Her books for Allen & Unwin include the two teenage novels, 'Jinx' and 'One Night', and most recently the picture book 'Ruby Roars'.
'[When I worked fulltime] my writing was done in snatches, or at night when I wasn't too tired. Now that I have much more time, I feel ready to try writing much longer books for older readers. In 2001 my first novel for teenagers was published, Jinx. It was a new challenge for me - all those words! - but I also have a feeling of freedom as I can write about subjects that are not suitable for younger readers. However, as I now have a baby granddaughter, I am seeing the world through her eyes - so perhaps I will be writing more stories for the very young as well!
'I work at a desk in my bedroom, because from my window I can see two bridges, reflections in the bay, sparrows on the telephone line, and city buildings in the distance. I like having my bed so close-by - if I get stuck when I'm writing, I simply have a bit of a lie down, and somehow the problems sort themselves out. On the wall near my desk, I have one of Ron Brooks' beautiful, tender pictures from Rosie and Tortoise. I love looking at it, and it inspires me to keep on trying to write better.
'Although I mainly work on computer, I always carry a small notebook wherever I go. I jot down ideas, images, bits of stories. I hardly ever refer back to my notebooks, but writing things down helps to fix them in my memory.
'I feel very lucky to be a writer. As long as I have pen and paper, I can write anywhere, anytime - for me, it's the best job in the world.'
Requests for school visits by Margaret within Australia can be forwarded to publicity@allenandunwin.com.