Muriel Barwell established the children's bookstore, Haddon's Bookshop, in Perth, Western Australia (WA). She also travelled extensively through remote areas of WA visiting schools, setting up book displays and organising discussion groups. Barwell has been an active member of the WA Branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) since 1974 and her dedication to children's literature has been recognised with a range of awards including a Certificate of Merit from the WA Young Readers Book Award, the National Australia Bank Award of Recognition and Life Membership of the CBCA WA Branch.
