girl with words

Welcome to girlwithwords! This is where I’ll showcase a lifetime of my love of words and share with you my latest books and literary adventures. All my books are published under my own publishing house: Tawnatelee Publishing House and designed by Aishah Macgill of Finite Publishing.

Contact me

My first poetry anthology with a selection of poems and performance poems that I have written since I was just a kid.

“Wendy’s poems and spoken-word pieces trace her thoughts and feelings from a child, through teenage years, young adult years and the challenging, but wonderful, big adult years since.

“Her poems touch on the environment, her love for animals, the human race and relationships – positive and heartbreaking. There is always a sprinkling of optimism in her words.”

Beautifully illustrated and designed, this 132-page book is $29.95 RRP. Available on Amazon.

Testimonials for Girl With words
By Diane Priestley, UK journalist and author:
“This eloquent poetry collection evokes vivid images and stirs flurries of sorrows and bursts of elation. Seasoned writer, Wendy O’Hanlon’s gift for astute observation and lucid descriptions was apparent in her masterful poem, A House – The Eremite, penned at age 12. And her gift with words and youthful curiosity is expressed in Old Man, at the tender age of 15, where she speculates about all that “history walking”.
The sweeping collection spans Wendy’s childhood through her teens and youth to mature age and glistens with pure gems. Blackbird captures the pathos of slavery, the hidden past of the sun-drenched, fun-loving tourist region. When the Whale Came shows the better side of humanity and community.
Wendy expresses in simple but profound words the heartbreak of breaking-up, rage at betrayal, the pure sadness of lost love and yearning for evaporated dreams. And there’s plenty of joyful celebration and rollicking, provocative humour too.
This beautiful personal collection of poems, enhanced with gentle monochrome images, is deeply relatable and enriching. Savouring each poem is like dipping into an array of delectable chocolates, some are sweet, some are bitter, but the experience is sublime.”

By Gerard Traub, Australian poet and author:
“In her poetry collection, Girl With words, Wendy O’Hanlon’s words come from a place of love for her family and a true pride for her community on the Sunshine Coast. Through her array of experiences and creative talents, Wendy’s poems speak of many subjects, yet her humour and enthusiasm for life always shines through. A woman with heart!”

By Joe Lynch, Australian/Irish poet and artist:
“I found Wendy O’Hanlon’s poetry collection, Girl with words, a big bit light and delightful, a big bit human and a lot refreshing. Light because it’s so easy to relate to on its many diverse topics. Human in that it’s sometimes eloquent and beautiful and sometimes painful and sad like Paris – an anti-love poem (p.96), but isn’t that life, isn’t that human?
Refreshing because it poses solutions to our age-old problems with human conflict like When the Whale Came (p.36) and united everyone in the common cause to save the whale, forgetting all their differences. Refreshing because you’re warned to Never Betray a Writer (p.94) lest you suffer the brutal consequences as in (p.83) An Anti-Valentine’s Day Poem and others.
Hilarious because you are reminded that All Men are Bastards (p.43) except for the author’s immediate male family of course.
I love Wendy’s book, I love the journey, the simple and yet profound road trip through a woman’s life. I love the world and personal views so plainly and painfully expressed. I love the love story, the devoted daughter, sister and mother, the never pretentious and the always so human feel. I love the you and the me of this book.
I love the generous measures of passion and scorn expressed in these pages and I resign to never betray the author for fear of her penning a poem about me.”

By Rose Allan, Australian author and editor:
“Wendy O’Hanlon has a wonderfully strong and passionate voice… funny too. My favourites were the two poems about the whales… When the Whale Came and I Can’t See the Whales Anymore… were marvellously present and then gone. But I also was moved by many more. Wendy’s performance at her books’ launch was very special!”
By Gail Forrer, Australian journalist and editor:
“Wendy O’Hanlon is a natural-born creative. She has settled into a beautiful, creative space with her first poetry collection, Girl with words. Bravo!”
By Jackie B, Australian author:
“Wendy O’Hanlon’s poetry is so original, clever, humorous, insightful and thought provoking. Such a wonderful first collection and I look forward to many more.”
An Instagram message from German traveller Nela Knaup (Nelaninx):
“Dear Wendy, I am just here at Ra Healing Food Café on Gili Air (Indonesia). I got stuck on the island. Leafing through your Girl with words poetry book really filled my heart. Grieve, so much helped me yesterday when closing the year. Endless Possibilities is how I am now – ready to be happy again. Moon and the Sun relates to my relationship on the other side of the world. Thank you for your beautiful and inspiring words.”

My first colour illustrated children’s book inspired by a poem I wrote in 1986.

“I wonder why that particular fly caught my eye as it did you?”

“Wendy takes children on a lyrical journey into the morning frolics of a particular fly – a fly with character and attitude.

“A very fun and educational book which kids – and adults – will enjoy.”

Vibrantly designed, this 30-page book is $19.95 RRP. Available on Amazon.

Testimonials for The Fly

By Diane Priestley, UK journalist and author:
“The Fly is a Surprising Celebration! Flies are mostly considered annoying pests, buzzing around your food at barbecues and are much-maligned as the spreaders of nasty diseases!
But Wendy O’Hanlon’s whimsical children’s book, The Fly, celebrates the tiny creature with child-like wonder. With delightful illustrations by Michelle Mann, this cheerful and colourful paperback transforms the cheeky fly into a loveable character, deemed worthy of exploring its hidden talents and virtues.
Wendy, like the diligent journalist she is, has discovered some amazing redemptive facts about flies – like their ability to walk upside down, their extraordinary eyes that see in all directions and how they taste food with their feet! Who knew?
And the little buzzers play an important role in ecology as pollinators of yummy foods such as chocolate and are Nature’s recycling champions! So, before we dismiss them as pesky pests, The Fly lets us know there’s a lot to be thankful for! The world needs all 17 million flies!
Wendy’s unique and charming book will give your children some fascinating information and fresh appreciation of the cheeky fly.”

By Gerard Traub, Australian poet and author: “The Fly, begins with a whimsical journey of a fly, and ends with many an interesting fact about a fly’s life. Who knew that “there are more than 110,000 species of flies in the world?” A fun-filled read for children and adults alike!”

Find out more..

Having grown up on a sugar-cane farm on the Maroochy River, I am a born-n-bred Sunny Coaster! My 30-plus-year career as a journalist has allowed the “curious me” to ask many questions and write many positive stories. I worked in London for the Fleet Street newspapers in the late ‘80s, for Asia-Pacific region publications and spent many years as a journo and editor here on the Sunshine Coast and in Brisbane.

Learn More About Me