James Moloney

Last updated

James Moloney
James Moloney.JPG
James Moloney
Born (1954-09-20) 20 September 1954 (age 68)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
OccupationAuthor
NationalityAustralian
Notable worksSwashbuckler, A Bridge to Wiseman's Cove, Dougy, Gracey, Angela (Gracey Trilogy), Lost Property

James "Jim" Moloney (born 20 September 1954) is an Australian children's author. A prolific writer whose books span an age range from seven- to seventeen-year-olds, he is best known for his young adult novels. He has been nominated and won awards for his books in the Children's Book Council of Australia Awards. [1] His books have been translated into French, Korean, Lithuanian and Flemish/Dutch. [2]

Contents

Moloney was born in Sydney [3] but grew up in Brisbane where he still lives today with his wife, Kate a retired teacher-librarian. [4] [5] He trained as a teacher (Griffith University) [6] and holds diplomas in Teacher–Librarianship and Computer Education. [4] [6] His role as a Teacher Librarian sparked his interest in children's literature and eventually led to his early attempts at writing. His first book, Crossfire, was published in 1992 and he continues to publish. In 1998 he resigned from teaching [7] at Marist College Ashgrove and now writes full-time in a cabin in his backyard affectionately known by the family as 'Dad's Shed'. [8]

His says of his writing

I like to get inside the head of today's adolescents to connect with the passion they have for like and understand what they care about. The challenge then is to express it in a story. [6]

His themes in his novels for older readers include family, love, belonging, body image, rites of passage, [9] sexism, mateship/friendship, winning at all costs, [10] relationships, identity, disability and racial issues. [11]

Bibliography

Gracey Trilogy

The Book of Lies series

The Doomsday Rats series

Aussie Bites and Nibbles

Aussie Chomps

Silvermay Trilogy

Awards

Children's Book Council of Australia Awards [1]

Winner Children's Peace Literature Award 1997 : A bridge to Wiseman's Cove [14]

Recommended Book Children's Peace Literature Award 1999 : Buzzard Breath and Brains [15]

Honourable Mention - UNESCO Prize for Children's Literature in the Service of Tolerance and Peace : Angela (published 2009, 1993) [4]

Winner Victorian Premiers Award 2001 Young adult category  : Touch me [6]

Winner Children's Peace Literature Award 2001 : Touch me [6]

Winner Herald Sun prize for Young Adult Literature 2001 : Touch me [16]

Shortlisted Children's Peace Literature Award 2007 : Lost Property [15]

Winner Gold Inky 2011 : Silvermay [17]

Shortlisted Best Designed Children's Fiction Book 2015 : Disappearing Act [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isobelle Carmody</span> Australian writer

Isobelle Jane Carmody is an Australian writer of science fiction, fantasy, children's literature, and young adult literature. She is recipient of the Aurealis Award for best children's fiction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Morpurgo</span> British childrens writer

Sir Michael Reggie Morpurgo is an English book author, poet, playwright, and librettist who is known best for children's novels such as War Horse (1982). His work is noted for its "magical storytelling", for recurring themes such as the triumph of an outsider or survival, for characters' relationships with nature, and for vivid settings such as the Cornish coast or World War I. Morpurgo became the third Children's Laureate, from 2003 to 2005, and he is also the current President of BookTrust, the UK's largest children's reading charity.

<i>The Gathering</i> (Carmody novel) Novel by Isobelle Carmody

The Gathering is an allegorical Australian young adults' novel written by fantasy author Isobelle Carmody. The book was published by Puffin Books Australia in 1993, The Gathering has sold over 70 000 copies in Australia and New Zealand alone. The book was a joint recipient of the 1993 Children's Peace Literature Award and was also named Book of the Year in 1994 by the Children's Book Council of Australia. In 1994, the novel was also integrated into the literature curriculum for the junior years of Secondary Education in the Australian state of Victoria.

Carmelina Marchetta is an Australian writer and teacher. Marchetta is best known as the author of teen novels, Looking for Alibrandi, Saving Francesca and On the Jellicoe Road. She has twice been awarded the CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers, in 1993 and 2004. For Jellicoe Road she won the 2009 Michael L. Printz Award from the American Library Association, recognizing the year's best book for young adults.

Michael Foreman is a British author and illustrator, one of the best-known and most prolific creators of children's books. He won the 1982 and 1989 Kate Greenaway Medals for British children's book illustration and he was a commended runner-up five times.

Ian Bone is an Australian writer, author and novelist.

Lost Property (ISBN 9780670029433) is a young adult novel by Australian author James Moloney. First published in 2005, it is about a teenage boy in Sydney who loses direction in his life. It was a Children's Book Council of Australia Honour Book for 2006, and was also shortlisted for the ABPA Book Design Awards, the Children's Peace Literature Award 2007, the New South Wales State Literary Award and the NSW Premier's Literary Award.

