Cirrus@Austlit

Christine Harris was the eldest of five children, with two brothers and two sisters. Her father was born in Australia, and her mother in Glasgow, Scotland. Harris grew up in the Adelaide suburb of Warradale, then moved to Port Lincoln for twelve years, to Warooka (on the Yorke Peninsula) for two years and then to Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills.

Before becoming a published writer, Harris worked in a book shop, knitted jumpers for craft shops, baked cakes for a gourmet cafe, did food promotions in supermarkets and taught conversational English in China. She spent several months in China, but the student massacre in September 1989 brought her and her husband home to Australia early.

Writing has been both her job and her hobby. She began her career as a writer by enrolling in a writing class, then sent articles and short stories to magazines and newspapers, and to publishers. She has contributed to a number of journals both as a writer and a photographer, has written a number of books for children, and has edited three school anthologies. Her work has been published in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Russia, United States, Sweden, France and Korea. Harris has also conducted workshops for schools and writers' groups. She has travelled extensively and this is reflected in her writing. She has written several skits for the programme Write Now on Radio, 2SER 1990. Outlet Dance adapted several of her stories into a dance performance, Second Hand, which toured South Australian schools in 1995 and was performed at the Space, Festival Theatre. In 1993 she co-wrote and performed in, with David Harris, a play for Year 1 and 2, 'The Magic Forest'. She has been guest speaker at Writers' Festivals in Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne.

In 2006, Harris won the Carclew Fellowship as part of the South Australian Festival Awards for Literature.