About Margaret Mahy
Margaret Mahy was born in New Zealand in 1936, the eldest of five children, with a huge extended family in the surrounding neighbourhood, and from the beginning her vivid imagination and love of storytelling sometimes confused reality and fantasy. She was a solitary little tomboy, living in her own world and talking out loud to herself. She knew she would be A Writer.
She studied philosophy at university in Auckland and Christchurch, and then qualified as a librarian, specialising in children's reading. She brought up her two daughters alone, which at the time meant life was often tough. In 1968, an American publisher spotted one of her stories published in a journal issued to New Zealand schools. They asked for more and Margaret sent them one hundred - fifteen years of unpublished work. They were taken and she really was A Writer.
Since then, Margaret has published well over a hundred titles and won several major prizes and awards including the highest honour New Zealand offers, The Order of New Zealand, limited to 20 living people, for her internationally-acclaimed contribution to children's literature. Besides this, she has twice won the prestigious Carnegie Medal, ('The Haunting', 1982, and 'The Changeover' 1984) In the States too, her books are rapturously received, several having been chosen as ALA Notables and Best Books of the Year. Margaret Mahy 's books are translated into more than fifteen languages.
Margaret says, 'It is in the nature of books, that they have the capacity to make you feel powerful about what you can alter and achieve in your life'
Margaret now lives in a house overlooking Governors Bay in the South Island of New Zealand, which she partly built herself and regularly travels to Europe to promote her books and talk at conferences.
She studied philosophy at university in Auckland and Christchurch, and then qualified as a librarian, specialising in children's reading. She brought up her two daughters alone, which at the time meant life was often tough. In 1968, an American publisher spotted one of her stories published in a journal issued to New Zealand schools. They asked for more and Margaret sent them one hundred - fifteen years of unpublished work. They were taken and she really was A Writer.
Since then, Margaret has published well over a hundred titles and won several major prizes and awards including the highest honour New Zealand offers, The Order of New Zealand, limited to 20 living people, for her internationally-acclaimed contribution to children's literature. Besides this, she has twice won the prestigious Carnegie Medal, ('The Haunting', 1982, and 'The Changeover' 1984) In the States too, her books are rapturously received, several having been chosen as ALA Notables and Best Books of the Year. Margaret Mahy 's books are translated into more than fifteen languages.
Margaret says, 'It is in the nature of books, that they have the capacity to make you feel powerful about what you can alter and achieve in your life'
Margaret now lives in a house overlooking Governors Bay in the South Island of New Zealand, which she partly built herself and regularly travels to Europe to promote her books and talk at conferences.
Series
Cousins Quartet
1. The Good Fortunes Gang (1993)
