Margaret Mahy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Margaret Mahy
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Mahy, with her characteristic rainbow wig,
at the Kaiapoi Club, July 2011 |
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| Born | 21 March 1936 Whakatane, New Zealand |
| Died | 23 July 2012 (aged 76) Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Occupation | Writer, librarian |
| Language | English |
| Period | 1969–2012 |
| Genre | Children's picture books, supernatural fiction |
| Notable works | |
| Notable awards | Carnegie Medal 1982, 1984 Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing 2006 |
Margaret Mahy (21 March 1936 – 23 July 2012) was a famous New Zealand author. She wrote many books for children and young adults. Her stories often had exciting supernatural parts. But they mostly focused on important ideas like human relationships and growing up. Margaret Mahy wrote over 100 picture books, 40 novels, and 20 collections of short stories. She was one of only 30 writers to win the international Hans Christian Andersen Medal. This award is given every two years for a lasting contribution to children's literature.
Margaret Mahy also won the yearly Carnegie Medal twice. This award is for the best children's book by a British author. She won it for The Haunting (1982) and for The Changeover (1984). Only seven writers have ever won two Carnegie Medals. Some of her children's books, like A Lion in the Meadow, The Seven Chinese Brothers, and The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate, are considered classics in New Zealand. Her novels have been translated into many languages around the world.
Contents
Who Was Margaret Mahy?
Margaret Mahy was a very imaginative writer. She created stories that took readers on amazing adventures. Her books often mixed everyday life with magic and mystery. She loved to play with words and make language exciting. This made her books special for many young readers.
Her Early Life and Education
Margaret Mahy was born in 1936 in Whakatāne, New Zealand. She was the oldest of five children. Her father, Frances George Mahy, was a bridge builder. He often told his children exciting adventure stories. These stories later inspired Margaret's own writing. Her mother, Helen Penlington, was a teacher. Margaret wrote her first story, "Harry is Bad," when she was just seven years old. It was published in a children's newspaper page. She wanted to show her classmates that anyone could write stories.
Margaret went to the local high school. She was known there for being a talented swimmer. After high school, she studied at Auckland University College and Canterbury University College. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1955. In 1956, she trained to become a librarian in Wellington.
Her Amazing Writing Career
Margaret Mahy worked as a librarian for many years. She worked in Petone, Christchurch, and later became the Children's Librarian at Canterbury Public Library. During this time, many of her stories were published in the New Zealand Department of Education School Journal. Her first book, A Lion in the Meadow, was a School Journal story from 1965. It was published as a picture book in 1969. This helped her become known around the world.
In 1969, two more of her picture books were published. These were The Dragon of an Ordinary Family and A Lion in the Meadow. She also wrote several fantasy novels, including The Haunting and The Changeover.
In 1980, Margaret Mahy became a full-time writer. She won many awards and honors for her contributions to children's literature. The University of Canterbury gave her an honorary Doctor of Letters degree. In 1991, the Margaret Mahy Medal Award was created in her honor. This award recognizes people who have made a big difference in children's literature in New Zealand.
On 6 February 1993, Margaret Mahy was made a Member of the Order of New Zealand. This was for her great work in children's literature. In 2009, a bronze bust (a sculpture of her head and shoulders) was unveiled in Christchurch. It is part of the Twelve Local Heroes sculpture project. In 2010, her book Kaitangata Twitch was made into a television series. Margaret Mahy even made a small appearance in one of the library scenes!
Famous Books and Stories
Margaret Mahy wrote a huge number of books. Her stories are loved by children and young adults everywhere. Some of her most famous works include:
- A Lion in the Meadow
- The Haunting
- The Changeover
- The Seven Chinese Brothers
- The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate
- Alchemy
- The Moon and Farmer McPhee
Awards and Recognition
Margaret Mahy received many important awards for her writing. The Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest honor for a children's book writer or illustrator. Margaret Mahy won this award for writing in 2006. The jury president, Jeffrey Garrett, said that Mahy was "one of the world's most original re-inventors of language." He also said her language was "rich in poetic imagery, magic, and supernatural elements."
She won the Carnegie Medal twice: in 1982 for The Haunting and in 1984 for The Changeover. She also won the Phoenix Prize in 2005 for The Catalogue of the Universe.
The Margaret Mahy Award is named after her. It is given every year to someone who has made a big contribution to children's literature. Margaret Mahy was the very first person to receive this award in 1991. In 2013, the top prize for young adult fiction at the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults was renamed the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year award. Also in 2013, a playground based on her work was planned for Christchurch.
Here are some other awards she won:
- Italian Premier Grafico Award, The Wind Between the Stars, 1976
- Dutch Silver Pencil Award, The Boy Who Was Followed Home, 1977
- New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards, Best Young Adult Novel, 2003, Alchemy
- Prime Minister's Awards for Literary Achievement (2005)
- Phoenix Award, 2005, The Catalogue of the Universe (1985)
- Sir Julius Vogel Award, 2006, for her work in New Zealand science fiction and fantasy
- Phoenix Award, 2007, Memory
- New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards, Children's Book of the Year, 2011, The Moon and Farmer McPhee
Her Personal Life and Interests
From about 1965, Margaret Mahy lived in Governors Bay in New Zealand. She was a single mother and raised two daughters there. When she was 62, Margaret Mahy got a tattoo on her right shoulder. It was a picture of a skull with a rose in its teeth. She was writing about someone getting a tattoo and wanted to know what it felt like.
In 2007, Margaret Mahy adopted a puppy named Honey. Honey was a cavoodle, a mix of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Poodle. Margaret Mahy passed away on 23 July 2012, at the age of 76. Her last book, Tail of a Tale, was published after she died in 2014.
More About Her Books
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Margaret Mahy wrote a huge number of books between 1969 and 2014. This includes over 100 picture books, 40 novels, and 20 collections of short stories. Her stories continue to be loved by readers of all ages around the world.
Images for kids
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Bronze bust of Margaret Mahy, part of the Twelve Local Heroes sculpture
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Mahy and her winning book The Moon & Farmer McPhee at the 2011 New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards
See also
In Spanish: Margaret Mahy para niños
