Nadia Wheatley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nadia Wheatley
Born	(1949-04-30) 30 April 1949 (age 76) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation	Writer
Known for	Children's fiction, historical fiction, short stories, articles

Nadia Wheatley (born 30 April 1949) is a famous Australian writer. She writes many kinds of books, including picture books, novels, and history books. She is well-known for her classic picture book My Place, which was illustrated by Donna Rawlins. Nadia Wheatley also wrote a biography about the author Charmian Clift, which critics called a very important Australian biography.

Her books for children and young adults have won many awards from the Children's Book Council of Australia. In 2014, she was nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing. This is a huge international award for authors whose books have made a lasting impact on children's literature.

Also in 2014, the University of Sydney gave Nadia Wheatley a special degree. They honored her for her amazing writing for both children and adults. They also recognized her work as a historian and how her stories help us understand Indigenous issues, different cultures, fairness, and the environment.

About Nadia Wheatley's Life

Nadia Wheatley was born in Sydney, Australia. She studied at Meriden School and then at the University of Sydney and Macquarie University.

In 1975, Nadia moved to Greece with her partner, poet Martin Johnston. It was there that she started writing seriously. They lived in Chania, Crete, and a village in the Peloponnese. They had a routine of writing six days a week. When she returned to Australia in 1978, Nadia lived in Newtown, Sydney. This suburb became the setting for her first three books: Five Times Dizzy, Dancing in the Anzac Deli, and The House that was Eureka.

Later, Nadia lived in Apollo Bay, Victoria, and the Blue Mountains. In 1995, she moved back to Sydney. She now lives in the Cooks River Valley, which is the "place" that inspired her famous picture book, My Place.

Nadia Wheatley's Writing Career

Nadia Wheatley's first book, Five Times Dizzy (1983), was seen as Australia's first book for children about different cultures. It won an award and was even made into a TV mini-series in 1986. This show was shown on the multicultural channel SBS.

Her well-known picture book, My Place, was also turned into a 26-part TV mini-series. Nadia Wheatley helped with the history and story for the show. It was shown on the ABC in 2009 and 2011. The My Place TV series won an award for Most Outstanding Children's Series in 2012.

Nadia also used her skills as a historian for her historical novel, The House that was Eureka (1986). This book is set during the Great Depression, a time when many people struggled. It tells a story about battles against people being forced out of their homes. This book was republished in 2014 as a Text Classic.

While writing books for children and young adults, Nadia Wheatley also researched and wrote a biography. This book was about the famous Australian author, Charmian Clift. The Life and Myth of Charmian Clift won several awards, including The Age Book of the Year for Non-Fiction in 2001.

Over the last ten years, Nadia Wheatley has worked with artist Ken Searle. They have created non-fiction books that follow the Papunya Model of Education. This is an Indigenous way of learning that focuses on the land and environment.

Their work began from 1998 to 2001. Nadia and Ken worked as helpers at the school in Papunya. This is an Aboriginal community in the Western Desert, Northern Territory. They helped the local staff and students create learning materials. Together, they produced the award-winning Papunya School Book of Country and History (2002).

Later, Wheatley and Searle helped an Indigenous author and teacher named Mary Malbunka. They supported her in writing and illustrating her picture book memoir, When I was Little, Like You (2003).

The "Going Bush" Project

Nadia's book Going Bush came from a special project. This project started in 2003 on Harmony Day, which celebrates cultural diversity. Eight schools in inner-Sydney first planned to help different communities get along. But the project grew much bigger. It included learning about the environment, Indigenous culture, and living in multicultural areas. Sixteen Muslim, Catholic, and government schools took part.

In 2005, Nadia Wheatley and Ken Searle were asked to work with the children. They focused on the idea of "freedom." Wheatley and Searle used a teaching method they had developed earlier. This method, used at Papunya School, puts the natural environment at the center of learning. The book Going Bush shows what the children learned. They explored a part of urban bushland along Wolli Creek.

Awards and Nominations

Nadia Wheatley's books have received many awards and honors.

Awards for Five Times Dizzy

• New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Special Children's Book Award (1983)
• Highly Commended – CBCA Children's Book of the Year: Older Readers (1983)
• Honorary Diploma – International Board on Books for Young People (1983)
• AWGIE Awards for Best Adaptation, Children's Television Drama (1987)

Awards for Dancing in the Anzac Deli

• Commended – CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers (1984)
• Honorary Diploma – International Board on Books for Young People (1985)

Awards for The House that Was Eureka

• Shortlisted – The Australian/Vogel Literary Award (1984)
• New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Children's Book Award (1985)
• Commended – CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers (1985)

Awards for My Place

• Won – CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Younger Readers (1988)
• Won – CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Eve Pownall Award for Information Books (1988)
• Won – Kids' Own Australian Literature Award (1988)
• Won – White Raven Award (1988)
• Won – Young Australian Best Book Awards (1990)
• Honorary Diploma – International Board on Books for Young People (1990)

Awards for Lucy in the Leap Year

• Shortlisted – CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Younger Readers (1994)

Awards for The Night Tolkien Died

• Honour Book – CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers (1995)

Awards for Highway

• Honour Book – CBCA (1999)

Awards for Papunya School Book of Country and History

• Shortlisted – CBCA (2002)

Awards for The Life and Myth of Charmian Clift

• Won – NSW History Awards: The Australian History Prize (2002)

Awards for Going Bush

• Shortlisted – Australian Awards for Excellence in Educational Publishing (2007)

Awards for Australians All

• Winner, NSW Premier's History Award, Young People's History Award (2014)