Alison Jean Lester (born 17 November 1952) is an Australian author and illustrator who has published over 25 children's picture books and two young adult novels — ''The Quickstand Pony'' and ''The Snow Pony''. In 2005 Lester won the Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book for her children's book, '' Are We There Yet?: A Journey Around Australia''. Her books have been published worldwide.

Early years and education

Alison Lester was born in Foster, Victoria, Australia. She grew up on a farm overlooking the sea. She was educated at St Margaret's School in Berwick, Victoria, where she stayed as a boarder.AusLit: Alison Lester
accessed: 26-10-2015) She achieved a higher diploma in teaching at the Melbourne Teachers' College, where she trained as a secondary

arts and crafts The Arts and Crafts movement was an international trend in the Decorative arts, decorative and fine arts that developed earliest and most fully in the British Isles and subsequently spread across the British Empire and to the rest of Europe and ...

teacher.

Career

Lester taught for a while before starting a family and writing. She was also an illustrator for 5 years. Her first book was published in 1986. Alison Lester Gallery

Lester lives and works in South Gippsland, Victoria. She has a gallery and bookshop in Fish Creek. She visits primary schools as a guest speaker. Her picture books mix imaginary worlds with everyday life, encouraging children to believe in themselves and celebrate the differences that make themselves special.

1979–2008

1979, began illustrating children's books 1985, wrote first book, ''Clive Eats Alligators'' 1985–2004, writing and illustrating. Exhibitions at * Books Illustrated * Fremantle Children's Literature Centre * Des Bunyon Gallery * Dromkeen * Season's Gallery * McClelland Gallery 1993, guest speaker at IBBY conference,

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

1996, received Writers Project Grant from the Australia Council to research the Spanish Riding school in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

1999, writer in residence at Tanglin Trust School,

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

2001, guest speaker at Story Lines Festival,

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

2002, visiting author at the Bologna Book Fair, Italy, sponsored by the Australia Council 2004, guest speaker, immons College

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, United States 2004, visiting author to Seoul, oreafor Children's Book Week 2004, visiting author, schools in okyo 2005, traveled to

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...

as an Australian Antarctic Arts Fellow for the Kids Antarctic Art project. 2005, workshops and exhibition of '' Are We There Yet?'' in Japan as part of the Asialink literature touring program with the Aichi expo 2005, photographer on tourist ship to Ross Sea region of

2006, ''Are We There Yet?'' illustrations exhibited in Taipei 2006, first painting for the Kid's Antarctic Art project exhibited at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery 2007, visual artist on two voyages to Peninsula region of

. 2007, Kid's Antarctic Art exhibition opens at Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery 2007, photographer and writer on voyage around

Spitsbergen Spitsbergen (; formerly known as West Spitsbergen; Norwegian language, Norwegian: ''Vest Spitsbergen'' or ''Vestspitsbergen'' , also sometimes spelled Spitzbergen) is the largest and the only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipel ...

in the

Arctic The Arctic (; . ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the North Pole, lying within the Arctic Circle. The Arctic region, from the IERS Reference Meridian travelling east, consists of parts of northern Norway ( ...

. 2008, Kids Antarctic Art exhibited at Melbournestyle, South

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, featuring selected works as larger canvasses.

Books

Lester has written a series of picture books about seven children and their favourite things. This series of books is very popular among young childre

The books have been published in many different languages. The titles are: ''When Frank Was Four'', ''Tessa Snaps Snakes'', ''Rosie Sips Spiders'', ''Clive Eats Aligators'', ''Ernie Dances To The Didgeridoo'' and ''Celeste Sails to Spain''. Some of her other well known books include; ''Imagine'', ''The Journey Home'', ''Kissed by the Moon'' and '' Noni the Pony''. Both ''The Quicksand Pony'' and ''The Snow Pony'' became best-sellers in Australia. Her 1990 best-seller, ''Magic Beach'', was adapted as an animated film by Robert Connolly in 2024.

Awards and recognition

Lester's books have received many honours. Her picture book, ''Clive Eats Alligators'' was commended in the Australian Picture Book of the Year Awards 1986, ''Ernie Dances to the

Didgeridoo The didgeridoo (;()), also spelt didjeridu, among other variants, is a wind instrument, played with vibrating lips to produce a continuous Drone (music), drone while using a special breathing technique called circular breathing. The didgerido ...

'' was short-listed in 2000 for the same award and her experience-based picture book, ''The Journey Home'', was honoured by the judges in 1990. Her novel, ''The Quicksand Pony'', was named a CBCA Notable Book in 1997. * Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book for ''Are We There Yet? A Journey Around Australia'' in 2005. * Inaugural Australian Children's Laureate for Australian Children's Literature Alliance from 2011 to 2013. * Awarded the Dromkeen Medal in 2016. *Winner of the 2018 Melbourne Prize for Literature valued at $60,000. * Lester became a

Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

(AM) in the 2019 Australia Day Honours. * Children's Book of the Year Award: Early Childhood for ''Trick's Bad Day'' in 2019.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lester, Alison 1952 births Living people Australian children's book illustrators Australian children's writers Australian women children's writers Australian women children's book illustrators Writers who illustrated their own writing People from Foster, Victoria Members of the Order of Australia Writers from Victoria (state)