Patricia Wrightson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Patricia Wrightson
Photograph of Patricia Wrightson, née Alice Patricia Furlonger
Born	Alice Patricia Furlonger (1921-07-19)19 July 1921 Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
Died	15 March 2010(2010-03-15) (aged 88) Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
Pen name	Patricia Wrightson
Occupation	Writer, editor
Language	English
Nationality	Australian
Period	1955–2004
Genre	Children's literature, folklore, magic realism
Subject	Fantasy (nonfiction)
Notable awards	Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing 1988 Order of the British Empire

Patricia Wrightson (born July 19, 1921 – died March 15, 2010) was a famous Australian writer. She wrote many important children's books. Her stories often mixed real life with magical elements, a style called "magic realism." Patricia was one of the first Australian authors to use stories and ideas from Australian Aboriginal mythology in her books for kids. Her most well-known book is The Nargun and the Stars (1973). Her 27 books have been translated into 16 different languages.

For her amazing work as a children's writer, she won the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1986. This is a very big award for children's authors.

Early Life of Patricia Wrightson

Patricia Wrightson was born on July 19, 1921, in Lismore, New South Wales, Australia. She learned at home through the State Correspondence School for Isolated Children. She also studied at St Catherine's College.

Patricia Wrightson's Writing Career

During World War II, Patricia worked in a factory in Sydney that made ammunition. After she got married in 1943, she worked as a secretary and manager. She worked at Bonalbo District Hospital from 1946 to 1960. Later, she worked for the Sydney District Nursing Association from 1960 to 1964.

From 1964 to 1970, she was an assistant editor and then editor of the School Magazine. This was a special magazine for children in Sydney.

Aboriginal Mythology in Her Books

Patricia Wrightson wrote 27 books during her life. She wove Australian Aboriginal mythology into her stories. As she wrote more, two main things became clear in her work. First, she used Aboriginal folklore, which is full of fantasy and mystery. Second, she understood how important the land was.

A writer and editor named Mark MacLeod said that Patricia thought different cultures could come together. She believed that Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian cultures could create new stories. In these stories, people from both cultures would understand the magical world. This world was known by Indigenous Australians for thousands of years.

Because she was not Indigenous, some writers wondered about her use of Aboriginal myths. Her way of writing was new and started important discussions.

Patricia Wrightson passed away on March 15, 2010. She died of natural causes a few days after going into a hospital in New South Wales.

Awards and Honors

Patricia Wrightson received many important awards for her writing.

• Hans Christian Andersen Award: This award is given every two years by the International Board on Books for Young People. It is the highest honor for a children's writer or illustrator. Patricia was a finalist for the writing award in 1984. She won it in 1986. The illustrator who won that year was Robert Ingpen. He had worked with Patricia on her book The Nargun and the Stars (1973). Patricia and Robert are the only Australians to have won this medal.
• Order of the British Empire: In 1977, Patricia Wrightson was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire. This is a special honor from the British government.
• Dromkeen Medal: She won the Australian Dromkeen Medal in 1984. This award also recognized her long-term contributions to children's literature.
• Australian Children's Book of the Year Award: Many of her books were chosen as finalists for this award. She won it four times:
  • In 1956 for her first book, The Crooked Snake.
  • In 1974 for The Nargun and the Stars.
  • In 1978 for The Ice is Coming.
  • In 1984 for A Little Fear.
• Ditmar Award: Patricia won the Ditmar Award in 1982 for her book Behind the Wind. This award is given at the annual Australian National Science Fiction Convention. It recognized her book as the best long Australian science fiction or fantasy story of the year.
• Patricia Wrightson Prize: The Children's Literature section of the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards started in 1979. In 1999, a new award was created and named after her: the Patricia Wrightson Prize. This award is for books written for primary school children.
• Honorary Doctor of Letters: In September 2004, Southern Cross University gave Patricia Wrightson an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree. This is a special academic honor.

Selected Books by Patricia Wrightson

Here are some of the books Patricia Wrightson wrote:

• The Crooked Snake (1955). This book won the CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers in 1956.
• The Bunyip Hole (1958).
• The Rocks of Honey (1960).
• The Feather Star (1962).
• Down to Earth (1965).
• A Racecourse for Andy (1968).
• I Own the Racecourse! (1968).
• Beneath the Sun: an Australian collection for children (1972).
• An Older Kind of Magic (1972).
• The Nargun and the Stars (1973). This book won the CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers in 1974.
• Emu Stew: an illustrated collection of stories and poems for children (1976).
• The Human Experience of Fantasy (1978).
• Night Outside (1979).
• Journey Behind the Wind (1981).
• A Little Fear (1983). This book won the CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers in 1984.
• The Haunted Rivers (1983).
• Moon-Dark (1987).
• The Song of Wirrun (1987) - This is a series of books:
  • The Ice Is Coming (1977). This book won the CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers in 1978.
  • The Dark Bright Water (1978).
  • Behind the Wind also known as Journey Behind the Wind (1981).
• Balyet (1989).
• The Old, Old Ngarang (1989).
• The Sugar-Gum Tree (1991).
• Shadows of Time (1994).
• Rattler's Place (1997).
• The Water Dragons (in Aussie Bites series).

See also

In Spanish: Patricia Wrightson para niños