2. A Fortunate Name (1993)
3. A Fortune Branches Out (1993)
4. Tangled Fortunes (1994)
1. The Good Fortunes Gang (1993)
2. A Fortunate Name (1993)
3. A Fortune Branches Out (1993)
4. Tangled Fortunes (1994)
Novels
Bus Under the Leaves (1975)
The Pirate Uncle (1977)
The Great Piratical Rumbustification (1981)
The Haunting (1982)
The Pirates Mixed-Up Voyage (1983)
The Birthday Burglar (1984)
The Changeover (1984)
Aliens in the Family (1985)
The Tricksters (1986)
The Catalogue of the Universe (1986)
Memory (1987)
The Blood-and-Thunder Adventure on Hurricane Peak (1988)
The Seven Chinese Brothers (1990)
Raging Robots and Unruly Uncles (1990)
Dangerous Spaces (1991)
Underrunners (1992)
The Greatest Show Off Earth (1994)
The Other Side of Silence (1995)
Tingleberries, Tuckertubs and Telephones (1995)
Midnight Story (1996)
The Five Sisters (1996)
Operation Terror (1997)
The Horribly Haunted School (1997)
Down in the Dump with Dinsmore (1999)
A Villain's Night Out (1999)
Twenty-four Hours (2000)
The Riddle of the Frozen Phantom (2001)
Alchemy (2002)
The Gargling Gorilla (2003)
Maddigan's Fantasia (2006)
The Very Wicked Headmistress (2006)
Magician of Hoad (2008)
Portable Ghosts (2009)
Heriot (2009)
Organ Music (2010)
The Pirate Uncle (1977)
The Great Piratical Rumbustification (1981)
The Haunting (1982)
The Pirates Mixed-Up Voyage (1983)
The Birthday Burglar (1984)
The Changeover (1984)
Aliens in the Family (1985)
The Tricksters (1986)
The Catalogue of the Universe (1986)
Memory (1987)
The Blood-and-Thunder Adventure on Hurricane Peak (1988)
The Seven Chinese Brothers (1990)
Raging Robots and Unruly Uncles (1990)
Dangerous Spaces (1991)
Underrunners (1992)
The Greatest Show Off Earth (1994)
The Other Side of Silence (1995)
Tingleberries, Tuckertubs and Telephones (1995)
Midnight Story (1996)
The Five Sisters (1996)
Operation Terror (1997)
The Horribly Haunted School (1997)
Down in the Dump with Dinsmore (1999)
A Villain's Night Out (1999)
Twenty-four Hours (2000)
The Riddle of the Frozen Phantom (2001)
Alchemy (2002)
The Gargling Gorilla (2003)
Maddigan's Fantasia (2006)
The Very Wicked Headmistress (2006)
Magician of Hoad (2008)
Portable Ghosts (2009)
Heriot (2009)
Organ Music (2010)
Omnibus
Great Piratical Rumbustification / Librarian and the Robbers (1986)
Birthday Burglar / Very Wicked Headmistress (1988)
Birthday Burglar / Very Wicked Headmistress (1988)
Collections
Story Book (1972)
Story Book No. 2 (1973)
The Third Story Book (1975)
Leaf Magic (1976)
Nonstop Nonsense (1977)
The Chewing-gum Rescue and Other Stories (1982)
The Downhill Crocodile Whizz and Other Stories (1986)
Mahy Magic (1986)
The Horrible Story and Others (1987)
The Boy Who Bounced and Other Magic Tales (1988)
The Door in the Air and Other Stories (1988)
Leaf Magic and Five Other Stories (1988)
The Tin Can Band and Other Poems (poems) (1989)
Chocolate Porridge and Other Stories (1989)
Bubble Trouble (1991)
A Tall Story and Other Tales (1991)
The World in 1492 (1992) (with Jean Fritz, Jamake Highwater, Fredrick L McKissack Jr, Patricia C McKissack and Katherine Paterson)
The Girl with the Green Ear: Stories About Magic in Nature (1992)
A Lion in the Meadow and Other Favourite Stories (1993)
Tick Tock Tales: Stories to Read Around the Clock (1993)
