Colin Thompson

Born in London in 1942, Colin Thompson went to school in Yorkshire and London before going to art school in Ealing and Hammersmith. Following a varied career in design, theatre, television, ceramics and textiles, Thompson began writing and illustrating in 1990, becoming an author of picturebooks, poetry, young adult and adult fiction. He is the author-illustrator of more than 20 picturebooks as well as other books for children and adults, and is known for the level of detail in his illustrations, for example, featuring his dog Max on almost every page. The details create rich, absorbing worlds which readers can spend hours poring over, with new discoveries to be made on every reading. Thompson also produces artwork for jigsaw puzzles and cross-stitch patterns. He writes openly of his experience of depression, urging others to seek help when they need it. Thompson visited Australia on an author visit to a school in 1995, moved to Australia two weeks later and subsequently married Anne, the teacher-librarian who organized the original visit. He currently lives near Bellingen in New South Wales. 

Thompson has received several Australian awards for his work and has been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Award.

Sources: 

Official author website  (accessed: April 23, 2020);

penguin.com.au (accessed: June 28, 2020).

Bio prepared by Sarah Hardstaff, University of Cambridge, sflh2@cam.ac.uk

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Records in database:

• Looking for Atlantis

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