James Foley (author/illustrator)

Last updated

James Foley
Born1982 (age 4243)
Education University of Notre Dame Australia (Bachelor of Behavioural Science)
Occupation(s)Children's author and illustrator
SpouseRenae Hayward
Children2
Website www.jamesfoley.com.au

James Foley (born 1982) is a Australian children's writer and illustrator. [1]

Contents

His notable works include Stellarphant (2021), My Dead Bunny (2015), the Secret Agent Mole series (2023–2024), Chickensaurus (2020), Brobot (2016), In The Lion (2012) and The Last Viking (2011). Foley's picture books, graphic novels and chapter books are known for "their humour, understanding of children and witty illustrations". [2] His work has received recognition both in Australia and internationally.

Early life

Foley was born in East Fremantle, Australia in 1982. [3] [4] The earliest children's books he remembers reading are Sunshine and Moonlight by Jan Ormerod; as they were wordless, he could 'read' the stories to himself. [4] Animalia and The Eleventh Hour by Graeme Base were later favourites. [4] As a teenager, Foley attended workshops run by Shaun Tan at The Literature Centre; seeing Tan's original art provided much inspiration. [4]

In 1994 when Foley was in grade 7, he entered a picture book into the Children's Book Council of Australia (WA Branch) Make Your Own Story Book competition; he received third place in the year 6-7 picture book category. [5] Foley later made cartoons and comics for his high school newspaper, then for his university newspapers: the Western Independent at Curtin University, and Quasimodo at the University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle. [6] Foley spent three years at Curtin University: he studied journalism and graphic design for one year before switching to primary teaching, but did not finish the degree. [7] He ultimately completed a Bachelor of Behavioural Science at Notre Dame, Fremantle, graduating 'with distinction' in 2006. [7]

Foley's first major illustration job was creating cover cartoons for the Quokka newspaper between 2003 and 2010. [8]

Career

Foley's first picture book, The Last Viking, was written by Norman Jorgensen and published by Fremantle Press in 2011. [9] The book won the 2012 Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Crystal Kite Award for Australia and New Zealand. [10] It was also shortlisted for the 2022 CBCA Book of the Year Award: Early Childhood. [11]

Foley's second picture book In The Lion was also his first as both author and illustrator. [12] In The Lion received a Notable Book in the 2013 CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book category, and was included as one of the recommended Australian titles in the International Youth Library's 2012 White Ravens list. [13]

My Dead Bunny was released in 2015. Written by Sigi Cohen, this tongue-in-cheek picture book for older readers was shortlisted in the 2016 CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book category, [14] and received recognition in several Australian children's choice awards. [15]

Foley's 2021 picture book Stellarphant [16] was critically acclaimed [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [2] and received multiple awards: it won the 2022 CBCA Sun Project: Shadowers’ Choice Award for Picture Book of the Year, [23] received an Honour Book award in the 2022 CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book category, [24] was listed in the International Youth Library’s 2022 White Ravens List, [25] and was number 36 in the 2022 Better Reading Top 50 Kids' Books. [26] Stellarphant was also shortlisted in the Western Australian Premier's Book Awards, [27] the Aurealis Awards [28] and several Australian children's choice awards. [29] Stellarphant has been published in North America, [[Turkey], the Netherlands, South Korea and China, [30] and is currently being adapted for the stage by Western Australia's Barking Gecko Theatre Company. [31]

Community work

Foley has been a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Australia West regional team since 2012, holding roles including Illustrator Coordinator, Regional Advisor and Treasurer. [32] [33]

Foley is a judge for the Shaun Tan Award for Young Artists. [34]

Foley is an ambassador for Books in Homes Australia [35] and Room to Read. [36]

Personal life

Foley lives and works in Fremantle, Western Australia. [6] [37] He is married to fellow children's author Renae Hayward. They have two children and a labrador named Frankie. [6]

