Ivan Southall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ivan Southall
Ivan Southall in 1960
Born	Ivan Francis Southall (1921-06-08)8 June 1921 Canterbury, Victoria
Died	15 November 2008(2008-11-15) (aged 87) Wantirna, Victoria
Language	English
Nationality	Australian
Years active	1942-2000
Notable works	Ash Road, To the Wild Sky, Bread and Honey, Fly West
Notable awards	Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers 1966, 1968, 1971, 1976; Carnegie Medal 1971

Ivan Francis Southall AM, DFC (June 8, 1921 – November 15, 2008) was a famous Australian writer. He is best known for his exciting books written for young adults. He wrote over 30 books for children, along with six books for adults and at least ten non-fiction works. These included history and biographies.

Ivan Southall's Early Life and Family

Ivan Southall was born in Melbourne, Victoria. When he was 14, his father passed away. His mother then raised him and his brother, Gordon. Ivan went to Mont Albert Central School, where he started writing his first Simon Black stories. He later attended Box Hill Grammar. However, he had to leave school early and became an apprentice process engraver.

Military Service and Family Life

Ivan joined the Royal Air Force in Britain during World War II. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. This was for his part in sinking a German U-boat (submarine) in 1944. After the war, he returned to Australia with his English wife, Joy Blackburn. They had four children: Andrew, Roberta, Elizabeth, and Melissa.

He tried farming in Monbulk, but it didn't work out. So, he decided to become a full-time writer. Later, he married Susan Stanton, whom he met in 1974. Ivan Southall passed away from cancer on November 15, 2008, at the age of 87.

Ivan Southall's Writing Career

Ivan Southall started his writing career by focusing on historical accounts for adults. For example, he wrote a biography about Keith Truscott. Truscott was an Australian fighter pilot who served in England and later in Australia.

Southall also wrote the official history of his own Royal Australian Air Force squadron. He was a pilot of Short Sunderland flying boats. He later published a version of this history called They Shall Not Pass Unseen. Much later, he wrote about his combat experiences in Sunderlands for younger readers.

Stories of Courage and Adventure

Southall also wrote Softly Tread the Brave. This book described the bravery of Australian bomb disposal officers, Hugh Syme and John Mould. They worked in England disarming dangerous parachute mines. Southall later made a shorter version of this story for younger readers. It was called Seventeen Seconds. This title referred to the short time they had to run if a mine's fuse accidentally started.

From 1950 to 1962, Southall wrote adventure stories for younger readers. These were about a brave fictional pilot named 'Simon Black'. Simon Black was like an Australian version of the famous hero 'Biggles'. Some of these stories even involved science fiction, with space travel, aliens, and lost humanoid races.

Writing for Young Adults

After 1960, Southall's writing changed. He started writing about the everyday lives of children and teenagers. His books often dealt with surviving dramatic events like fires and floods. They also explored personal and psychological challenges. He was one of the first authors to write specifically for young adults.

Some of Southall's most famous children's novels include Hills End, Ash Road, Let the Balloon Go, and Josh. The non-fiction book Fly West shares his experiences flying Short Sunderland flying boats during World War II. He is the only Australian writer to win the annual Carnegie Medal. This is a top British award for children's books, which he won in 1971 for his book Josh.

Awards and Recognition

Ivan Southall received many awards for his writing. In 1971, he won the Carnegie Medal for Josh. This award recognized it as the best children's book of the year by a British subject. He was the first winner from outside the United Kingdom and is still the only Australian to have won it.

Several of his books were named CBCA Australian Children's Book of the Year. These included Ash Road, To the Wild Sky, Bread and Honey, and the non-fiction Fly West.

In 1981, Southall was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). This is a high honor in Australia. In 2003, he received the Dromkeen Medal for his lifetime contribution to children's literature in Australia.

Earlier that year, he won the Phoenix Award for his book The Long Night Watch (1983). This award recognizes excellent English-language children's books that didn't receive a major award when first published. It's named after the mythical bird phoenix, which rises from its ashes, suggesting the book's rise to fame.

The Sly Old Wardrobe, written by Southall and illustrated by Ted Greenwood, was named Children's Picture Book of the Year in 1969.

Ivan Southall's Books

Non-Fiction Books

• The Weaver from Meltham (1950) — about carpet manufacturer Godfrey Hirst
• The Story of The Hermitage: the first fifty years of the Geelong Church of England Girls' Grammar School (1956)
• They Shall Not Pass Unseen (1956)
• A Tale of Box Hill: day of the forest (1957)
• Bluey Truscott (1958)
• Softly Tread the Brave (1960) — about Australian mine clearance officers John Mould and Hugh Syme (GC)
• Seventeen Seconds (1960) — a shorter version of Softly Tread the Brave
• Journey into Mystery (1961)
• Parson on the Track (1961)
• Indonesia Face to Face (1964)
• Lawrence Hargrave (1964) — part of the Six Great Australians series
• Rockets in the Desert: The Story of Woomera (1965)
• The Challenge: Is the Church Obsolete? (1966)
• Fly West (1974)
• A Journey of Discovery: on writing for children (1975)

Fiction Books