About Natalie Jane Prior
Natalie Jane Prior is the author of numerous children’s books across a wide range of genres and age groups. She particularly enjoys writing books for the lower to middle primary age group, and her current junior fiction series, Naughty Dragons (illustrated by Simon Howe) has been making children giggle not only in Australia, but in many overseas territories as well.
Natalie’s aim has always been to produce engaging, child-centred stories with strong narratives and emotional depth and to share her love of language in the process. Other work includes the classic picture book The Paw and its sequels (illustrated by Terry Denton), and the internationally successful fantasy series Lily Quench, which has well over half a million copies in print, and which was broadcast on BBC Radio.
In 2018, Natalie was co-editor with her long-time agent, Margaret Connolly, of the critically acclaimed poetry anthology, A Boat of Stars, which included new poetry and artwork by some of Australia’s best known writers and illustrators, the first such anthology in many years. She loves working with other creative people, and has enjoyed a long-term collaborative relationship with Sydney based illustrator, Cheryl Orsini. Their many titles together include the much-loved Fairy Dancers books, and Lucy’s Book, a picture book celebrating a little girl’s relationship with a special book, that was based on Natalie’s past experiences as a public librarian. Books by Natalie have won the Aurealis Award (for fantasy and science fiction), the Thunderbolt and Davitt Awards (for crime writing), and have been Honour, Shortlisted and Notable Books in the Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards.
Natalie Jane Prior and long-time collaborator, Cheryl Orsini, with the first copy of The Tales of Mrs Mancini
Natalie was born in Brisbane in November, 1963, a momentous month in which President Kennedy was shot,
C.S. Lewis died, and Doctor Who started on British television. (She remembers being terrified of William Hartnell, and still thinks of Jon Pertwee as “her” Doctor.) When not writing or reading, she likes embroidery, knitting, and messing around with fountain pens. Natalie still lives in suburban Brisbane with her husband, adult daughter, and three dogs: Dachshund Theo, Border Collie Luna, and White Swiss Shepherd Saros.
LINKS
Click below to download a complete list of children’s books by Natalie Jane Prior
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Please do not hesitate to contact me, if you have general questions, or my literary and speaking agents for rights enquiries or school visits.
