Frances Henke, author of 25 books, is a writer, photographer, publisher and artist.

After a diverse 50-year career in journalism and communications, Fran returned to writing and publishing books; she co-authored Links with History: 100 years of Flinders Golf Club and wrote books for polio survivors. On her 70th birthday, she self-published her first novel, based on life in Victoria’s 1850s gold rush, which became The Fair Wind trilogy and grew to a quartet in 2022.

She has been an advocate for the polio community through Polio Network Victoria and Mornington Peninsula Post Polio Support Group, producing newsletters and books on polio (one translated into Mandarin).

Fran’s 25th book was published on her 80th birthday last year – Timmy’s Daughter, a story of love, loss and new life – and she undertook a university short course on dementia as research. She publishes works through her Flying Pony Press and remains an advocate for polio survivors. In 2021 she contributed to the anthology Growing Up Disabled in Australia.