Annie McCann is a published author and a Western Sydney University alum. As an Indonesian-Australian Muslim emcee and writer, she is deeply passionate about diverse voices.
‘My Harimau King’
McCann’s debut Middle-Grade novel, published by Melby Rose Publishing in June of 2025, begins in the heart of Parramatta, where the protagonist lives and attends school. 13-year-old Sumaiyah Jackson is largely based on McCann herself. From her life experience to her family heritage, McCann emphasises how important it is for her to see these parts of herself shine through her work.
Diversity in Children’s Literature
Diverse voices are necessary to creative expression, but even more so with children. As children grow it is vital they see themselves represented in the media they consume. “You can’t be what you can’t see,” says McCann.
“I was very much an outsider, despite the fact that I was born here, raised here, went to school here,” she explains. “There was nothing around me that represented me.”
She highlights the importance of this for younger readers. “[They need] to see that representation, to feel that validation, to feel connected, so that when they are older they are not questioning where do I belong?”
As an author and emcee, McCann often visits local school events. She recalls meeting a ten-year-old Pakistani Muslim boy once, who wanted to write a fantasy story featuring a main character with heritage to match his own. According to McCann, he said, “I don’t know if I should write this story. Who’s going to read it? I don’t think the world is ready for this.”
But McCann responded:
“That’s why you need to write it. Because it’s not there.”
Balancing Accessibility and Diversity
Though ‘My Harimau King’ provides much needed representation, immersing the reader in Islamic culture, it is also accessible to those unfamiliar with the dialects and values.
Even phrases in a language other than English that are not explicitly translated are understood through context. There is also a glossary at the back of the book defining historical and cultural words.
With her mixed Indonesian-Australian heritage, McCann says, “I have had the blessing of accessing both worlds.” She feels the book is a good representation of her experience navigating both worlds as she seeks to bridge the gap.
“So it was very important for me to retain the authenticity of the Sunda language and the Indonesian culture, but have it explained so a non-Indonesian or a non-Sunda person could pick it up and understand exactly, and even hopefully learn a thing or two.”
The Inspiration Behind the Novel
McCann grew up loving fantasy, “especially fantasy books that are derived or inspired by cultural mythologies, folklore, and legends from around the world.”
But she has never found a book derived from Indonesian mythology.
After years of searching, she realised she could write one.
She sought to write a story set in the real world, specifically Parramatta, which still taps into legends such as that of the Harimau (tiger).
In order to explore both atmospheres McCann introduces time-travel into the novel, so the characters — and reader with them — experience these legends come to life.
Due to the lack of literature about Indonesian mythology, McCann spent quite some time consulting family members who are more familiar with the history.
It was this combination of intentions, from honouring ancestors to immortalising previously unwritten mythologies, that truly excited McCann when composing the novel.
She initially set out to write a short story, but it soon became a novella… and then a novel. “I actually had a book in me all this time, and it was something that was trying to get out of me. So that was the birth of ‘My Harimau King’.”
To Uni Students
McCann completed a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Human Resources (HR), and a Master of Commerce at Western Sydney University in the Parramatta South Campus. Following her studies, she worked in recruitment, then training, before becoming an HR Advisor then later an Industrial Relations Advisor. Twelve years later, she is working in Safety.
Her day-to-day involves early mornings and lots of caffeine. Balancing the corporate world with her creative commitments, McCann works hard on weekends to attend events, write, and manage family responsibilities.
After such a journey, she reflects on her studies and the course of her career. To students, she says, “Don’t panic if you’re not in your dream job as soon as you’re out of uni…” She talks about the researching skills and hard-working mentality you develop at university, and how you see the fruits of these when you start working.
Founding Readers and Writers
In 2009, McCann launched Read3r’z Re-Vu, a network for readers to discuss books. Different from other book clubs, there is no prescribed text each month but rather a prescribed theme. Readers can read whatever text in whatever genre they would like within the given theme.
“I was that kid who didn’t like being told what to read,” McCann admits. “I think the reason why [the network] stayed as long as it has is because it is a little bit different to other groups.”
She values the opportunity to provide this balance between flexibility and consistency for readers like her.
McCann also co-founded the Right Pen Collective, an Australian Muslim writers’ network, alongside writers Ozge Alkan and Aksen Ilhan. “It all started… back in a time when Islamophobia was at its height,” says McCann.
She remembers Alkan asking ‘Where are the other Australian Muslim writers?’
When they created the network, they were astounded to find more than 30 of them in only a month.
“…it created a safe space for people in our community to write their stories.”
Advice to Writers
Whether they be coming from a diverse background or a student looking to hone their skills, McCann’s advice to other writers in this space is to “have no fear”.
“It sounds cliche, but please have no fear,” she adds. “A lot of writers hold themselves back because they’re too scared to tell their story, or they think the world’s not ready for it because we don’t have it on the shelf.”
But she says, “That is the reason you write. That is the reason your story is needed. If you can’t see the story you want told on your shelf, then that’s a calling for you to write it.”
What’s Next for Annie McCann?
While ‘My Harimau King’ is a standalone novel, McCann is working on a companion story to explore another character’s version of events. She is also considering a story which digs deeper into the backstory of the Babi Ngapet, an Indonesian-mythological boar which features in the novel but which young readers want more of.
McCann is also in the process of producing a second standalone novel that explores other aspects of Indonesian culture, such as Pencak Silat, a form of martial arts, and daggers like the Kujang.
In the coming years, the Western Sydney community can expect exciting things from Annie McCann.
