Allan Baillie Allan Baillie i(A25509 works by) (a.k.a. Allan Stuart Baillie)
Born: Established: 1943 Prestwick,
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Scotland,
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United Kingdom (UK),
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Western Europe, Europe, ;
Gender: Male
Arrived in Australia: ca. 1950
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BiographyHistory

Born in Scotland in 1943, Allan Baillie moved to country Victoria with his family at the age of seven. He lived in various Victorian country towns before spending the final years of his school life in Melbourne, attending Brighton High School. Baillie started writing when he was at school and in 1961 joined the Melbourne Sun as a cadet journalist while studying journalism at the University of Melbourne. He subsequently worked for the Telegraph, the ABC and the Australian Women's Weekly during his career as a journalist.

In the late 1960s Baillie travelled extensively in Asia while working on various journalistic assignments. These experiences, particularly those in Cambodia, inspired his book Little Brother (1985), which dealt with two brothers separated during the civil war in that country. His book Rebel! (1993) based on a true story, is set in Burma. His visit to China in 1989 coincided with the student massacres at Tiananmen Square and he wrote several books as a result of these experiences, including The China Coin (1991) and Bawshou Rescues the Sun (1991).

Baillie's first children's book, Adrift, appeared in 1983, and others for young people followed, including Riverman (1986) and Eagle Island (1987). In 1989, Baillie had the distinction of having two books shortlisted for the Children's Book Council of Australia's Book of the Year awards: Megan's Star (1988) and Drac and the Gremlin (1988). His only novel for adults, Mask Maker, was published in 1974.

Since 1987, Baillie has been a full-time author and has written many successful, award-winning novels and picture books for children, many of which have been published overseas and translated into several languages. These include Old Magic (1996) and Dragonquest (1996). His short stories have appeared in several anthologies including Dreamtime (1989), Mates (1989), and Bizarre (1990).

Baillie's award wins include the New South Wales Premier's History Prize (Young People's History), the Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Books, the Children's Book Council Book of the Year Award, the Australian Multicultural Children's Literature Awards, and the inaugural Kathleen Fidler Award. He also been shortlisted for many more.

Baillie visits schools to discuss his work and techniques with students, through the Lateral Learning Speakers' Agency.

Most Referenced Works

Awards for Works

y separately published work icon The First Voyage Melbourne : Penguin Books , 2014 7077880 2014 single work novel young adult historical fiction

'30,000 years ago, before the pyramids are built, before the Ice Age comes and goes, and before Neanderthals become extinct, the Yam tribe live in peace on Bird Island. But the Crocodile tribe have other ideas . . .

'The ferocious Crocodile warriors have already killed Bent Beak's pa, and now they seem determined to take out his whole tribe. The only way to survive is to flee the island. But where will they go?

'As the Yam tribe brave the perils of the sea, will they survive the voyage into the unknown, and what awaits them just over the horizon?

'An enthralling story about the plight of the very first boat people, of their desperation, bravery and hope.' (Publication summary)
2015 shortlisted New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards — Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Books
y separately published work icon Krakatoa Lighthouse Camberwell : Puffin , 2009 Z1584615 2009 single work children's fiction children's historical fiction

'Kerta didn't want to go to Krakatoa.

'He knows that a dark spirit, Orang Aljeh, is there and he is terrified he might wake it. But Kerta is there on the volcano, and the Ghost of Krakatoa has woken up.

'A powerful story of survival and loss based on the real-life events of the Krakatoa eruption in 1883.' (Publisher's blurb)
2010 winner New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards — Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Books
y separately published work icon Castles Camberwell : Penguin , 2005 Z1219547 2005 single work picture book children's 'A day at the beach becomes a wonderful adventure in this magical book' (Source: NLA).
2006 nominated Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards — Best Language Development Book for Young Children (2005-2013)
VIEW ALL AWARDS
Last amended 31 Oct 2017 13:01:00
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