Alison Lester
Encyclopedia
Alison Lester, born on 17 November 1952, is an Australian author
and illustrator
. She has published over 25 children's picture books and 2 young adult novels; The Quickstand Pony and The Snow Pony. In 2005 Alison won the CBCA Picture Book of the Year for her children's book, Are We There Yet?: A Journey around Australia. Her books have been published worldwide. Alison grew up in the country and has always loved horse riding and reading.
, Victoria
. She achieved a higher diploma in teaching at The Melbourne Teacher's College, where she trained as a secondary arts and crafts
teacher. Alison taught for a while before starting a family and writing. Her first book was published in 1986.
Alsion now spends her time living in the country where she writes. She sometimes visits primary schools as a guest speaker.
Alison Lester was born at Foster in Victoria, Australia. She grew up on a farm overlooking the sea and first rode a horse as a baby in her father's arms. She still lives in the country and rides her horse Woollyfoot whenever she can. Her picture books mix imaginary worlds with everyday life, encouraging children to believe in themselves and celebrate the differences that make them special.
1985, wrote first book, Clive Eats Alligators
1985–2004, writing and illustrating.
Exhibitions at Books Illustrated, Fremantle Children's Literature Centre, Des Bunyon Gallery, Dromkeen, Season's Gallery, McClelland Gallery
1993, guest speaker at IBBY conference, Manila
1996, received Writers Project Grant from the Australia
Council to research the Spanish Riding school in Vienna
1999, writer in residence at Tanglin Trust School, Singapore
2001, guest speaker at Story Lines Festival, Auckland
2002, visiting author at the Bologna Book Fair
, Italy, sponsored by the Australia
Council
2004, guest speaker, [Simmons College], Boston
, USA
2004, visiting author to Seoul, [Korea] for Children's Book Week
2004, visiting author, schools in [Tokyo]
2005, traveled to Antarctica as an Australian Antarctic Arts Fellow for the Kids Antarctic Art project.
2005, workshops and exhibition of “Are We There Yet” in Japan
as part of the Asialink literature touring program with the Aichi expo
2005, photographer on tourist ship to Ross Sea
region of Antarctica
2006, 'Are We There Yet?' illustrations exhibited in Taipei
2006, first painting for the Kid's Antarctic Art project exhibited at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
2007, visual artist on two voyages to Peninsula region of Antarctica.
2007, Kid's Antarctic Art exhibition opens at Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
2007, photographer and writer on voyage around Spitsbergen
in the Arctic
.
2008, Kids Antarctic Art exhibited at Melbournestyle, South Melbourne
, featuring selected works as larger canvasses.
Some of her other well known books include; Imagine, The Journey Home and Magic Beach.
Some of her books that went straight to best sellers are: The Quicksand Pony and The Snow Pony.
was short-listed in 2000 for the same award and her experienced-based picture book, The Journey Home, was honoured by the judges in 1990. Her novel, The Quicksand Pony, was named a CBCA Notable Book in 1997.http://www.cbc.org.au/8089.htm#1986
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
. She has published over 25 children's picture books and 2 young adult novels; The Quickstand Pony and The Snow Pony. In 2005 Alison won the CBCA Picture Book of the Year for her children's book, Are We There Yet?: A Journey around Australia. Her books have been published worldwide. Alison grew up in the country and has always loved horse riding and reading.
Biography
Alison was educated at a boarding school in BerwickBerwick, Victoria
Berwick is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Casey. At the 2006 Census, Berwick had a population of 36,420....
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. She achieved a higher diploma in teaching at The Melbourne Teacher's College, where she trained as a secondary arts and crafts
Arts and crafts
Arts and crafts comprise a whole host of activities and hobbies that are related to making things with one's hands and skill. These can be sub-divided into handicrafts or "traditional crafts" and "the rest"...
teacher. Alison taught for a while before starting a family and writing. Her first book was published in 1986.
Alsion now spends her time living in the country where she writes. She sometimes visits primary schools as a guest speaker.
Alison Lester was born at Foster in Victoria, Australia. She grew up on a farm overlooking the sea and first rode a horse as a baby in her father's arms. She still lives in the country and rides her horse Woollyfoot whenever she can. Her picture books mix imaginary worlds with everyday life, encouraging children to believe in themselves and celebrate the differences that make them special.
Important Events
1979, began illustrating children's books1985, wrote first book, Clive Eats Alligators
1985–2004, writing and illustrating.
Exhibitions at Books Illustrated, Fremantle Children's Literature Centre, Des Bunyon Gallery, Dromkeen, Season's Gallery, McClelland Gallery
1993, guest speaker at IBBY conference, Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
1996, received Writers Project Grant from the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
Council to research the Spanish Riding school in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
1999, writer in residence at Tanglin Trust School, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
2001, guest speaker at Story Lines Festival, Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
2002, visiting author at the Bologna Book Fair
Bologna Children's Book Fair
The Bologna Children's Book Fair or La fiera del libro per ragazzi is the leading professional fair for children's books in the world.Since 1963, it is held yearly for four days in March or April in Bologna, Italy...
, Italy, sponsored by the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
Council
2004, guest speaker, [Simmons College], Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, USA
2004, visiting author to Seoul, [Korea] for Children's Book Week
2004, visiting author, schools in [Tokyo]
2005, traveled to Antarctica as an Australian Antarctic Arts Fellow for the Kids Antarctic Art project.
2005, workshops and exhibition of “Are We There Yet” in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as part of the Asialink literature touring program with the Aichi expo
2005, photographer on tourist ship to Ross Sea
Ross Sea
The Ross Sea is a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica between Victoria Land and Marie Byrd Land.-Description:The Ross Sea was discovered by James Ross in 1841. In the west of the Ross Sea is Ross Island with the Mt. Erebus volcano, in the east Roosevelt Island. The southern part is covered...
region of Antarctica
2006, 'Are We There Yet?' illustrations exhibited in Taipei
2006, first painting for the Kid's Antarctic Art project exhibited at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
2007, visual artist on two voyages to Peninsula region of Antarctica.
2007, Kid's Antarctic Art exhibition opens at Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
2007, photographer and writer on voyage around Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
in the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
.
2008, Kids Antarctic Art exhibited at Melbournestyle, South Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, featuring selected works as larger canvasses.
Books
Alison wrote a series of picture books about 7 children and their favourite things. This series of books is very popular among young children.http://www.allenandunwin.com/Authors/apLester.asp The books have been published in Many different languages around the world.http://www.laterallearning.com.au/authors/lester.html The titles are: When Frank Was Four, Tessa Snaps Snakes, Rosies Sips Spiders, Clive Eats Aligators, Ernie Dances To The Didgeridoo and Celeste Sails to Spain.Some of her other well known books include; Imagine, The Journey Home and Magic Beach.
Some of her books that went straight to best sellers are: The Quicksand Pony and The Snow Pony.
Awards
Alison's books have received many honours in the past. Her picture book, Clive Eats Alligators was awarded CBCA picture book of the year in 1986, Ernie Dances to the DidgeridooDidgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
was short-listed in 2000 for the same award and her experienced-based picture book, The Journey Home, was honoured by the judges in 1990. Her novel, The Quicksand Pony, was named a CBCA Notable Book in 1997.http://www.cbc.org.au/8089.htm#1986