A history of Harvey and guidelines for success can be found in Dame Wendy Pye’s new autobiography

Her multi-million dollar story travels the continents, teaching the world to read.

Dame Wendy Pye is a publisher from New Zealand with her company the Wendy Pye Group considered one of the world’s most successful education export companies. In 20I3 Pye was appointed a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business education.

But long before Dame Wendy Pye was shaking hands with world leaders, she could be found living with her family on a small farm just outside Yarloop.

She recently drove past her old stomping grounds on the way to Harvey, to meet with shire president Michelle Campbell to personally hand her a copy of her new autobiography.

Sitting in the Harvey Library, Dame Wendy said she remembers visiting the old building with her mother. She said it was from her that she developed a love of reading.

Now more than 80 years old, she said she wanted to share her story as honestly as possible, warts and all.

“People don’t tell you how hard it is,” she said.

“People won’t tell you all the rejections they have had, you never hear the bad side, you only hear the good side.”

Dame Wendy said she wrote her new book to help people do things in their life to be successful.

“I don’t mean successful in the sense of being hugely wealthy, I’m talking about being successful in life,” she said.

“I’m talking about giving back to the community.

“Because I think anybody can do most things within reason, but you do have to have perseverance.”

From catching snakes, bugs and spiders during her nature study class at Cookernup primary school to hitting the road in New Zealand — where Dame Wendy took her first steps into educational publishing —the book is a journey.

She wrote of the early years of the internet, where she said she was very politely turned away from a British Telecom company who said the internet would only ever be used to send emails.

“I wish I’d taken their business card because some times you can haunt those sort of people,” she said.

Behind it all Dame Wendy, and her book, emphasise the importance of her biggest passion — reading.

“Reading is the most important thing,” she said.

“I know I’m passionate about it, I know I keep on raving on about it, but it just is.”

Dame Wendy’s book can be purchased online and profits from the sale are being donated to Telethon Speech and Hearing.