Barbara Else facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Barbara Else
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 8 January 1947 Invercargill, New Zealand
|
| Other names | Barbara Neale |
| Alma mater | University of Otago |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Spouse(s) | Chris Else |
| Children | 2 |
Barbara Helen Else (born in 1947) is a well-known writer from New Zealand. She is also known as Barbara Neale. She writes many different types of stories. These include novels for both adults and children. She also writes plays, short stories, and articles.
Barbara Else has won many awards for her writing. She received the New Zealand Order of Merit for her contributions to literature. She also won the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal. This is a very important award for children's writers.
Barbara Else's Life Story
Barbara Else was born in Invercargill, New Zealand in 1947. She lived in Riverton for her first two years. Then, her family moved to Wellington. She has lived in many places across New Zealand. These include Auckland, Oamaru, Christchurch, and Dunedin. She even lived in San Diego, California for a time.
She studied at Otago University. She earned a Master of Arts degree in 1969. After university, she worked as a tutor. She also worked as an editor and a writer. She has helped many other writers.
Helping Other Writers
Barbara Else has been very involved in the world of books. She served on the New Zealand Book Council. She was also part of the National Council of the New Zealand Society of Authors. This group helps writers in New Zealand.
Barbara and her husband, Chris Else, helped create two important groups. These were the New Zealand Association of Literary Agents (NZALA) and the New Zealand Association of Manuscript Assessors (NZAMA). These groups help writers find publishers and improve their stories.
She has also judged many book awards. In 2004, she was a judge for the New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards. In 2014, she was the main judge for the New Zealand Children's Book Awards. She often attends writer and reader festivals. She shares her knowledge and love for books there.
As of 2018, Barbara Else lives in Dunedin. She works as a literary agent. This means she helps writers find publishers. She also assesses manuscripts. This means she gives feedback on stories. Her husband, Chris Else, is also a writer. Her daughter, Emma Neale, is a writer too.
Amazing Awards and Recognitions
Barbara Else's books have won many awards. Several of her children's books are on the Storylines Children's Literature Foundation of New Zealand Notable Books List. This list highlights excellent books for young readers. Her first novel, The Warrior Queen, was nominated for a major award. Her book Gingerbread Husbands was also nominated for an award.
Her children's fantasy series, Tales of Fontania, is very popular. The first book in the series, The Travelling Restaurant, won several awards in 2012. It won the Junior Fiction Honour Award. It also received the Esther Glen Medal. This book was also named a White Raven Award winner. It was recognized as an IBBY NZ Honour Book for Writing.
In 1998, Barbara Else was an exchange writer. She visited writers' festivals in Brisbane and Sydney, Australia. She also visited festivals in Vancouver and Winnipeg, Canada. In 1999, she was a Writer in Residence at Victoria University of Wellington. This means she had time and space to focus on her writing.
In 2004, she received a special scholarship for writers. In 2005, she was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM). This was for her great contributions to literature.
In 2016, she was the Children's Writer in Residence at the University of Otago College of Education. This residency led her to move to Dunedin permanently. In the same year, she received the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal. This is a very important award for children's authors. She gave a special speech called "Making it up as I go along". In 2018, she gave another important speech at the WORD Christchurch festival. In 2019, she received the Ignition Festival Award. This award recognized her outstanding work in children's literature.
