Meet Zanni Louise – author

Acclaimed author Zanni Louise (nee Suzannah Arnot) spent her childhood on a bush property on the outskirts of Inverell. When she wasn’t exploring the gumtree gullies behind her house, she sat inside an old olive tree, whose branches made a cubby. There, Zanni created characters and stories – sewing the very first seed for her latest book, Hazel’s Treehouse.

 

How was the idea for Hazel’s Treehouse born?

It was during the COVID summer of 2020-21, our family ended up moving seven times in those months. It was hectic, but also liberating – we had one small suitcase each. I used the time to rediscover reading and it was just so lovely. Over the Christmas period, we were staying at a friend’s house which was entirely surrounded by trees. I woke up one morning with these characters in my head – I could hear their voices so clearly and then I saw her, Hazel, a girl living in a tree with her animal friends. I wrote the first two stories in the book by hand there and then and they’ve barely changed since that first draft. It was unfiltered creativity in its purest form.

Have you always had a strong imagination?

If I think back, yes, absolutely. When I was little, we lived on a property about 5km outside of Inverell. It was a 12-acre farm surrounded by gumtrees and my parents gave my brothers and I a lot of freedom to meander. There was an old olive tree, its branches grew from the grow up like a cave and it was my most favourite place to be. I spent so much time there, on my own, creating characters and having conversations with them. To this day I can remember what they looked like and the games we played so vividly – imagination is so strong at that age. I can also remember wandering around the bush pretending I was Dot and the Kangaroo, I was obsessed with those stories as a kid.

I LOVED Dot! Were there any other stories that inspired Hazel’s Treehouse?

While I wasn’t conscious of it at the time, it has been described as an Australian Winnie the Pooh. That makes a lot of sense to me too, I’ve always loved those stories. I still have a hardback edition my grandma gave to me when I was little and I read the stories to my own children. We’ve also listened to Steven Fry read the books on audio and they’re just delightful.

Has storytelling always been a part of your life? 

Absolutely. In fact rediscovering Winnie the Pooh with my own children was the key unlocking the door to the realisation that stories are the way I exist in the world. But I’d never given it proper acknowledgement until that moment – it was almost a tingly sensation where you can feel all the pieces of your life come together. I just knew I wanted to write for kids and I’ve now published over 40 stories, stretching from board books to young adult fiction.

Is there a common theme to your work? 

Yes, there’s a common tenor to everything I’ll write. You’ll discover themes of friendship and teamwork, creativity, imagination and resilience. They’re designed to be read aloud, as bed time stories, so the characters can lead the way with these key takeaways, the things I value most.

Where can people find Hazel’s Treehouse? 

You can find Hazel’s Treehouse at your local bookshop, as well as major retailers too. It’s published by Walker Books, so it’s easy to track down no matter where you are.

Today, Zanni Louse lives in the Byron Hinterland with her family of four and two house bunnies where she continues to tell stories and have adventures in the wilderness. She’s written more than 40 internationally published books for kids, several of which have been shortlisted for awards and are bestselling. You can find out more about Zanni’s adventures online and discover Hazel’s Treehouse here. 

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