Elizabeth Pulford facts for kids

Elizabeth Pulford is a talented writer from New Zealand. She writes exciting stories, poems, and non-fiction for kids, teenagers, and grown-ups. Many of her books have been nominated for big awards. Her short stories have also won or been highly praised in writing contests. Elizabeth lives in a lovely place called Outram, in Otago, New Zealand.

Elizabeth's Early Life and Journey to Writing

Elizabeth Pulford was born on 16 February 1943 in Grimsby, Ontario, Canada. When she was very young, her family moved by ship to New Zealand. From the age of two, Elizabeth grew up in Dunedin. She also went to school there.

Before becoming a full-time writer, Elizabeth had many different jobs. She worked as a typist and a cleaner. She even sold ice cream at a cinema and hot dogs!

Elizabeth started writing when she was in her early 40s. She took a creative writing class taught by Charles Croot. This class helped her discover her passion for writing. Since then, she has written and published more than 65 books! Her stories, poems, and articles have appeared in many places. You can find her work in collections of stories, in the School Journal, and in newspapers and magazines. Her stories have even been broadcast on Radio New Zealand.

Elizabeth Pulford is married and has two children. She also has two grandchildren. She lives in Outram, in the beautiful Otago region.

Awards and Recognitions

Elizabeth Pulford's writing has won many awards and special mentions. Her short stories for adults have been very successful.

Short Story Awards

She has won several important short story competitions, including:

• The Timaru Herald / Aoraki Festival Short Story Competition in 1990.
• The New Zealand Women's Writers Society Christine Jefferson Award in 1990.
• The South Island Writers Association Dame Ngaio Marsh Competition in 1989 and 1993.
• The Joan Faulkner Blake Memorial Competition in 1996.
• The Dunedin Library Centennial Romantic Competition in 2008.

She was also a runner-up for the BBC Commonwealth Competition in 1997. Her work was shortlisted for the BNZ Katherine Mansfield Competition in 1998 and 2007.

Book Awards

Several of Elizabeth's books have been recognized as Storylines Notable Books. This means they are considered excellent books for children.

Some of her books that were nominated for the New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards include:

• The Memory Tree (1997)
• Call of the Cruins (2000)
• Tussock (2011)

Her book Finding Monkey Moon was nominated in two categories in 2016. It was shortlisted for both the Picture Book award and the Russell Clark Illustration Award.

In 2007, Elizabeth was given a special opportunity. She received the 2007 Ohau House Writer’s Retreat residency. This allowed her time and space to focus on her writing.