Max Fatchen (1920-2012) was a writer and journalist, and for many years Australia’s best known children’s author and poet.

Born and raised on an Adelaide Plains farm, he learned to drive a team of Clydesdale horses and did part of his high school studies at home, driving his horse and buggy in once a week to Gawler High School to get his papers corrected.  He worked as a journalist for many years, and began writing for children in 1966. He wrote over twenty novels and much-loved volumes of poetry, including Songs for My Dog and Other People, Wry Rhymes for Troublesome Times, and Peculiar Rhymes and Lunatic Lines. His poems are still much-loved and anthologised to this day.

Among the many awards he received during his lifetime was the Order of Australia for journalism and literature, the Advance Australia Award for literature, the Walkley Award for career journalism, the Primary English Teaching Associations Award for children's poetry and the SA Great Award for Literature. He was also given the Centenary of Federation Medal for service to the community in journalism, poetry and writing for children.