The Puffin Book of Five-minute Stories (1998) (with Allan Ahlberg, Vivian French, Adèle Geras, Dick King-Smith)
Wonderful Me!: Stories And Poems (2002)
Wait for Me! (2003)
Shock Forest: And Other Stories (2004)
Watch Me! (2004)
Don't Read This! (2004)
Free? (2009) (with David Almond, Ibtisam Barakat, Malorie Blackman, Theresa Breslin, Eoin Colfer, Roddy Doyle, Ursula Dubosarsky, Jamila Gavin, Patricia McCormick, Michael Morpurgo, Sarah Mussi, Meja Mwangi and Rita Williams-Garcia)
Story Book No. 2 (1973)
The Third Story Book (1975)
Leaf Magic (1976)
Nonstop Nonsense (1977)
The Chewing-gum Rescue and Other Stories (1982)
The Downhill Crocodile Whizz and Other Stories (1986)
Mahy Magic (1986)
The Horrible Story and Others (1987)
The Boy Who Bounced and Other Magic Tales (1988)
The Door in the Air and Other Stories (1988)
Leaf Magic and Five Other Stories (1988)
The Tin Can Band and Other Poems (poems) (1989)
Chocolate Porridge and Other Stories (1989)
Bubble Trouble (1991)
A Tall Story and Other Tales (1991)
The World in 1492 (1992) (with Jean Fritz, Jamake Highwater, Fredrick L McKissack Jr, Patricia C McKissack and Katherine Paterson)
The Girl with the Green Ear: Stories About Magic in Nature (1992)
A Lion in the Meadow and Other Favourite Stories (1993)
Tick Tock Tales: Stories to Read Around the Clock (1993)
The Puffin Book of Five-minute Stories (1998) (with Allan Ahlberg, Vivian French, Adèle Geras, Dick King-Smith)
Wonderful Me!: Stories And Poems (2002)
Wait for Me! (2003)
Shock Forest: And Other Stories (2004)
Watch Me! (2004)
Don't Read This! (2004)
Free? (2009) (with David Almond, Ibtisam Barakat, Malorie Blackman, Theresa Breslin, Eoin Colfer, Roddy Doyle, Ursula Dubosarsky, Jamila Gavin, Patricia McCormick, Michael Morpurgo, Sarah Mussi, Meja Mwangi and Rita Williams-Garcia)
Picture Books
Mrs. Discombobulous (1969)
Pillycock's Shop (1969)
The Procession (1969)
A Dragon of an Ordinary Family (1969)
A Lion in the Meadow (1969)
The Little Witch (1970)
Sailor Jack and the Twenty Orphans (1970)
The Princess and the Clown (1971)
The Boy With Two Shadows (1972)
17 Kings and 42 Elephants (1972)
Railway Engine and the Hairy Brigands (1973)
Rooms for Rent (1974)
Rooms to Let (1974)
Stepmother (1974)
The Witch in the Cherry Tree (1974)
Rare Spotted Birthday Party (1974)
Clancy's Cabin (1974)
Ultra-violet catastrophe!: Or, The unexpected walk with Great-Uncle Magnus Pringle (1975)
The Great Millionaire Kidnap (1975)
The Boy Who Was Followed Home (1975)
David's Witch Doctor (1976)
The Wind Between the Stars (1976)
The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate (1976)
Mrs. Bubble's Baby (1983)
Shopping with a Crocodile (1983)
The Great Grumbler and the Wonder Tree (1984)
Ups and Downs (1984)
A Crocodile in the Library (1985)
Jam (1985)
My Wonderful Aunt (1986)
The Adventures of a Kite (1986)
The Cake (1986)
The Catten (1986)
Clever Hamburger (1986)
The Earthquake (1986)
How Mr. Rooster Didn't Get Married (1986)
Kangaroo from Woolloomoolloo (1986)
Lavender the Library Cat (1986)
Let's Get a Pet (1986)
Little Brown House (1986)
Magician's Lunch (1986)
Morning Dance (1986)
Most Scary Ghost (1986)
Mouse Monster (1986)
Plants of My Aunt (1986)
Sophie's Singing Mother (1986)
Ten Loopy Caterpillars (1986)
