Born in Kempsey, New South Wales, Robin Klein has now had more than forty books published. Many have been shortlisted for the Australian Children's Book of the Year Award, including People Might Hear You (1984), Seeing Things (1984), Hating Alison Ashley (1985), Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left (1986).
Came Back to Show You I Could Fly won a Human Rights Award for Literature in 1989. It also won the 1990 Australian Children's Book of the Year Award, Older Readers, and was shortlisted for the 1990 Victorian Premier's Literary Award and the 1990 NSW Premier's Literary Award. This outstanding novel was named a White Raven book at the 1990 Bologna Children's Book Fair.
Her novel for older readers, The Listmaker, won the 1990 South Australian Festival Award for Literature.
In 1991 Robin Klein was awarded the Dromkeen Medal for her significant contribution to the appreciation and development of children's literature in Australia. Robin was the recipient of an honorary Doctorate (Doctor of Letters - Honoris Causa), from the University of Newcastle in 2004.