverage of the French resumption of nuclear testing. She was the only Australian journalist invited to the testing site, Mururoa just after the first blast.

Erina has also completed her Masters degree in Writing at the University of Technology while living in Sydney, which she did for a dozen years. She has travelled extensively and at some time in her life has spoken, Italian, French, Portuguese and is now struggling to make sense with Spanish.

She met her journalist, Mexican husband on one of the smallest islands in the South Pacific, Nauru, while they were both on assignment. The match was sealed with a whirl around the dance floor to Lambada music.

The couple now live with their two young daughters, Maya, 10 and Alena, 6, just outside Melbourne on a few acres.

Erina also runs her own strategic communication business 'Red River' where she teaches people to prepare and communicate for the media, presentations and in a crisis.

Erina Reddan is available to talk to libraries and book clubs.