Jan Latta is one of Australia’s most acclaimed wildlife photographers.
Photographs of Jan and her wild animals have graced the cover of just about every magazine and newspaper from Sydney to Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore, but never before has she told her own story.
When Jan heard there were fewer than 600 mountain gorillas left in the world, she decided there and then to dedicate her life to endangered animals. It was her face-to-face meeting with a mountain gorilla in Rwanda that really cemented this plan and changed her life path.
Jan has since travelled the globe, wading knee-deep in stinking African mud, sweating her way through steamy Asian jungles, looking for orangutans.
Having close encounters with sock-stealing baboons, trekking China for pandas and searching Sri Lanka for the elusive leopard, staying in Uganda with Dr Jane Goodall’s chimps and visiting India to search for the endangered tiger… all to create a series of children books to raise the awareness of the endangered animals.
Now at 82, Jan has written her tell all memoir 'Doing it My Way'. It is an honest, warm and humorous account of how Jan finally found her true calling.
Jan Latta has always been a trailblazer. She is the epitome of brave and inspirational. 'Doing it My Way' is a story of never giving up.
About the author
Jan Latta is a passionate wildlife photographer, author, and advocate for endangered species. She has travelled to Borneo, Uganda, India, China, Sri Lanka, Costa Rica and eleven times to Africa, driven by her dedication to photograph the world’s incredible and endangered wildlife.
She has had dangerous adventures with lions, mountain gorillas, huge orangutans, cheetahs and a cranky rhino; as well as adorable encounters with mischievous chimps in Uganda, adorable baby pandas in China, and wild sloths in Costa Rica.
She has led a unique and different life, having also established several highly successful businesses that included her publishing magazines for worldwide distribution for the Regent and Mandarin hotel groups, as well as a book for the Beverly Wiltshire hotel; all the while learning how to be brave, to travel alone, to live life to the full, and do it her way.
About Nicole Webb
Nicole is a journalist, author, presenter and book publicist. She spent 20 years in Australian television as a reporter, producer and presenter before moving to Hong Kong, China and back to Sydney.
Signed books are available for sale. Book now.
Visitor Information
Visiting Chatswood Library: We follow NSW Health guidelines for the health and safety of our community and staff. Please read our Conditions of Entry before your visit.
This event may be filmed or photographed. Images may be used on Council websites, publications, social media channels and circulated to the press and other media organisations for publication, transmission or broadcast. If you do not wish your image to be published, please notify staff before the event.