Graeme Base

Graeme Base
Born 6 April 1958
Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom
Occupation Author, Illustrator
Nationality British- Australian
Notable works Animalia (1986)
Spouse Robyn
Website
www.graemebase.com

Graeme Rowland Base (born 6 April 1958) is an author and artist of picture books. He is perhaps best known for his second book, Animalia published in 1986, and third book The Eleventh Hour which was released in 1989.

He was born in Amersham, England but moved to Australia with his family at the age of eight and has lived there ever since.[1] He attended Box Hill High School and Melbourne High School in Melbourne, and then studied a Diploma of Art (Graphic Design) for three years at Swinburne University of Technology at Prahran.

He worked in advertising for two years and then began illustrating children's books, gradually moving to authoring them as well.[2] His first book, My Grandma lived in Gooligulch, was accepted by the first publisher he sent it to.[3]

Base resides in Melbourne with his wife Robyn and has three children.

Notable works

The Eleventh Hour: A Curious Mystery was re-released five years later in 1993 with a new, special sealed section in the back called "The Inside Story". Labelled "TOP SECRET", it carries the paragraph: Within lies the solution to the Curious Mystery of The Eleventh Hour, as well as detailed explanations of all the clues and puzzles in the illustrations. Do not turn this page until you have tried your hardest to unravel the Mystery – for the getting of wisdom is no match for the thrill of the chase, and those who choose the longer road shall reap their reward! — Graeme Base

Graeme's first (and to date only) novel, Truck Dogs (A Novel in Four Bites), has been released in paperback as well as a hardcover edition that includes sixteen colour plates of profiles of the characters (each half-dog, half-vehicle), depicting them as they would have appeared in the abandoned picture book, before Graeme decided to instead release the story as a novel for teenagers and younger readers.

Adaptations of Base's works

Awards

References

  1. http://biography.jrank.org/pages/1704/Base-Graeme-Rowland-1958.html
  2. Biographical information on Graeme Base from Penguin (US) http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Author/AuthorPage/0,,0_1000002108,00.html
  3. Lodge, Sally (25 September 2008). "Q & A with Graeme Base". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Interview in The Age discussing book adaptations http://www.theage.com.au/news/books/double-base/2006/10/12/1160246261738.html
  5. "National Museum of Australia: Past exhibitions". National Museum of Australia. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
  6. Premiere at The Arts Centre (Melbourne) as part of the Chookahs! Kids Festival http://www.theartscentre.net.au/whats-on_detail.aspx?view=959
  7. Government grant for My Grandma Lived in Gooligulch to tour rural areas http://www.dcita.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/51552/PlayingAustraliaRound28Recipients.pdf
  8. Animalia, Burberry Productions.

External links

He died in 2006