Colston, Fifi
IN BRIEF
Fifi Colston has had a richly varied career as a writer, illustrator, poet, and occasional columnist. For seven years she presented arts and crafts on the children’s television programme What Now, and these days she is a regular weekly children's arts and crafts presenter on the Good Morning show on TV1. Her book Janie Olive: a recipe for disaster! was a CLFNZ Notable Book Junior Fiction for 2006. Colston has illustrated over 25 books for trade and education, as well as serving as the President of the New Zealand Illustrators’ Guild. She is currently the convener of the Wellington Children’s Book Association and a Wellington committee member for the Storylines Festival.
ProfilePlace of residence: Wellington, New Zealand |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Colston, Fifi (1960 –) is a writer, an illustrator, a poet, and workshop presenter.
Colston was born in Yorkshire, U.K. and emmigrated to New Zealand in 1968. She returned to England for two years in 2001 and is now settled in Wellington.
In a richly varied career, Colston has worked as a columnist for Next Magazine and About Kids. For seven years she presented arts and crafts on the children’s television programme What Now. She has been a regular weekly arts and crafts presenter on the Good Morning Show, on TV1 since 2006. In 1998, she did a one-year stint as a weekly radio poet appearing regularly on Wayne Mowatt’s National Radio programme.
She graduated in 2004 with an MA Scriptwriting at the IIML from Victoria University.
Colston’s poetry has been published in Next Magazine and collected in Fifi Verses The World (1999) a collection that also included her illustrations. Verity’s Truth (2003) was her first junior fiction novel.
Colston has illustrated over 25 books as well as serving as the President of the New Zealand Illustrators’ Guild (1998-2000). Her illustrations can be seen in the NZ School Journal as well as on book jackets for publishers including: Scholastic, Learning Media, Shortlands, Macmillan and Longman Paul.
Colston’s illustrated books include: The Old Man and The Cat (1984); Mr Magee Comes Home for his Tea (1984); Rain (1984); The Oldest Garden in China (1985); Not Without Randolph (1993); Fifi’s Crafty Arts: Book One (1995); Fifi’s Crafty Arts: Book Two (1995); Midnight Feast (1996); Get Real Paddy Manson (1996); This Tail (1996); It’s My Bread (1997); Dear Tom (1997); Fifi Verses The World (2000); Mystery Valley (2000); The Great Egg Problem (2000); Going Places (2000); Brother Trouble (2001); The Great New Zealand Activity Book (2000); Toroa (The Albatross) (2001); Panui Pangarau (2003); Nga Taonga O Te Kaitiora (2002); Te Takaro Tirama (2003); Te Ao Ahuahanga (2003); My Brother (2003); Tyler's Tower (2004); My Name is Laloifi (2005); Waka Wairua (2005); Finding Tibs (2006); Papas Island (2006); and Itiiti's Gift (2006).
Colston worked as a scriptwriter on Jane and the Dragon for Weta Workhop in 2003 for a few months, and was employed at Weta Workshop on the New Zealand production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 2004.
Janie Olive: a recipe for disaster! (Scholastic, 2005) was a CLFNZ Notable Book Junior Fiction for 2006. Glory (Scholastic, 2009) is another junior fiction book by Colston.
Colston illustrated Papa's Island (Reed, 2006) written by Melanie Drewery. In 2007 Itiiti’s Gift (Reed, 2006) written by Melanie Drewery won the CLFNZ Notable Books Picture Book. Itiiti's Gift was read simultaneously all around New Zealand at 10.30am on Wednesday 12 August 2009, in celebration of 'New Zealand's Biggest Storytime' (during Library Week 2009).
Itiiti's Gift was listed as a 2007 Storylines Notable Picture Book.
In addition to her writing and illustration work, Colston is a regular entrant and finalist in the Montana Wearable Arts Show. In 2008, Colston was a judge in the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. Colston is the convener of the Wellington Children’s Book Association and a Wellington committee member for the Storylines Festival. She is the co-convenor of the 'Spinning Gold 09' Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Conference.
Glory was named as a 2010 Storylines Notable Junior Fiction Book.
writers in schools information
Fifi Colston is available for schools visits to primary and intermediate schools. Colston is happy to talk about book illustration; the process, method, etc, as well as educational readers. She would prefer to talk to classes individually but would consider higher numbers if necessary. She is willing to travel for school visits. She is prepared to teach illustration workshops, by prior arrangement.
Media links and clips
- Fifi Colston’s Blog
- Scholastic New Zealand Author Information
- www.fificolston.com
