Alice Pung facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alice Pung
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Pung in 2012
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| Born | 1981 (age 43–44) Footscray, Victoria, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Education | University of Melbourne |
| Notable works | Growing Up Asian in Australia Unpolished Gem |
| Notable awards | Non-Fiction Prize in the 2011 Western Australian Book Awards; Australian Newcomer of the Year in the 2007 Australian Book Industry Awards |
Alice Pung is an Australian writer, editor, and lawyer. She was born in 1981. She is known for her books, especially her memoirs Unpolished Gem (2006) and Her Father's Daughter (2011). She also wrote the popular young adult novel Laurinda (2014).
Alice Pung works as a lawyer. She has also taught art and worked as a teacher in schools. She is currently an Artist in Residence at Janet Clarke Hall at the University of Melbourne.
Contents
About Alice Pung's Life
Alice Pung's parents came from Cambodia. They were Chinese and spoke Teochew. They moved to Australia in 1980 to find safety. Her father named her Alice because he thought Australia was like a "wonderland," just like in the book Alice in Wonderland.
Alice grew up in Melbourne, Australia. She was born in Footscray and lived in Braybrook. She went to several schools in Melbourne. Later, she studied law at the University of Melbourne.
Alice Pung's Writing Journey
Alice Pung's first book was Unpolished Gem. It was a memoir, which is a true story about her own life. This book won the Newcomer of the Year Award in 2007.
Her next memoir, Her Father's Daughter, came out in 2011. It also won an award, the Non-Fiction Prize in the 2011 Western Australian Book Awards.
Books for Young Adults
Alice Pung wrote her first book for young adults called Laurinda in 2014. This book was very popular. It was even made into a play by the Melbourne Theatre Company in 2020. Students also wrote their own stories inspired by Laurinda.
She also wrote the Marly books. These are part of the Our Australian Girl series for children.
Alice Pung often writes for a magazine called The Monthly. She writes about different cultures and what it's like to live in Melbourne.
Awards and Special Recognition
Alice Pung has received many awards for her writing. In 2022, she was given the Medal of the Order of Australia. This is a special award for her great contributions to literature.
Awards for Unpolished Gem
- Winner of the Australian Newcomer of the Year award in 2007.
- Shortlisted for several other awards in 2007, including Australian Biography of the Year.
Awards for Her Father's Daughter
- Winner of the Non-Fiction Prize in the 2011 Western Australian Book Awards.
- Shortlisted for other awards in 2012.
Awards for Laurinda
- Won the Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature in 2016.
Awards for One Hundred Days
- Shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award in 2022.
- Shortlisted for the Voss Literary Prize in 2022.
Awards for Millie Mak the Maker
- Shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Literary Award for Children's Literature in 2024.
Images for kids
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Alice Pung in 2012