Dougy (ISBN 0702224995) is a young adult novel written by James Moloney and first published in 1993 by University of Queensland Press. By 2013 the National Library of Australia listed 18 editions of the novel in a variety of formats including book, audio book, braille and e-book. It is the first book in the Gracey trilogy, followed by Gracey (1994) and Angela (1998) In 1994 it was an Honour Book in the category of Older Readers in the Children's Book Council of Australia Awards. James Moloney taught for 2 years in outback Queensland and his observation from that time developed into the novel. "I watched aboriginal children growing up, the difficulties they faced, the close family relations that mean so much and the ingrained prejudice of the dominant white culture around them." The book is dedicated to Douglas Collins, a student Moloney taught, who collapsed and died during a rugby game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nadia Wheatley</span> Australian writer

Nadia Wheatley is an Australian writer whose work includes picture books, novels, biography and history. Perhaps best known for her classic picture book My Place, the author's biography of Charmian Clift was described by critic Peter Craven as 'one of the greatest Australian biographies'. Another book by Wheatley is A Banner Bold, an historical novel.

<i>Touch Me</i> (novel) 2000 novel by Australian author James Moloney

Touch Me (ISBN 0702231517) is a novel written by Australian author James Moloney. It was published in April 2000 by University of Queensland Press. The National Library of Australia holds eleven editions of this title including as a book, braille, sound recording, MP3 and electronic resource. It is also included in the Kerry White collection of Australian children's books.

Gracey (9780702226106) is a young adult novel written by Australian author James Moloney and first published in 1994 by University of Queensland Press. By 2013 the National Library of Australia listed 24 editions of the novel in a variety of formats including book, audio book, braille and e-book. It is the second book in the Gracey trilogy, the first being Dougy (1993) and the third Angela (1998) In 1995 it was an Honour Book in the category of Older Readers in the Children's Book Council of Australia Awards. It is also part of the Kerry White collection of Australian children's books.

The Book From Baden Dark is the third book in The Book of Lies series written by James Moloney.

Briony Stewart is an Australian writer and illustrator of children's books.

Rosanne Hawke is an Australian author from Penola, South Australia who has written over 25 books for young adults and children. She teaches tertiary level creative writing at Tabor Adelaide. She has a PhD in creative writing from the University of Adelaide.

Angela (0702230847) is a young adult novel written by Australian author James Moloney and first published in 1998 by University of Queensland Press. By 2013 the National Library of Australia listed 19 editions of the novel in a variety of formats including book, audio book, braille and e-book. It is the third book in the Gracey trilogy, the first being Dougy (1993) and the second Gracey (1994) It won an Honourable Mention in the UNESCO Prize for Children's Literature in the Service of Tolerance and Peace. It is also part of Kerry White collection of Australian children's books.

Claire Zorn is an Australian writer of young adult fiction. She was awarded the CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers in 2015 and 2017.

Janice Marriott is a writer, editor, audio producer, screenwriter, creative writing tutor and mentor, manuscript assessor, poet and gardener. Several of her books have been shortlisted for or won awards and she has also been the recipient of a number of writing residencies, as well as the prestigious Margaret Mahy Medal in 2018. She lives in Auckland, New Zealand.

Des Hunt is a New Zealand teacher and a writer for children and young adults. Several of his books have been shortlisted for or have won awards, including Cry of the Taniwha which won the Gaelyn Gordon Award for a Much-Loved Book in 2016. He was also the recipient of the prestigious Margaret Mahy Award in 2017. He lives in Matarangi, Coromandel Peninsula.

Zana Fraillon is an Australian writer of fiction for children and young adults based in Melbourne, Australia. Fraillon is known for allowing young readers to examine human rights abuses within fiction and in 2017 she won an Amnesty CILIP Honour for her book The Bone Sparrow which highlights the plight of the Rohingya people. The Bone Sparrow has been translated to stage and is set to premier in the York Theatre Royal, York, UK, from 25 February 2022.

Elaine Forrestal is a Western Australian writer of books for children and young adults, including her 1996 book, Someone Like Me.

References

  1. 1 2 "The Children's Book of the year Awards". Children's Book Council of Australia. Archived from the original on 3 February 2007. Retrieved 19 September 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. "James Moloney". Penquin. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  3. "James Moloney". The Literature Centre. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "James Maloney". UQP. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  5. "An interview with James Moloney 19 April 2016". Write links - Brisbane children's writers and illustrators. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "A novel for young adults by James Maloney". Teachers Notes. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  7. "James Moloney Fantasicfiction". Fantasticfiction. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  8. "Book people : James Moloney 10 June 2014". Children's Bools Daily.
  9. "A bridge to Wiseman's Cove Teacher' Notes" (PDF). UQP. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  10. "Touch me Teachers' Notes" (PDF). UQP. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  11. "Gracey Trachers' Notes" (PDF). UQP. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  12. "The Dame Annabelle Rankin Award: 2018 Recipient, James Moloney" (PDF). Children's Book Council of Australia Queensland. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  13. "Moloney wins 2019 CBCA Nan Chauncy Award". Books+Publishing. 16 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  14. "Children's Peace Literature Award Winners". Goodreads. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  15. 1 2 "Children's Peace Literature Awards" (PDF). The Australian Psychological Society Ltd. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  16. "Teachers' Notes pge 3" (PDF). Teachers' hub@harpercollins. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  17. "Literary Awards and Citations". State Library of Victoria. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  18. "Australian Book Design Awards 2015 shortlists announced 15 April 2015". Books + Publishing. Retrieved 28 September 2016.