Trish Gribben

Trish Gribben is perhaps better known for Pyjamas and Nits than for writing about paintings. She is the author of Pyjamas Don’t Matter, Nits and Other Nasties and Coming Ready or Not, all illustrated by the well-known artist Dick Frizzell and published in the 1970s and 1980s. In her very varied career as journalist, editor, medical writer,  TV researcher and producer, her work has chiefly focused on the next generation --- helping young parents, or writing in more recent years for children (and to help grandparents enjoy their return to the boisterous young; she wrote Grandparenting with Love and Laughter before she became a grandmother; now the count is five grandchildren).

She and her husband John were members of the Peace Squadron and were protesting on Auckland Harbour in their yacht, Cassard—or else lending the boat to more activist friends—when American nuclear submarines visited.

She has been a member of the Peace Foundation Council.

Now she is keen to introduce New Zealand artists to the young generation.  When she did a big book on the artist Michael Smither for Ron Sang Publishing, she also wrote With My Little Eye, based on 20 of his works—a first for NZ publishing to have a book for adults and children on the same topic at the same time.

BLAST! Pat Hanly – The painter and his protests brings together the wide-ranging interests in Trish’s life --- art and peace in a colourful explosion!

Selected bibliography:

• Samantha's Story with Jenny Scown (Ashton Scholastic 1995).

• Aya's Story with Jenny Scown (Ashton Scholastic 1995).

• With My Little Eye paintings by Michael Smither (Pyjamas Press 2004).

• Blast! Pat Hanly: The Painter and His Protests (Lopdell House Gallery 2009).

Awards:

• AIM Non-fiction 1995 for Aya's Story.
• Montana Shortlist for Grandparenting with Love and Laugher.
• Montana Shortlist for With My Little Eye.