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Pamela Allen

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Pamela Allen

MNZM AM
Born
Pamela Kay Griffiths

(1934-04-03) 3 April 1934 (age 92)
Devonport, New Zealand
OccupationWriter and illustrator
EducationElam School of Fine Arts
Period1980–present
GenreChildren's picture books

Pamela Kay Allen MNZM AM (née Griffiths; born 3 April 1934) is a New Zealand children's writer and illustrator. She has published over 50 picture books since 1980. Sales of her books have exceeded five million copies.

Early life and family

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Born in the Auckland suburb of Devonport in 1934 to Esma Eileen (née Griffith) and William Ewart Griffiths,[1][2] Allen studied at St Cuthbert's College,[3] then the Elam School of Fine Arts at the University of Auckland, from where she graduated with a Diploma of Fine Arts in 1955.[4] She then worked as a secondary school art teacher.[5] She married sculptor Jim Allen in 1964.[6] They moved to Sydney in about 1977,[7] and after about 30 years returned to live in Auckland, New Zealand.[8][9][10]

Writing career

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Allen published her first book, Mr Archimedes' Bath, in 1980.[5] Since then she has written and illustrated more than 50 picture books for children.[11]

She has won or been shortlisted for many awards as both a writer and illustrator. She won the Children's Book Council of Australia's Children's Picture Book of The Year Award in 1983 for Who Sank the Boat?[5] and 1984 for Bertie and the Bear,[5] and has been shortlisted for the same award on five other occasions.[12] She twice won the Ethel Turner Prize in the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, in 1980 for Mr Archimedes' Bath[5] and 1983 for Who Sank the Boat?.[13]

Allen was awarded the International Board on Books for Young People honour diploma for illustration, for Who Sank the Boat?, in 1984.[14]

In 1986, she received the Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa Russell Clark Illustration Award for her illustrations in A Lion in the Night.[15]

In 2001, Who Sank The Boat?, first published in 1982, won the Gaelyn Gordon Award—given to the author of a New Zealand children's book that has been a favourite with children over a long period of time—from the New Zealand Book Council.[12][16]

Allen returned to live in Auckland and in 2004 she won the Margaret Mahy Medal, New Zealand's top children's literature prize.[12][17] In the 2005 New Year Honours, she was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to children's literature.[18]

Eight of her books have been adapted for the stage by Patch Theatre Company and performed at the Sydney Opera House.[19]

Allen's daughter, Ruth Allen, a Melbourne-based glass sculptor,[7][19] was commissioned by Penguin Australia in 2008 to create an artwork to celebrate sales of over five million copies of Allen's books.[20]

Allen was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2024 Australia Day Honours for her "significant service to literature as an author".[21]

An exhibition of Allen's work titled The Curious World of Pamela Allen opened at the State Library of New South Wales in September 2025. It is scheduled to run until 2027.[11]

Bibliography

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  • Mr Archimedes' Bath (1980)
  • Who Sank the Boat? (1982)
  • Bertie and the Bear (1983)
  • A Lion in the Night (1985)
  • Herbert and Harry (1986)
  • Mr McGee (1987)
  • Fancy That! (1988)
  • I Wish I Had A Pirate Suit (1989)
  • My Cat Maisie (1990)
  • Black Dog (1991)
  • Belinda (1992)
  • Mr McGee Goes to Sea (1992)
  • Mr McGee and the Blackberry Jam (1993)
  • Alexander's Outing (1993)
  • Clippity-Clop (1994)
  • Waddle Giggle Gargle (1996)
  • The Bear's Lunch (1997)
  • Mr McGee and the Biting Flea (1998)
  • Mr McGee and the Perfect Nest (1999)
  • The Pear in the Pear Tree (1999)
  • Inside Mary Elizabeth's House (2000)
  • Can You Keep a Secret? (2000)
  • Brown Bread and Honey (2001)
  • The Potato People (2001)
  • Daisy All-Sorts (2002)
  • Cuthbert's Babies (2003)
  • Grandpa and Thomas (2003)
  • Mr McGee and the Big Bag of Bread (2004)
  • Where's the Gold? (2005)
  • Grandpa and Thomas and the Green Umbrella (2006)
  • Share Said the Rooster (2006)
  • Shhh! Little Mouse (2007)
  • My First 123 (2007)
  • Is Your Grandmother a Goanna? (2007)
  • My First ABC (2008)
  • Felix (2008)
  • The Toymaker and the Bird (2009)
  • Hetty's Day Out (2010)
  • Nana’s Colours (2011)
  • My Buggy Book of Animals (2011)
  • The Little Old Man Who Looked Up at the Moon (2012)
  • Mr McGee and the Elephants (2012)
  • Bertie (2013)
  • Fat Ferdie (2013)
  • One Sunday (2014)
  • The Man With Messy Hair (2015)
  • The Big Fish (2016)
  • A Bag and A Bird (2017)
  • Mr McGee and His Hat (2024)
  • Cock-a-Doodle-Doo! (2025)

References

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  1. ↑ "Births". The New Zealand Herald. 5 April 1934. p. 1. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  2. ↑ "Interview with Pamela Allen". Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  3. ↑ "Old Girls' Honours". 2004.
  4. ↑ "NZ university graduates 1870–1961". Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Scobie, Susan, ed. (1997). The Dromkeen Book of Australian Children's Illustrators. Scholastic Australia. pp. 14–16. ISBN 1863886958.
  6. ↑ "Pamela Allen". Penguin Random House. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  7. 1 2 Wilder, Gabriel (11 August 2012). "Message in a bottle". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  8. ↑ "Pamela Allen on writing for children". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 4 November 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  9. ↑ "Interview with Pamela Allen". christchurchcitylibraries.com/. Christchurch City Libraries. 2002. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  10. ↑ "Allen Pamela". bookcouncil.org.nz. New Zealand Book Council. Archived from the original on 5 June 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  11. 1 2 Power, Julie (21 September 2025). "'Not like your normal storybook': The children's author, 91, still sparking young imaginations". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  12. 1 2 3 "Allen, Pamela". New Zealand Book Council. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  13. ↑ "Pamela Allen". Storylines Children's Literature Charitable Trust. Archived from the original on 30 August 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  14. ↑ "About Pamela Allen". QBD The Bookshop. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  15. ↑ "LIANZA Russell Clark Illustration Award Recipients". lianza.org.nz. LIANZA. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  16. ↑ "Awards and grants". New Zealand Book Council. Archived from the original on 19 September 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  17. ↑ "Allen wins Margaret Mahy children's literature award". The New Zealand Herald. 22 January 2004. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  18. ↑ "New Year honours list 2005". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2004. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  19. 1 2 Thomas-Zucker, Julie (19 February 2012). "Biography Pamela Allen". Humanities 360. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  20. ↑ "The Boat". Ruth Allen Glass Sculptor. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  21. ↑ "Mrs Pamela Kay Allen". Australian Honours Search Facility. Retrieved 25 January 2024.

Further reading

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  • Morley, Sarah (Spring 2020). "Mr Archimedes MOVES IN" (PDF). SL Magazine. 13 (3). State Library of New South Wales: 48–51.
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