Wolfe, Pamela
IN BRIEF
Pamela Wolfe is an artist and children's book illustrator who has worked on number of books with her husband, writer Richard Wolfe. Born in England in 1950, Pamela immigrated to New Zealand in 1953. As a painter, much of her work is commissioned for the promotion of New Zealand overseas and for well-known environmental groups. As an illustrator, she has been a finalist several times in the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards. In 2001, Mouse Opera was included in the internationally recognised White Ravens List.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Wolfe, Pamela (1950 - ) is an artist and childrens book illustrator who has worked on number of books with her husband, writer Richard Wolfe.
Midnight at the Museum (1997) 'is destined to become one of the classic children's books like Maurice Sendaks The Night Kitchen,' writes the National Business Review of Wolfe's enchanting picture book where specimens at the Auckland museum come magically to life.
Other titles illustrated by Pamela Wolfe are Mouse Opera (1999) and Mouse Hotel (2000). 'Pamela supplies superb full-colour illustrations, packed with entertaining details,' writes Iain Sharpe of Mouse Opera. 'A delight from start to finish.'
Walter's Planets (2001) is the story of a boy who sees something very strange in outer space. Could it be a new planet?
Dylan Owen in The Dominion describes Walter’s Planet as 'a celebration of Kiwi ingenuity, invention and technological triumph, and there’s not a computer in sight... [t]he balanced and strain-free rhyme purrs along'.
Mouse on the Moon by Richard and Pamela Wolfe (2003) Is Cosmo Mouse going to be the first mouse on the moon? And is it really made of cheese?
writers in schools information
Pamela and Richard Wolfe visit schools together as part of the Book Councils Writers in Schools programme.
KAPAI
KIDS AUTHORS PICTURES AND INFORMATION
Some Questions for Pamela and Richard Wolfe
Where do you live?
Freemans Bay, Auckland
What sort of books do you like to read?
Pamela – I have many favourites. I enjoyed Elizabeth Knox and various writers’ from the Bloomsbury Group. I probably don’t have on particular favourite.
Richard – Robert Hughes, Greil Marcus, Peter Guralnick, Michael King.
Where do you get your ideas?
Richard – My ideas are based on personal experience, observations and humour.
Pamela – I get ideas from humorous situations, observations of things around me, people and animals, and personal experience.
What is the best thing about being an author?
Richard – The satisfaction of achieving a goal. Doing something you love and seeing it through.
Some Questions for Primary School Students
Do you have any pets?
We used to have an old beagle called Asterix, but he died a few years ago at the grand age of 15. He was a great friend and we miss him a lot.
What is your favourite colour?
Pamela – All colours, especially shades of blue.
Richard – Red.
Do you have a favourite food?
Pamela – Anything Italian.
Richard – Italian food.
Do you have a favourite movie?
Pamela – Carrington
Richard – Don’t Look Back
What is the most fun thing about being an author?
Being able to do what you love and come naturally.
How do you make books?
The manuscript comes first. Then Pamela does a storyboard. When the publisher approves the storyboard Pamela does the final full colour illustrations – this takes about 4-5 months. This manuscript gets sent to the printer in Singapore or Hong Kong.
Where do you like to spend your holidays?
We stay with friends in the Hokianga over the summer. We visit our daughter in London each year in the winter.
What was the naughtiest thing you ever did at school?
Richard – I enjoyed playing practical jokes on the teachers. I was a bit of a class clown – having fun with words and it sometimes got me into trouble.
Some questions for Secondary School Students
How did you get started?
We began thinking about doing a book together about 25 years ago, when our daughter was little, but it took us until she had left home before we got around to it. Richard always said that he needed a good idea and it took that long for him to come up with one.
Did any one inspire you when you were starting out?
Maurice Sendak’s book Where the Wild Thing Are, we particularly loved his illustrations.
What advice would you give an aspiring young writer?
Never give up.
It is hard to make a living as a writer in New Zealand?
It is possible to make a modest living, but the main reason for doing it is the tremendous satisfaction.
What were you like as a teenager?
Richard – I was hardworking at school, and enjoyed music and reading in my spare time.
Pamela – I enjoyed ballet, theatre and doing art. I was very sociable and loved sewing my own clothes and listening to Beatles’ records.
Media links and clips
- Pamela and Richard Wolfe are available for school visits as part of the Book Councils Writers in Schools programme
