author at a glance
MEM FOX
Dear Readers,
For most of my life I was a tired college teacher who wrote books for children in her
spare time. I'm now a tired writer of children's books who sometimes teaches in here spare
time. I loved my old job very much, but I like the new one even more! I guess I've had
more than my fair share of happiness in life.
I was born in Melbourne, Australia, in March 1946, but left at the age of six months and went to Africa with my parents, who were missionaries. The mission we lived on , Hope Fountain, was a few miles from the city of Bulawayo, in Zimbabwe, which used to be called Rhodesia. In my first year at the mission school I was the only white child. We learned to write outdoors, sitting under a big tree and drawing the letters of the alphabet with our fingers in the red earth. Later, we graduated to writing on slates, which squeaked horribly. Now I use 4B pencils on yellow paper for early drafts, and then I move onto a computer.
In the mid-1960s I left Africa for drama school in London, where I spent three happy years reciting Shakespeare, singing Beatles' songs, wearing mini-skirts, and dyeing my hair -- a practice I have continued. It is always red.
I took a great risk in 1969 and married an Englishman, a teacher of drama. Malcolm and I have lived happily ever after. Our only child, Chloe, who was born in 1971, is a journalist. My first book, Possum Magic, is dedicated to her.
Chloe loved to read, and soon after she started school, I took a course in children's literature to find out about as many children's books as possible. This set me on the road to becoming a writer. During that course, I wrote the first draft of Possum Magic as an assignment. It was rejected by publishers nine times in five years but went on to become (and continues to be) the best-selling children's book in Australia, with more than one million copies sold. I find it hard to believe that I am the writer of this famous book.
The title of my second book is my father's full name -- Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge. Miss Nancy, in the same book, is my wild mother. The rest of Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper's name comes from the names of my two sisters, both of whom are younger than I am.
I have written many other books, most of which have sold very well, so I've been lucky. I have a truly wonderful and very bossy editor in San Diego who helps me write to the best of my ability. My most-loved books in the United States are Time For Bed and Koala Lou, but I'm excited about my newest book, Whoever You Are, and hope you will love it, too.
There we are. I hope this fills in a few gaps and answers a few questions. I've enjoyed writing to you!
Much love,
About the author
MEM FOX is the acclaimed author of many popular children's books, including Harcourt
Brace's Wombat
Divine (1996), illustrated by Kerry Argent; Feathers and
Fools (1996), illustrated by Nicholas Wilton; and Time for Bed
(1993), illustrated by Jane Dyer. Ms. Fox lives in Adelaide, South Australia, and travels
frequently in her work as a literacy consultant.
Possum
Magic (Harcourt Brace, 1990) is the all-time best-selling children's book in
Australia. It was also named a Highly Commended Book by the Children's Book Council of
Australia and Best Children's Book in the 1984 New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards.
Night
Noises (Harcourt Brace, 1989) is a heartwarming story of family love and
growing old. It was named one of the ten best picture books of 1989 by Redbook
magazine, a Notable Children's Book in Language Arts, and a 1990 Horn Book Fanfare
selection.
In addition to writing children's books, Fox is a senior lecturer in education at Flinders
University in Adelaide, South Australia. She is the author of two books for adults: an
autobiography, Dear Mem Fox,
I've Read All Your Books Even the Pathetic Ones (Harvest/Harcourt Brace,
1992), and a forthcoming essay collection, Radical
Reflections, also to be published by Harvest/Harcourt Brace. Fox speaks at
schools, bookstores, and conferences around the world and is an accomplished storyteller.
She lives in South Australia with her husband, Malcolm.
copyright Harcourt Brace & Company
| Books by Mem Fox | |
|---|---|
|
GUESS WHAT?
(hardcover) - $15.00 illustrated by Vivienne Goodman KOALA LOU
(hardcover) - $13.95 NIGHT NOISES POSSUM MAGIC MEM FOX
STORIES TIME FOR
BED |
Harcourt Brace Children's Books
525 B Street, Suite 1900
San Diego, CA 92101-4495
