About the Author

Welcome! I’m Peta Wilson, a passionate educator, proud wife, and mother of three adult children, living in the heart of the beautiful rural Central West, New South Wales. My roots run deep in country life, and I am forever grateful for the freedom to explore the wide-open spaces of our family farm. It was there, among nature and wildlife, that I learned the power of imagination, the joy of unstructured play, and a profound connection to the land. Over the years, I have had the privilege of living in many different places- coastal, rural, and cities have all been home to me, and I have met so many amazing people along the way. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to make a home in all of these beautiful places but have always been drawn to country life.

Growing up in a large extended family, my grandparents played a vital role in shaping who I am today. They were all from large rural families and instilled in me the values of kindness, respect, and the importance of family.

My paternal grandmother, the second eldest of twelve children, was born in the 1920s and lived through monumental changes in the world. A lifelong educator who worked with preschool-aged children, she always saw the best in everyone and shared captivating stories from her own childhood. Those stories still echo in my mind, and this, my first book, is one that is based on her childhood.

I was fortunate enough to have all four of my grandparents as an adult, and their lives, love, and wisdom continue to guide me.

The stories of my childhood also inspire my writing. Remember When-Books was born from the countless hours spent with my sister and cousins reminiscing about our adventures. Our favorite way to start a story is always, “Remember when?” It’s that spirit of nostalgia, family, and play that I hope to bring to life in my writing.

As an educator, I have had the privilege of working with diverse children, but one experience stands out. I worked with a young boy who was born Deaf into a hearing family. Despite having Cochlear implants, he struggled to communicate, as his family didn’t know Auslan, the Australian sign language of the Deaf community. When he came to preschool at age four, his vocabulary was far behind his peers. As a team of educators, we committed ourselves to learning and immersing our service in Auslan, and over time, his communication blossomed. Sadly, his parents weren’t able to keep up, and the frustration this caused him deeply impacted me. It became my mission to help bridge that gap, and through my work, I’ve come to understand just how crucial it is for families to have access to the tools to communicate—especially in a language like Auslan.

This experience has inspired me to want to one day write books that not only inspire children but also include Auslan interpretation for key words. While I’m still in the midst of my second year of studies in Auslan and learning more about the Deaf community, I’m excited to one day create resources that help both hearing and Deaf children communicate together. I’ve even started to occasionally dream in Auslan, which is an incredible experience, and I look forward to sharing my future work with you.

But first, I’m thrilled to share A New Crown, my first book, inspired by my grandmother and her early years of adventure and family connection. My hope is that it brings joy to families and nurtures a love for stories, play, and the simple magic of childhood.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. I can’t wait to share more with you and hope these stories inspire you and your family to embrace the beauty and wonder of the world around us