Barbara Unković Biography:

I was born in Whangarei, New Zealand.  My father was Croatian and my mother is English.
I am, in fact D H Lawrence's third cousin.

I now live in Račišće, a small fishing village of 200 people on the island of Korčula in Croatia, the original home of my father's family.  My lifestyle here is simple and revolves around the land and the seasons.  My husband and I grow all our own vegetables as well as herbs, flowers, olives and grapes.  Once a year we press our olives and grapes to produce our own olive oil and wine.   I also enjoy hand making olive oil soap, drying herbs to make tea, baking bread and cooking various traditional Croatian dishes using our home-grown organic produce.

This way of life also enables me to have the freedom to write, exploring my imagination and extending my creativity.

I am the author of four published books. These include two collections of short fiction - 'Adriatic Blue' and 'Moon Walking' were both published by Old Line Publishing.

'Weeds in the Garden of Eden' is a non-fiction novel which paints the picture of my return to Croatia, seeking out my ancestors and my subsequent purchase of an uninhabited 200 year old stone house where I now live.

'Naughty Noosa Meets the New Neighbours', is a full colour illustrated book for children aged 4-8 years.  This is the first in the series of 'Naughty Noosa' books. Watch out for 'Naughty Noosa's Nautical Nightmare' and 'Naughty Noosa and the Nasty Noises,' which will be coming soon.

I am currently working on 3 new books.  A novel called 'Only the Moon', 'The Adriatic Kitchen,' a seasonal recipe book inspired by the abundant ingredients found flourishing around my home on Korcula and 'Another Year in the Garden of Eden,' the sequel to 'Weeds in the garden of Eden.'