Christobel Mattingley was born in SA in 1931 and died in 2019, and is the author of more than 50 books, 47 of which were for children. After publishing her first book, The Picnic Dog, in 1970, Mattingley went on to win numerous awards for her work including the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Children’s Book of the Year Award in both the Younger Readers and Picture Book categories, and an Australian Human Rights Award commendation for No Gun for Asmir. Her work has been translated into other languages, won various awards in Australia and the USA, and has been made into films for ABC Television. In 1990 she received the Advance Australia Award for Service to Literature, and in 1996 she was made a Member of the Order of Australia for her service to literature, particularly children’s literature, and for community service through her commitment to social and cultural issues.
Photo courtesy of Allen & Unwin
