Joy Cowley: Author – New Zeeland

Writing for children is a very satisfying adventure.

J. Cowley

joy cowley was born in Levin in 1936. Initially struggling with reading and writing in school, she grew to love stories—a love that has remained with her for the entirety of her life. At the age of twenty, she married farmer Ted Cowley, and while her life soon seemed to steer in the direction of wife and mother of four, she continued to write short stories. Some of these were published in magazines, and after being approached by an editor at Doubleday, five of her adult novels were published between 1967 and 1978. During that time, Cowley also wrote stories for her young son, who was a reluctant reader; these stories soon reached other children via teachers that found them to be valuable tools in their teaching. Then, in 1978, she co-wrote a children’s reading program and began her lifelong commitment to writing for children.

Motivated by her own early experience, Cowley maintains that learning to read should be an enjoyable and meaningful experience. In her own writing, she draws inspiration from the rich natural environment of her homeland, New Zealand, and from its fauna and special charm; this is easily recognized in stories such as The Silent One and The Red-Eyed Tree Frog, where animals and nature play a great part. Cowley has also explored a variety of topics in her writing, always in a way that will convey meaning and often some deeper didactic message. In The Duck in the Gun, a novel that was inspired by the Vietnam War, she communicates an anti-war message. In Brodie, she discusses and explores sentiments of loss and grief while providing the young reader with the tools to handle such feelings. Cowley has been widely recognized for her contributions and has earned both local and international awards, including the OBE (Order of the British Empire) for services to children’s literature in 1992, the Margaret Mahy award in 1993, and the Roberta Long medal for multicultural writing in 2002; the same year, 2002, Storylines: Children’s Literature Foundation of New Zealand established an award in her name, the Joy Cowley Award, which is awarded annually. Cowley herself continues to write for children and share her methods to help others enjoy the craft, and as she puts it, “let the child within you grow wings to fly with the child out there.”