Awards

Happy Barry Capybara

Secret Agent Mole book 3: Dr Nude

Secret Agent Mole book 2: The Boar Identity

Secret Agent Mole book 1: Goldfish-Finger

Stellarphant

Chickensaurus

Toffle Towers, Book 1

Dungzilla

Brobot

My Dead Bunny

The Last Viking Returns

In The Lion

The Last Viking

Bibliography

Picture books

Graphic novels

Comic serials

Chapter books

Anthologies

References

  1. "Austlit — James Foley". Austlit. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Stellarphant" . Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  3. "Catalogue Search | Author: "Foley, James, 1982-" | Catalogue". catalogue.nla.gov.au. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Helen Milroy presents: Stellarphant creator James Foley discusses how he made the leap from day job to full-time author". Fremantle Press. 5 November 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  5. "Winners Archive". CBCA WA BRANCH. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 "About". James Foley. 9 May 2009. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  7. 1 2 "CV". James Foley. 9 February 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  8. "Storyteller draws the big picture". The West Australian. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  9. "The last Viking / Norman Jorgensen & James Foley | Catalogue". catalogue.nla.gov.au. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  10. 1 2 "SCBWI Crystal Kite Award | International: Australia/New Zealand | Awards and Honors | LibraryThing". LibraryThing.com. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  11. ""CBCA Judges' Report 2012"" (PDF). CBCA. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  12. "In the lion / James Foley | Catalogue". catalogue.nla.gov.au. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  13. 1 2 https://www.ijb.de/fileadmin/Daten/The_White_Ravens/The_White_Ravens_2013.pdf
  14. 1 2 "CBCA Awards 2016 shortlists announced | Books+Publishing" . Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  15. 1 2 3 4 "2017 Shortlist". KOALA. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  16. "Stellarphant / James Foley | Catalogue". catalogue.nla.gov.au. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  17. Steed, Sarah. "Review: Stellarphant" . Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  18. "Stellarphant by James Foley". 9 April 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  19. "Stellarphant". Writing WA. 3 November 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  20. Admin (20 November 2021). "Stellarphant". Reading Time. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  21. "Stellarphant (James Foley, Fremantle Press) | Books+Publishing" . Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  22. "Stellarphant - Book Review". weekendnotes.com. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  23. 1 2 Children's Book Council of Australia (25 August 2022). CBCA Sun Project: Shadow Judge Shadowers' Choice Awards Announcement 2022 . Retrieved 27 August 2025 via YouTube.
  24. 1 2 https://cbca.blob.core.windows.net/documents/BookOfTheYear/2022/Winner-critiques.pdf
  25. 1 2 https://www.ijb.de/fileadmin/Daten/Pdfs/2022/The_White_Ravens_2022_catalogue.pdf
  26. 1 2 https://www.betterreading.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Top-50-Kids-2022-PDF-List-3.pdf
  27. 1 2 "2021 Winners | State Library of Western Australia". slwa.wa.gov.au. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  28. 1 2 aaconvenor (5 April 2022). "2021 Aurealis Awards Shortlist Announcement". Aurealis Awards. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  29. 1 2 3 4 https://www.koalansw.org.au/2023-shortlist-1
  30. "Rights and permissions". Fremantle Press. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  31. Breen, Bianca (31 October 2024). "Starry-eyed Stellarphant heads to the stage in new Barking Gecko production". Fremantle Press. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  32. "Australia West | Australia West". SCBWI. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  33. "SCBWI Success Story James Foley". SCBWI Australia East Blog. 23 September 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  34. https://www.subiaco.wa.gov.au/see-do/good-to-know/news/2022-shaun-tan-award-winners-announced-c64fd583
  35. "Role Models | Books in Homes-" . Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  36. Foley, James (27 June 2023). "Room To Read". James Foley. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  37. "Our People – Paper Bird | Children's Books & Arts" . Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  38. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Shortlist". KOALA. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  39. "The ALIA Graphic Notables 2024 | ALIA" . Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  40. 1 2 "2024 Shortlist announced!". Comic Arts Awards of Australia. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  41. Jessica (17 May 2024). "West Australian Young Readers' Book Award Shortlist 2024". Cockburn Libraries. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  42. "Shortlists". West Australian Young Readers' Book Award. 25 January 2021. Archived from the original on 26 April 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  43. "Speech Pathology Australia book awards 2022 shortlists announced | Books+Publishing" . Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  44. "2021". Comic Arts Awards of Australia. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  45. Graphic, Alia (19 March 2021). "ALIA Graphic Novels and Comics: ALIA Graphic's 2020 Notable Australian Graphic Novels". ALIA Graphic Novels and Comics. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  46. 1 2 3 "2021 Shortlist". KOALA. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  47. Tehani (14 February 2018). "2017 Aurealis Awards shortlist announcement". Aurealis Awards. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  48. "2019 Shortlists". West Australian Young Readers' Book Award. 15 February 2019. Archived from the original on 5 March 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  49. "Younger Readers' Shortlist 2017". West Australian Young Readers' Book Award. 1 February 2017. Archived from the original on 5 March 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  50. Tehani (20 February 2017). "2016 Aurealis Awards shortlist announcement". Aurealis Awards. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  51. 1 2 "West Australian Young Readers' Book Award". wayrba.org.au. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  52. "Picture Books 2015". West Australian Young Readers' Book Award. 7 February 2015. Archived from the original on 26 February 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  53. Tehani (27 February 2015). "ANNOUNCEMENT: 2014 Aurealis Awards Shortlist". Aurealis Awards. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  54. "Austlit — In the Lion by James Foley – Awards". Austlit. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  55. "Picture Books 2014". 29 January 2014. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  56. "2012 CBCA Awards shortlists announced | Books+Publishing" . Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  57. "Austlit — The Last Viking by Norman Jorgensen and James Foley – Awards". Austlit. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  58. Mousley, Megan (7 February 2012). "2012 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature". Glam Adelaide. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  59. admin (19 March 2012). "2011 Aurealis Awards Finalists". Locus Online. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  60. 1 2 "Dungzilla: now in colour". James Foley. 11 November 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  61. "Gastronauts: now in colour". James Foley. 2 February 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  62. "Brobot: now in colour". James Foley. 2 February 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2025.