Russon was born in 1974 in Tasmania, Australia. Russon has studied children's literature at Monash University and professional writing and editing at RMIT University. She is a freelance editor and originally wrote poems. In 2004 her first novel was published by Random House, entitled Undine. Undine was a finalist in the 2004 Aurealis Award for best young-adult novel but lost to Scott Westerfeld's The Secret Hour. In 2005 she released the sequel to Undine, entitled Breathe which was published by Random House and in 2007 she concluded the Undine trilogy with Drift. Breathe received a note of high commendation at the 2005 Aurealis Awards. Russon has written two novels in the Girlfriend Fiction series and in 2007 she released Josie and the Michael Street Kids which was a finalist for the 2009 Children's Peace Literature Award. She currently live in Melbourne with her husband and two children.

Undine trilogy

• Undine (2004)
• Breathe (2005)
• Drift (2007)

Other novels

• Josie and the Michael Street Kids (2007, part of the Aussie Chomps series)
• Indigo Girls (2008, book 2 in the Girlfriend Fiction series)
• Little Bird (2009, book 13 in the Girlfriend Fiction series)
• Dear Swoosie (2010, with Kate Constable, book 17 in the Girlfriend Fiction series)

pennirusson.com

Aurealis Awards

• Best young-adult novel
• 2004: Nomination: Undine

Children's Peace Literature Award

• 2009: Nomination: Josie and the Michael Street Kids