Terrible Armadillo (1986)
Train That Ran Away (1986)
A Very Happy Bathday (1986)
The Yuckadoos (1986)
The Man Who Enjoyed Grumbling (1986)
The Pop Group (1986)
Moppy's Ball (1986)
Elephant in the House (1987)
The Funny, Funny Clown Face (1987)
The Girl Who Washed in Moonlight (1987)
The Haunting of Miss Cardamom (1987)
Mr. Rumfitt (1987)
Tai Taylor and His Education (1987)
Tai Taylor Goes to School (1987)
The Terrible Topsy-Turvy, Tissy-Tossy Tangle (1987)
Trouble On the Bus (1987)
Long Grass of Tumbledown Road (1987)
Baby's Breakfast (1987)
Feeling Funny (1987)
The Garden Party (1987)
Muppy's Ball (1987)
The New House Villain (1987)
A Pet to the Vet (1987)
Tai Taylor Is Born (1987)
The Tree Doctor (1987)
Arguments (1987)
Beautiful Pig (1987)
The Fight On the Hill (1987)
Jacko, the Junk Shop Man (1987)
Mouse Wedding (1987)
The Robber Pig and the Ginger Beer (1987)
Robber Pig and the Green Eggs (1987)
Squeak in the Gate (1987)
Tinny Tiny Tinker (1987)
The King's Jokes (1987)
Tai Taylor and the Sweet Annie (1987)
Guinea Pig Grass (1988)
When the King Rides by (1988)
The Spider in the Shower (1988)
The Father Who Walked On His Hands (1989)
No Dinner for Sally (1989)
The Great White Man-eating Shark (1989)
Iris La Bonga and the Boomerzoomer (1990)
Leap Year (1990)
The Little Round Husband (1990)
Making Friends (1990)
White Elephants (1990)
The Pumpkin Man and the Crafty Creeper (1990)
Iris LA Bonga and the Locked Door (1990)
Crocodile Crocodile (1990)
The Solar System (1990)
Keeping House (1991)
The Queen's Goat (1991)
The Dragon's Birthday (1992)
The Fiddle and the Gun (1992)
The Horrendous Hullabaloo (1992)
Iris La Bonga and the Helpful Taxi Driver (1993)
The Mad Puppet (1993)
A Busy Day for a Good Grandmother (1993)
The Dentist's Promise (1993)
The Rattlebang Picnic (1994)
The Christmas Tree Tangle (1994)
The Greatest Binnie in the World (1996)
Solar Systems: Fact or Fiction (1996)
Boom Baby, Boom Boom! (1996)
Cobwebs, Elephants and Stars (1996)
Beaten by a Balloon (1997)
The Three Magicians (1997)
A Good Knee for a Cat (1997)
A Summery Saturday Morning (1998)
Simply Delicious! (1999)
Down the Dragon's Tongue (2000)
Dashing Dog! (2002)
The Three-legged Cat (2004)
Down the Back of the Chair (2006)
Stop That Stew! (2009)
The Man from the Land of Fandango (2012)
Pillycock's Shop (1969)
The Procession (1969)
A Dragon of an Ordinary Family (1969)
A Lion in the Meadow (1969)
The Little Witch (1970)
Sailor Jack and the Twenty Orphans (1970)
The Princess and the Clown (1971)
The Boy With Two Shadows (1972)
17 Kings and 42 Elephants (1972)
Railway Engine and the Hairy Brigands (1973)
Rooms for Rent (1974)
Rooms to Let (1974)
Stepmother (1974)
The Witch in the Cherry Tree (1974)
Rare Spotted Birthday Party (1974)
Clancy's Cabin (1974)
Ultra-violet catastrophe!: Or, The unexpected walk with Great-Uncle Magnus Pringle (1975)
The Great Millionaire Kidnap (1975)
The Boy Who Was Followed Home (1975)
David's Witch Doctor (1976)
The Wind Between the Stars (1976)
The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate (1976)
Mrs. Bubble's Baby (1983)
Shopping with a Crocodile (1983)
The Great Grumbler and the Wonder Tree (1984)
Ups and Downs (1984)
A Crocodile in the Library (1985)
Jam (1985)
My Wonderful Aunt (1986)
The Adventures of a Kite (1986)
