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With book sales of more than eight million worldwide, Paul Jennings is one of Australia's most successful authors.
Mr Jennings graduated from Frankston Teachers' College (now Monash University Peninsula campus) in 1962 and gained a Bachelor of Applied Science from Lincoln Institute (Latrobe University) in 1976. He then gained a Bachelor of Education Studies from Monash in 1978. He worked as a teacher, speech pathologist and lecturer in language/literature and special education before becoming a full-time writer.
Mr Jennings' first book, Unreal! was published in 1985, setting the tone for the similarly titled books that followed. His books have proved popular with readers of all ages across the English-speaking world as well as in Japan, Holland, Spain, Korea, Germany and Italy. His latest books include Paul Jennings' Trickiest Stories (Penguin Australia, 2008) and The Nest (Penguin Australia, 2009).
In addition to winning more than 50 awards, including every 'children's choice' award, Mr Jennings has been voted favourite author by children in Australia more than 40 times. In 1990 and 1993 he won Australian Writers' Guild (AWGIE) awards for Best Adapted Screenplay for Children for his contribution to Round the Twist, a 13-part television series. In 1999 he won the Queensland Premier's Literary Award, and in 2000 had six of the Top Ten Books in the KROC Awards, as voted for by children in the Northern Territory.
In 1995, Mr Jennings was awarded the Order of Australia for services to children's literature and in 2001 he won the Dromkeen Medal for significant contributions to the appreciation and development of children's literature. |
