Barbara Llewellyn

Barbara Ann Llewellyn began writing as a teenager, finding a great emotional release in creating poems, short stories, songs and plays. However, her first love, at the time, was acting, absorbing and bringing life to the words of others – she felt it enabled her to have a lifetime of insight into each different character she portrayed. At the age of 17, she auditioned and won her way into the most prestigious drama school in Australia – NIDA – where she gained her Bachelor of Dramatic Art (Acting). For many years, following her graduation, Barbara lived the life of a creative gypsy, following her career around Australia on stage and screen. She was already well known from a childhood of acting and commercial work, particularly as ‘the girl on the swing’ in the iconic Australian advertisement for Aeroplane Jelly . She now became beloved as a young adult for her lead roles in the classic ABC television series, “Seven Little Australians”, commercial television classics “Class of ’74” & “Class of ’75”, “Young Ramsay” and many more screen appearances.

After meeting and marrying her husband, Rod Kirkham, Barbara’s love of writing went into the professional creation and development of jingles for the advertising industry and theme songs for television. In 1981, Rod and Barbara’s son was born and, a few years later, the small family headed off to Los Angeles, U.S.A. and London, U.K., to sell her songs. A few years and a broken ‘slave’ contract later, the trio returned home to Oz, much richer in experience and understanding of the song writing and television industries. They returned to jingle writing but Barbara had almost sold a television concept while in L.A. and had developed a big thirst for telling heart-felt and uplifting stories.

Then some personal tragedies and life’s endless lessons moved Barbara into the personal development arena where, after a massive amount of research, she wrote, developed, and presented seminars and CDs and journals. But, still, Barbara continued to write songs, stories, poems and television show concepts.

After Rod and Barbara celebrated being married for 25 years, they decided to write a how-to book about the joys of marriage. Most of the people they knew were in long-term relationships and all of them bemoaned the way the media seemed to only focus on the negative side of relationships rather than the enormous positives. They called their book “Married and Loving It! How to have a seriously happy marriage”. They also built and presented a seminar based on this theme to many loving couples.

Barbara and Rod began their web presence and built their present website, Bright Light Multimedia, in 2004, giving themselves a global presence for their growing library of products. They also created an online creative community, The Bright Light Café, that encouraged and nurtured the best of emerging talents to focus on all things positive and uplifting. At the end of 2011, Barbara and Rod released “Speaking of Love”, their first anthology from this family of talent, highlighting their favourite subject – true love.

Barbara has also written and published a fascinating novel about a family going through the trauma and adventure of life, death and the afterlife. Barbara is psychic and had near-death experiences as a child leaving her with memories and a high sensitivity, often seen as unusual by most people. As a storyteller she decided to use her intimate knowledge of what happens after we die to tell a riveting and heartfelt tale that has deeply affected all who have read “Letters to Michael”.

Barbara has several novels, including another book about life and death, in various stages of completion and has also just finished writing a stage musical which she will polish and present to the world in the next few years.