Award-winning author and illustrator, Gavin Bishop ONZM, is to join Joy Cowley as a patron of Storylines Trust Te Whare Waituhi Tamariki o Aotearoa. Gavin (Tainui, Ngāti Awa) is a highly acclaimed children’s book author and illustrator of more than 70 books, whose work ranges from original stories to retellings of Māori myths, European fairy stories, and nursery rhymes.
Trust chair Christine Young says Storylines is delighted to welcome Gavin as a patron.
“Gavin is one of New Zealand’s finest writers and illustrators as seen by the number and stature of awards he has won for his work. Fittingly, he has worked closely with Joy Cowley, our other patron, to illustrate a number of her books. His work has led the way in developing books in te reo and English, from board books to large format illustrated masterpieces, appealing to pēpē, tamariki and rangatahi, and educating young people with Aotearoa New Zealand’s culture in a uniquely engaging way.
“In addition, he has had a long association with Storylines, and with sponsor Penguin Random House supports the Storylines Gavin Bishop Award, established in 2009. This award has motivated many young artists to consider illustration as a career, and through mentoring the winner each year has kick-started the careers of several young illustrators.”
Among the numerous fellowships and national book prizes awarded to Gavin throughout his career, highlights include the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement (Non-fiction) in 2019; the Te Waka Toi Ngā Tohu ā Tā Kingi Ihaka/Sir Kingi Ihaka Award in 2018 to recognise his lifetime contribution to strengthening Māori art; the Arts Foundation’s Mallinson Rendel Illustrators Award in 2013; and the 2000 Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal for lifetime achievement and his distinguished contribution to children’s literature in New Zealand. Gavin was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in 2013, and President of Honour of the NZ Society of Authors.
He has won the supreme Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award a record five times, most recently in 2022 with his ATUA: Māori Gods and Heroes. This large format publication also won the Elsie Locke Award for Non-fiction and the Russell Clark Award for Illustration.
