Colin Thompson (writer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Colin Thompson
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | Colin Edward Willment 18 October 1942 Ealing, Middlesex, UK |
| Occupation | Writer, illustrator |
| Nationality | British, Australian |
| Period | 1990–present |
| Genre | Children's books, poetry, young adult novels, picture books |
Colin Edward Thompson (born 18 October 1942) is a talented English-Australian writer and illustrator. He is famous for his many children's books. He also creates amazing pictures for jigsaw puzzles. Thompson has published over 70 books. In 2004, he won the Aurealis Award for his novel How to Live Forever.
Colin Thompson's Early Life and Journey
Colin Edward Thompson was born on 18 October 1942. His birthplace was Ealing, in the United Kingdom. When he was 11, his mother remarried. His last name then changed to Thompson.
Colin studied art at college for two years. He later worked as a silk-screen printer. He also became a graphic designer. After that, he worked on documentaries for the BBC. In 1995, he moved to Australia. He later became an Australian citizen.
How Colin Thompson Started Writing and Illustrating
Colin Thompson began his writing and illustrating career later in life. In 1990, he took some black-and-white drawings to a publisher. He thought someone else would write a story for them. But the publisher told him to write the story himself! He also had to re-do his drawings in colour.
His first picture book, Ethel the Chicken, came out in 1991. By 2015, he had published over 70 books. Many of these are children's books. He often illustrates his own stories. He has also written several series of novels. These are for pre-teens and young adults.
Thompson's detailed and colourful drawings are very popular. Many of his works are used for jigsaw puzzles. They are also made into cross stitch kits.
Awards and Recognitions for Colin Thompson
Colin Thompson has won many awards for his books. His first award was in 1995 for his book Ruby. It won the English 4–11 Picture Book Award.
In 1999, his book Staircase Cat was a finalist. It was nominated for the Children's Book of the Year Award. This award is given by the Children's Book Council of Australia. He was a finalist four more times after that. In 2006, he won the award for best picture book. This was for his book The Short and Incredibly Happy Life of Riley. Other books that were finalists include The Violin Man, Dust, and The Big Little Book of Happy Sadness.
In 2004, Thompson's novel How to Live Forever won the Aurealis Award. This was in the children's long fiction category. His book The Floods Family Files was also a finalist in 2008. It was nominated for the best graphic novel category. In 2002, Colin Thompson was added to an honour list. This was for his illustrations in Falling Angels. His book Castles won the Hampshire Illustrated Book Award in 2007.
