About Me
I’m Jess Horn, an Australian, neurodivergent children’s author and former speech pathologist. I write stories that celebrate imagination, inclusion and diversity, exploring the world from unique perspectives with warmth, humour and authenticity.
Drawing on both lived and clinical experience, I’m interested in telling stories that explore different ways of seeing and experiencing the world. I hope my books help children feel seen and valued, while also celebrating the diversity of the people and perspectives around them.
My debut picture book, Bernie Thinks in Boxes, was a CBCA Notable Book and, in a wonderful ‘pinch-me’ sort of moment, was selected for the 2025 Victorian Government Prep Bags and gifted to school starters across Victoria. It also won the 2026 Dolly Gray Children’s Literature Award. Since then, I’ve published Train of Thought, which was longlisted for the 2026 DANZ Children’s Book Award, A Hat for Every Harriet and Starfish Can’t Ride Bikes!, with more stories on the way.
Alongside writing books, I write and speak about neurodivergence, inclusion and the ideas and experiences that inspire my stories. I’ve written articles and appeared in podcasts and interviews discussing my books, writing and experiences, and you can find these in my Media section.
I live in Sydney with my rainbow family of four. Aside from writing, I enjoy coffee (who doesn’t?) and spoonerisms (doo husn’t?).
Q&A
Q: Where do you get your ideas?
A: The shower! My brain stores stray sentences and rhyming couplets that somehow all bubble up under hot water. No wonder my water bills are so high!
Q: What do you do when you’re not writing?
A: When I’m not writing, you’ll probably find me negotiating lap space between my stubborn cat and my laptop or pretending to write while secretly watching Netflix.
Q: Did you always want to be a writer?
A: Yep! I loved writing as a kid, but life got busy. It only took me 30-something years and having kids of my own to fall back in love with children’s stories and finally start writing them for real.
Q: What’s your favourite book?
A: Hahahahaha! Oh, you’re serious? Right. Uh… Well, I can’t choose. I love them all!
Q: What is your favourite word?
A: It’s SO hard to choose favourites! But I’m going with ‘pickle’. It’s light and bouncy on the tongue (the word, not the food) and has a great zing to it (the food, not the word).