The Cake (1986)
The Catten (1986)
Clever Hamburger (1986)
The Earthquake (1986)
How Mr. Rooster Didn't Get Married (1986)
Kangaroo from Woolloomoolloo (1986)
Lavender the Library Cat (1986)
Let's Get a Pet (1986)
Little Brown House (1986)
Magician's Lunch (1986)
Morning Dance (1986)
Most Scary Ghost (1986)
Mouse Monster (1986)
Plants of My Aunt (1986)
Sophie's Singing Mother (1986)
Ten Loopy Caterpillars (1986)
Terrible Armadillo (1986)
Train That Ran Away (1986)
A Very Happy Bathday (1986)
The Yuckadoos (1986)
The Man Who Enjoyed Grumbling (1986)
The Pop Group (1986)
Moppy's Ball (1986)
Elephant in the House (1987)
The Funny, Funny Clown Face (1987)
The Girl Who Washed in Moonlight (1987)
The Haunting of Miss Cardamom (1987)
Mr. Rumfitt (1987)
Tai Taylor and His Education (1987)
Tai Taylor Goes to School (1987)
The Terrible Topsy-Turvy, Tissy-Tossy Tangle (1987)
Trouble On the Bus (1987)
Long Grass of Tumbledown Road (1987)
Baby's Breakfast (1987)
Feeling Funny (1987)
The Garden Party (1987)
Muppy's Ball (1987)
The New House Villain (1987)
A Pet to the Vet (1987)
Tai Taylor Is Born (1987)
The Tree Doctor (1987)
Arguments (1987)
Beautiful Pig (1987)
The Fight On the Hill (1987)
Jacko, the Junk Shop Man (1987)
Mouse Wedding (1987)
The Robber Pig and the Ginger Beer (1987)
Robber Pig and the Green Eggs (1987)
Squeak in the Gate (1987)
Tinny Tiny Tinker (1987)
The King's Jokes (1987)
Tai Taylor and the Sweet Annie (1987)
Guinea Pig Grass (1988)
When the King Rides by (1988)
The Spider in the Shower (1988)
The Father Who Walked On His Hands (1989)
No Dinner for Sally (1989)
The Great White Man-eating Shark (1989)
Iris La Bonga and the Boomerzoomer (1990)
Leap Year (1990)
The Little Round Husband (1990)
Making Friends (1990)
White Elephants (1990)
The Pumpkin Man and the Crafty Creeper (1990)
Iris LA Bonga and the Locked Door (1990)
Crocodile Crocodile (1990)
The Solar System (1990)
Keeping House (1991)
The Queen's Goat (1991)
The Dragon's Birthday (1992)
The Fiddle and the Gun (1992)
The Horrendous Hullabaloo (1992)
Iris La Bonga and the Helpful Taxi Driver (1993)
The Mad Puppet (1993)
A Busy Day for a Good Grandmother (1993)
The Dentist's Promise (1993)
The Rattlebang Picnic (1994)
The Christmas Tree Tangle (1994)
The Greatest Binnie in the World (1996)
Solar Systems: Fact or Fiction (1996)
Boom Baby, Boom Boom! (1996)
Cobwebs, Elephants and Stars (1996)
Beaten by a Balloon (1997)
The Three Magicians (1997)
A Good Knee for a Cat (1997)
A Summery Saturday Morning (1998)
Simply Delicious! (1999)
Down the Dragon's Tongue (2000)
Dashing Dog! (2002)
The Three-legged Cat (2004)
Down the Back of the Chair (2006)
Stop That Stew! (2009)
The Man from the Land of Fandango (2012)
Non fiction
New Zealand (1975)
My Mysterious World (1995)
A Dissolving Ghost (2000)
Awesome Aotearoa: A Kids' History of New Zealand (2009)
My Mysterious World (1995)
A Dissolving Ghost (2000)
Awesome Aotearoa: A Kids' History of New Zealand (2009)
Anthologies containing stories by Margaret Mahy
Short stories
| Space Invaders (1985) |
Awards
|
Margaret Mahy recommends
The Boy Who Could Fly (2010) James Norcliffe "A rich fantasy - alive with original twists, surprises and mysteries." |
|
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