Betty Gilderdale

Betty Gilderdale MNZM (born 1923) is a children's author from New Zealand.

Betty Gilderdale

MNZM
Gilderdale in 2014
Born1923 (age 97–98)
Alma materUniversity of London
Notable awardsMember of the New Zealand Order of Merit, Margaret Mahy Medal and Lecture Award

Background

Gilderdale was born in 1923 in London and emigrated to New Zealand in 1967. In 1949, she received a BA in English from the University of London. Between 1969 and 1981 Gilderdale taught at the North Shore Teachers’ College, at the Auckland College of Education from 1981 to 1985 and at the University of Auckland in the Department of Continuing Education. She currently lives on the North Shore in Auckland.[1]

Career

Gilderdale created the Little Yellow Digger series, with illustrations by her husband Alan Gilderdale.[1] Books in the series include:

  • The Little Yellow Digger (Scholastic, 2009)
  • The Little Yellow Digger at the Zoo (Scholastic, 1999)
  • The Little Yellow Digger Saves the Whale (Scholastic, 2001)
  • The Little Yellow Digger Goes to School (Scholastic, 2005)
  • The Little Digger and the Bones (Scholastic, 2009)

The first book in the series has been translated into Māori, as Te Mīhini Iti Kōwhai by Huia Publishers.[2]

In 1990 she compiled the short story collection Under the Rainbow: A Treasury of New Zealand Children's Stories.[3]

Gilderdale is the author of The Seven Lives of Lady Barker: Author of Station Life in New Zealand, a biography of author Mary Anne Barker.[4] She is also the author of Sea Change: 145 Years of New Zealand Junior Fiction[5] and Introducing Margaret Mahy.[6]

In 2012, her autobiography, My Life in Two Halves was published.[7]

Gilderdale is a founder and has served as president of the Children’s Media Watch group. She has also been president of and is a lifetime member of the Children’s Literature Association of New Zealand.[1]

Awards

In the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours, Gilderdale was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in recognition of services to children's literature.[8]

In 1994 she received the Margaret Mahy Medal and Lecture Award for her contribution to children's literature.[9]

In 1999 she won the New Zealand Children’s Literature Association’s Award for Services to Children’s Literature. In 2000 the award was renamed in her honour to the Storylines Betty Gilderdale Award.[10]

The Little Yellow Digger won the 2003 Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award for a Much-loved Book.[11] A Sea Change: 145 Years of New Zealand Junior Fiction received the PEN Award for best first book of prose.[12]

References
  1. "Gilderdale Betty". New Zealand Book Council. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  2. "Betty Gilderdale". Huia. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  3. Gilderdale, Betty (editor) (1990). Under the rainbow: A treasury of New Zealand children's stories. David Bateman. ISBN 9781869530358.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  4. Gilderdale, Betty (1996). The Seven Lives of Lady Barker. Auckland, New Zealand: David Bateman. ISBN 1869532899.
  5. Gilderdale, Betty (1982). A Sea Change: 145 Years Of New Zealand Junior Fiction. Longman. ISBN 9780582717756.
  6. Gilderdale, Betty (1987). Introducing Margaret Mahy. Puffin Story Books. ISBN 9780140322606.
  7. Gilderdale, Betty (2012). My Life in Two Halves. David Bateman. ISBN 9781869538323.
  8. "Queen's Birthday honours list 2014". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 2 June 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  9. "Storylines Margaret Mahy Award". Storylines. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  10. "Storylines Betty Gilderdale Award". Storylines. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  11. "Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award". Storylines. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  12. "Betty Gilderdale". Penguin New Zealand. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
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