Betty Gilderdale | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Gilderdale in 2014 | |
| Born | Betty Albertina Harrington (1923-07-26)26 July 1923 London, England |
| Died | 9 July 2021(2021-07-09) (aged 97) |
| Alma mater | University of London |
| Genre | Children's books |
| Notable awards | Margaret Mahy Medal and Lecture Award |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Four |
Betty Albertina GilderdaleMNZM (néeHarrington; 26 July 1923 – 9 July 2021) was an English-born children's author from New Zealand. She was appointed aMember of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2014 for her services to children's literature.
Gilderdale was born on 26 July 1923 in London and emigrated to New Zealand in 1967.[1][2] In 1949, she received a BA in English from theUniversity of London.[1] The same year, she married Alan Gilderdale,[3] and the couple went on to have four children.[4] Between 1969 and 1981 Gilderdale taught at the North Shore Teachers’ College, at theAuckland College of Education from 1981 to 1985 and at theUniversity of Auckland in the Department of Continuing Education. She lived on theNorth Shore in Auckland.[1][5] Gilderdale died on 9 July 2021, aged 97, having been predeceased by her husband in 2013.[4][6][7]
Gilderdale created the Little Yellow Digger series, with illustrations by her husbandAlan Gilderdale.[1] Books in the series include:
The first book in the series has been translated intoMāori, asTe Mīhini Iti Kōwhai byHuia Publishers.[8]
In 1990, she compiled the short story collectionUnder the Rainbow: A Treasury of New Zealand Children's Stories.[9]
Gilderdale is the author ofThe Seven Lives of Lady Barker: Author of Station Life in New Zealand, a biography of authorMary Anne Barker.[10] She is also the author ofSea Change: 145 Years of New Zealand Junior Fiction[11] andIntroducing Margaret Mahy.[12]
In 2012, her autobiography,My Life in Two Halves was published.[13]
Gilderdale was a founder and served as president of theChildren's Media Watch group. She was also president of and a lifetime member of theChildren’s Literature Association of New Zealand.[1]
In 1994, Gilderdale received theMargaret Mahy Medal and Lecture Award for her contribution to children's literature.[14] In 1999, she won theNew Zealand Children's Literature Association's Award for Services to Children's Literature. The following year, the award was renamed in her honour to the Storylines Betty Gilderdale Award.[15]The Little Yellow Digger won the 2003 Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award for a Much-loved Book.[16]A Sea Change: 145 Years of New Zealand Junior Fiction received thePEN Award for best first book of prose.[17]
In the2014 Queen's Birthday Honours, Gilderdale was appointed a member of theNew Zealand Order of Merit in recognition of services to children's literature.[18]
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