Joy Watson

Joy Watson calls her writing 'a hobby which has, wonderfully and surprisingly, brought a measure of reward and recognition as well as a great deal of personal enjoyment'. Her hobby began after her pharmacist husband, Kevin, and she had raised nine children. 'Suddenly all these young people had left home and were about their own business and the time was right.'

It came about because of her love of words and what could be done with them and because she read the books her children were reading, and know that was something that she could possibly do. 'To test the waters I sent off a poem called Pets to the (then) Education Department and they published it in their ‘Ready To Read’ series and Gavin Bishop illustrated it. My life changed and it was so exciting'.

Joy was born in Gisborne in February 1938, the second (and only girl) of four children. They were a farming family, moving about fairly frequently so the children began their educations by Correspondence School. Joy’s first real school was at Waipukurau and later, her secondary schooling was at St. Mary’s College in Wellington, 'a wonderful city life experience and one for which I will always be grateful to my hard-working parents'. She then trained as a dental nurse and worked at her profession until her marriage at 20.
 

There was one more reader, Mouse in the House, after her initial success and then came the series of books that have placed her, firmly, high on the list children’s favorites’, ‘Grandpa’ books.

'Grandpa’s Slippers was a "true" idea. They were definitely Kevin’s slippers.' This was the inception of the series which has captivated children and kept them asking for more. Grandpa and Grandma are characters children have come to love with sometimes one, sometimes the other, winning the gentle battles they have over changes. Joy says, 'I have to say here, that these are Wendy’s books as much as they are mine. She has brought the old couple to life'. (Wendy Hodder, Illustrator)

'Cardigan was in response to numerous letters from children to whom I replied that I did not want to write about his cardigan. The idea for the story just happened. Grandpa’s Shorts….Wendy and I decided, after meeting for the first time at the CLFNZ (now Storylines) ceremony in 2000 where we received the Gaelyn Gordon Award for a well-loved book that has never won an award, that Grandpa should have one more airing.

'As for Grandpa’s Shed, that one embarrasses Kevin a little. He feels it a bit true to life, and confesses to being nervous about what my surface next (though he keeps on making suggestions).

These books have been fun to write and I am constantly amazed at their popularity, but I believe children and grandparents have a very special bond which thrives on being able to laugh at each other. Grandpa himself prompted Grandpa’s Cat. He insisted the cat deserved a book of his own. Occasionally I try out another Grandpa idea, but so far with no success. If the right idea comes I’ll go for it, but I’m not pushing it.'

Foster Dog, another "true idea", was in memory of a much-loved pet but is a made up story. It has the same soft family touch as the Grandpa series: and Just in Case was inspired by anecdotes surrounding a rather mischievous grandchild. It is generally humorous, cleverly underwritten and with the pictures filling the details, neither text nor illustrations overshadowing the other. Joy’s 2006 picture book, Zita the Zebra was “just a bit of nonsense derived from having discovered there was indeed an animal or a bird for every letter in the alphabet; while WormsSquirm and Other Poems evolved because the patient people at Scholastic got tired of my sending in poems which might turn into a story.

Joy has written three junior novels, No Porridge, Please is a warmly humorous look at the relationship between a small boy and his grandfather: Highway Rabbit which is quite different, a straight out adventure story with plenty of tension, no humor but also no wasted words and a good yarn for mid-primary, especially boys; and Birthday Flood, an adventure story for mid-primary children telling of a family and a community caught in the devastation of a flood. 'I enjoy junior fiction genre and would like to write more of these. They are fun to write and perhaps not as constricting as picture books, more elbow room'.

Joy is not a disciplined writer ' write when and if the mood strikes, but if there’s a story on the go I practically live it, day and night. Most of it takes place in my head, long before I put pen to paper. So, no office, no special place and no timetable'.
 

Selected bibliography:

• Grandpa's Slippers illustrated by Wendy Hodder (Ashton Scholastic 1989).  
• Grandpa's Cardigan illustrated by Wendy Hodder (Ashton Scholastic 1993).  
• Foster Dog illustrated by Annabel Craighead (Scholastic 1999).
• Highway Robbery illustrated by Dylan Horrocks (Scholastic 2000).  
• Grandpa's Shorts illustrated by Wendy Hodder (Scholastic 2001).
• Grandpa's Shed illustrated by Wendy Hodder (Scholastic 2003).  
• Zita the Zebra illustrated by Pali Pancha (Scholastic 2006).  
• Grandpa's Cat illustrated by Wendy Hodder (Scholastic 2006).

Awards:

• AIM Children’s Book Awards 1990 Picture Book shortlist for Grandpa’s Slippers.
• Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award 2000 for Grandpa's Slippers.
• Storylines Notable Books List 2000 Picture Book list for Foster Dog.
• New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2002 Children’s Choice Winner for Grandpa’s Shorts.
• New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2002 Picture Book shortlist for Grandpa’s Shorts.
• Storylines Notable Books List 2004 Picture Book list for Grandpa's Shed.