Deborah Abela

Deborah Abela Dip Teach, BA (Comm)
Children’s Author, Teacher, Speaker, workshop leader
Deborah trained as a teacher and completed a BA (Comm) UTS, before becoming writer/producer of a national children’s TV show on Network TEN. She left after seven years and has since written 30 award-winning, internationally published book. They include the Max Remy Superspy series and her best-selling, climate change trilogy, Grimsdon, New City and Final Storm. The Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee and The Most Marvellous Spelling Bee Mystery were inspired by Deb’s stupendous grade 4 teacher. Her latest picture books are the CBCA Notable, Bear in Space and No More Room in the Bed. Her CBCA notable novel, The Book of Wondrous Possibilities, is about how books can save us when we feel lost and her latest novel is The Kindness Project, where four kids try to change the world with a school project.
Deb’s presentations are informative, interactive and fun. She has spoken to tens of thousands of children, their teachers and librarians since 2002 at international schools, conferences and festivals across Australia. She loves leading talks and workshops for the reluctant writer to the gifted and talented. Deb’s won awards for her books but mostly hopes to be as brave as her characters.
No More Room in the Bed, Larrikin House, 2025

The Kindness Project, Penguin Random House, 2024

The Book of Wondrous Possibilities, Penguin Random House, 2022
2023 Notables The Children's Book Council of Australia Awards
2023 Shortlisted REAL Awards (Kid's Choice Victoria, NT, NSW, ACT)
2023 Speech Pathology Book of the Year Awards

Published Titles
Bear in Space, Walker Books, 2020
2021 CBCA Notable

Final Storm, 2019, Random House Australia

Wolfie - An Unlikely Hero, 2019, Penguin Australia

The Most Marvellous Spelling Bee Mystery, 2018, Random House Australia

The Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee, 2016, Random House Australia
2019 Shortlisted REAL Awards (Kid's Choice Victoria, NT, NSW, ACT)
2017 Australian Family Therapists Awards
2017 Australian Family Therapists Awards

Teresa: A New Australian, 2016, Omnibus Books
2017 WAYRBA (Western Australia Children's Choice Awards)
2017 Best Book in Translation, Malta

New City, 2014, Random House Australia
2015 Honour Book YABBA Awards
2015 Shortlisted KOALA Awards
2020 Shortlisted REAL Awards (Kid's Choice Victoria, NT, NSW, ACT)
2015 Honour Book YABBA Awards
2015 Shortlisted KOALA Awards

Grimsdon, 2010, Random House Australia
2018 Shortlisted REAL Awards (Kid's Choice Victoria, NT, NSW, ACT)
2017 Shortlisted REAL Awards (Kid's Choice Victoria, NT, NSW, ACT)
2012 Shortlisted READ Awards (Kid's Choice Victoria, NT, NSW, ACT)
2011 Speech Pathology Book of the Year Awards
2011 Most Enthralling Junior Fiction Award, Kids Book Review
2011 Shortlisted Aurealis Awards
2011 Shortlisted REAL Awards (Kids Choice Victoria, NT, NSW, ACT)

Jasper Zammit, 2014, Random House Australia

Ghost Club,
Random House Australia
2013 Sisters in Crime Davitt Awards
2015 Shortlisted REAL Awards (Kid's choice Vic, NSW, ACT, NT)



Max Remy, Superspy,
Random House Australia



2005, 2007, 2010 KOALA Awards shortlisted Best Series
2007, 2010 YABBA Awards shortlisted Best Series
2008 Angus & Robertson's Top 50 Kids' Books
2007 Shortlisted CBC Children's Choice Awards (USA)
2007 WAYRBA (Western Australia Children's Choice Awards)
2007 CROC Awards
2006 Annual Ellie Awards, (Madison Alabama, USA - Honor Book)
2005 Winner Gold Oppenheim Award, New York: Max Remy Part 1
2004 Australia Council Literary Grant New Work/Developing Writer
2003 Shortlisted Aurealia Awards: Max Remy The Hollywood Mission
2002, 2003 Winner of Read and Write Award by Vocaleyes Narrator of Audio Books