Joanna Orwin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joanna Orwin
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Born | Nelson, New Zealand |
28 November 1944
Occupation | Writer |
Language | English |
Nationality | New Zealand |
Genre | Novels, non-fiction, children's fiction |
Spouse |
Donald Orwin
(m. 1968; died 1989) |
Children | 3 |
Joanna Orwin is a talented writer from New Zealand. She writes exciting stories and interesting non-fiction books for both kids and adults. Many of her books have won awards, including Children's Book of the Year in 1985. She also won the Senior Fiction award in 2002 for one of her books for young adults. Joanna Orwin lives in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Contents
About Joanna Orwin
Joanna Orwin was born on November 28, 1944, in Nelson. Her dad was a doctor. She grew up in Nelson, and her family often spent holidays at Lake Rotoiti. These trips helped her fall in love with New Zealand's beautiful landscapes.
Her Reading and Education
As a child, Joanna loved reading myths, legends, and adventure stories. Some of her favorites included Treasure Island and Swallows and Amazons. She also enjoyed historical fiction and fantasy books like The Chronicles of Narnia and The Jungle Book.
Joanna won prizes for her poetry and essays when she was at Nelson College for Girls. However, she decided to study plants and geography at university. She earned a science degree in botany. After university, she worked for the New Zealand Forest Service. There, she was a plant expert and helped edit science papers. Later, she also worked as a researcher, writer, and editor.
Her Writing Style
Joanna Orwin writes many different kinds of books. She has written scientific papers and articles for Te Ara, which is an online encyclopedia about New Zealand. She also writes history books and novels for children and young adults. Her stories often appear in collections of short stories.
Her novels usually have important messages about nature. They often explore New Zealand's history, its plants and animals, and Māori traditions. Her knowledge of geology and the land helps her write these stories. For example, her Ihaka novels are set in Delaware Bay, near Nelson. Guardian of the Land takes place in Kaikōura, and The Watcher in the Forest is set around Murchison and Lewis Pass.
Family Life
Joanna Orwin married Donald Francis Ginn Orwin in 1968. They had three children together. Her husband passed away in 1989. She lives in Christchurch.
Awards and Recognitions
Joanna Orwin has received several important awards for her writing.
- In 2009, she was the Children's Writer in Residence at the University of Otago College of Education. This is a special role where a writer gets time and support to work on their books.
- Her book The Guardian of the Land won the Children's Book of the Year Award in 1985.
- Her novel Owl won the Senior Fiction category at the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults in 2002.
Many of her children's books have also been chosen for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. Some have also been named Storylines Notable Books. This means they are recognized as excellent books for young readers.
Books by Joanna Orwin
Here are some of the books Joanna Orwin has written:
Non-fiction for Adults
- Four Generations from Maoridom: The Memoirs of Syd Cormack (1997)
- Kauri: Witness to a Nation's History (2004)
- Riccarton and the Deans family: History and Heritage (2015)
Fiction for Adults
- Shifting Currents (2020)
- Collision (2009)
Fiction for Children and Young Adults
- Ihaka and the Summer Wandering, illustrated by Robyn Kahukiwa (1982)
- Ihaka and the Prophecy, illustrated by Robyn Kahukiwa (1984)
- The Guardian of the Land (1985)
- Watcher in the Forest (1987)
- The Tar Dragon, illustrated by Wendy Hodder (1997)
- Owl (2001)
- Out of Tune (2004)
- Kauri in My Blood: The Diary of Laura Ann Findlay, the Coromandel, 1921–24 (My Story series) (2007)
- Sacrifice (2011)