Penny Tangey is an award‑winning children’s author making her adult fiction debut with What Rhymes with Murder?, while Fiona Hardy is an acclaimed children’s writer and Ned Kelly–shortlisted crime author of Unbury the Dead. Together, they promise an entertaining and insightful author event.
Penny Tangey is a librarian, mother and former stand-up comedian living in East Melbourne. She’s published a number of children’s books with UQP, one of which, As Fast As I Can (2020), won a Queensland Literary Award and the Readings Children’s Book Prize. Her latest middle-grade book, Music Camp, was published in June 2025. What Rhymes with Murder? is Penny’s first novel for adults.
Fiona Hardy is a writer, bookseller and reviewer from Melbourne. Her books for kids include How to Make a Movie in 12 Days, which was a CBCA Notable Book, and How to Write the Soundtrack to Your Life, which won the 2021 Children's Peace Literature Award; her first crime book, Unbury the Dead, was shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Awards. Despite her murderous literary writings, in real life the worst crime she has committed was stealing a single chocolate freckle from a milk bar, aged 7.
Photo Credit: Breeana Dunbar.
