Libby Harkness
Writer, Journalist & Editor (Sydney, NSW)

New Zealand-born Libby’s career in Australia as a journalist, writer and editor spans more than 30 years. She has edited many well-known trade and professional publications and has had six books published. Her breadth of experience gives her the ability to write on many topics. She is particularly interested in life story writing.

Libby is a graduate of New Zealand’s inaugural journalism course at the Wellington Polytechnic (equivalent to TAFE) in the 1960s. Her journalism and sub-editing cadetship was done with prominent Wellington publishing companies.

In Auckland, Libby worked for New Zealand Newspapers as editor of one of the company’s suburban division newspapers becoming, at that time, the youngest editor in New Zealand and the first woman editor of a suburban newspaper. She briefly worked as a radio journalist before moving to Australia.

In Australia Libby’s career has involved a range of markets including travel, pharmacy, the conference industry, hospitality, pharmaceutical and medical. She has worked in a variety of capacities on many trade publications and professional journals including Travel Trade (news editor), Pharmacy Trade (sub-editor) The Australian Journal of Pharmacy (production editor, feature writer), The Convention (editor), Open House (editor) and Australian Doctor (assistant editor).

Libby has also worked in public relations and as an editorial consultant to a multi-national pharmaceutical company, editing a monthly newsletter and preparing press releases on new products and company developments.

In 1986, Libby wrote her first books, Birth: Where & How (NSW) and Birth: Where & How (Victoria). The books were comprehensive guides to birthing facilities and practices in both states and she surveyed more than 400 city and country hospitals with obstetric beds. Revised editions were published in 1988.

Libby’s acclaimed book Looking for Lisa (Random House) was published in Australia and NZ in 1991. This was the first book written about the reunions between adopted children and the women who gave birth to them. The heartfelt stories about the pain of relinquishment in the 1950s and 1960s and the joy of reunion with their young adult children in the 1980s moved hundreds of people to write to Libby from all over the world.

In 1994 Libby’s book Skin Deep – a consumer’s guide to cosmetic surgery in Australia (Doubleday) was published. Research and writing took two years and it was the first book written by a non-medical person on this fast emerging medical sub-specialty. A Canadian edition, Everything You Need to Know About Cosmetic Surgery (Key Porter Books) was published in 1995.

An updated version of Skin Deep, entitled The Australian Guide to Cosmetic Surgery (Coulomb Communications), was published in 2004.

In line with Libby’s interest in life story writing, she co-authored My Left Breast in 1999 with Barbara Joss, a Sydney actress. It was Barbara’s story as a breast cancer survivor. Libby’s most recent project was editing a book for a well-known Sydney surgeon.

Libby, whose specialty is meticulous researched-based work, is a writer for hire and is interested in any freelance work.

Contact Libby Harkness
Visit Libby's website - www.writer4hire.com.au