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Sherryl Jordan

Sherryl Jordan’s path to publication was long and arduous. She learned her craft by attending seminars and listening to other writers; through criticism and rewriting; and through determination and perseverance. Of the 27 picture books and 12 novels she wrote in her apprenticeship years, only three picture books were published. Her 13th novel, Rocco, which won the AIM Book of the Year in 1991, proved to be a turning point, although she had been in print as an illustrator before then.

Sherryl trained in sign language as part of her work as a teacher’s aide working with deaf children and this was one of the inspirations for her novel The Raging Quiet. Afflicted with occupational overuse syndrome in 1989, she recovered slowly and was able to return to writing. In her books Sherryl explores what she calls the boundless spaces between fact and fantasy, the real truth and the truth we imagine. All her books are expressions of her own spiritual journey through life – of her dreams, her battles, her fears and triumphs.

Sherryl loves writing of Medieval times, of village life influenced deeply by the seasons, by seed-time and harvest, summer and winter. A recurring theme in her books is the everyday struggle of ordinary people, who must fight against intolerance, prejudice and superstition in order to become the extraordinary men and women they were born to be. Most of Sherryl’s days are spent writing, though she also enjoys tai chi, music, arts and crafts, and spending time with family and friends.

sherryl-jordan

Selected bibliography:

Illustrations

  • The Silent One, text by Joy Cowley (Whitcoulls 1981)
  • Mouse (Shortland Publications, 1983)
  • Telltale (Shortland Publications, 1983)
  • Mouse Monster (Shortland Publications, 1985)

Books

  • Matthew’s Monsters, illustrated by Deirdre Gardiner (Ashton Scholastic 1986)
  • No Problem Pomperoy, illustrated by Jan van der Voo (Century Hutchinson 1988)
  • Rocco (Ashton Scholastic 1990, published in the USA as A Time of Darkness)
  • Babysitter Bear, illustrated by Trevor Pye (Random Century 1990; paperback Ashton Scholastic 1991)
  • Rocco (Ashton Scholastic 1990)
  • The Juniper Game (Ashton Scholastic 1991)
  • The Wednesday Wizard [Denzil series, book one] (Ashton Scholastic 1991)
  • Denzil’s Dilemma [Denzil series, book two] (Ashton Scholastic 1992, published in the USA as Wizard for a Day 1996)
  • The Other side of Midnight, illustrated by Bryan Pollard (Ashton Scholastic 1993)
  • Winter of Fire (Scholastic 1993)
  • The Other Side of Midnight (illustrated by Bryan Pollard (Scholastic)
  • Tanith (Ashton Scholastic 1994)
  • Sign of the Lion (Puffin 1995)
  • Secret Sacrament (Puffin 1996)
  • Denzil’s Great Bear Burglary [Denzil series, book three] (Mallinson Rendel 1997)
  • The Raging Quiet (Macmillan 1999)
  • The Hunting of the Last Dragon (HarperCollins 2004)
  • Secret Sacrament [new edition] (Simon & Schuster 2003)
  • The Wednesday Wizard [Denzil series, book one, revised edition] (Scholastic 2007)
  • Denzil’s Dilemma [Denzil series, book two, revised edition] (Scholastic 2007)
  • The Great Bear Burglary [Denzil series, book three, revised edition] (Scholastic 2007)
  • The Silver Dragon [Denzil series, book four] (Scholastic 2007)
  • Time of the Eagle (HarperCollins 2007)
  • Finnigan & the Pirates (Scholastic 2010)
  • The Last Summoner (Scholastic 2011)
  • Ransomwood (Scholastic 2012)
  • The Freedom Merchants (Scholastic 2012)
  • Fishtales Far-Fetched and Foul (Scholastic 2013)
  • The Anger of Angels (Walker Books, 2018)
  • Rafferty Ferret, Ratbag (OneTree House, 2018)
  • Wynter’s Thief (OneTree House, 2018)
  • Winter of Fire (25th Anniversary Edition, Scholastic, 2019)
  • The King’s Nightingale (Scholastic NZ, 2020)

Many of Sherryl’s books have been published overseas, and in translation. This list includes only the New Zealand publisher and publications.

Sherryl has also had  numerous articles published, and children’s stories read on  National Radio (now RNZ National)

Awards:

  • 1980 Whitcoulls’ national illustration competition, for illustraitons for Joy Cowley’s The Silent One
  • AIM Children’s Book Awards 1982 Book of the Year for The Silent One
  • Choysa Bursary Award 1988 for Rocco
  • AIM Children’s Book Awards 1991 Fiction Winner for Rocco
  • Esther Glen Awards 1992 Shortlist for The Juniper Game
  • Esther Glen Awards 1992 Shortlist for The Wednesday Wizard
  • AIM Children’s Book Awards 1992 Fiction Shortlist for The Wednesday Wizard
  • AIM Children’s Book Awards 1992 Fiction Shortlist for The Juniper Game
  • AIM Children’s Book Awards 1993 Junior Fiction Shortlist for Denzil’s Dilemma
  • International Writing Program at University of Iowa 1993
  • AIM Children’s Book Awards 1994 Senior Fiction Shortlist for Winter of Fire
  • AIM Children’s Book Awards 1995 Senior Fiction Shortlist for Tanith
  • Esther Glen Awards 1995 Shortlist for Tanith
  • New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards Shortlist 1997 for Secret Sacrament
  • Winter of Fire selected in Whitcoull’s New Zealand Top 100 Books 1997 (adult and children’s lists)
  • Storylines Notable Book Awards 2000 Senior Fiction List for The Raging Quiet
  • Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal 2001
  • Winter of Fire selected in Whitcoull’s New Zealand Top 100 Books 1997 (children’s list)
  • IBBY Honour Book 2002 Writing for The Raging Quiet
  • Storylines Young Adult Fiction Notable Book Award 2005 for The Hunting of the Last Dragon
  • Esther Glen Awards 2008 Shortlist for Time of the Eagle
  • Storylines Young Adult Fiction Notable Book Award 2008 for Time of the Eagle
  • Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award 2010 for Denzil’s Dilemma
  • Storylines Junior Fiction Notable Book Award 2011 for Finnigan and the Pirates
  • New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2011 Junior Fiction Winner for Finnigan and the Pirates
  • Storylines Notable Book Award 2013 for  Ransomwood
  • Storylines Notable Book Award 2014 for The Freedom Merchants
  • Storylines Notable Book Award 2019 for Rafferty Ferret, Ratbag
  • Storylines Notable Book Award 2019 for The Anger of Angels
  • New Zealand Children’s and Young Adult Book Awards Shortlist 2020 for Wynter’s Thief
  • Storylines Notable Book Award 2020 for Wynter’s Thief
  • New Zealand Children’s and Young Adult Book Awards Shortlist 2021 for The King’s Nightingale
  • Storylines Notable Book Award 2021 for The King’s Nightingale

Sherryl has also won numerous overseas awards adn accoldaes for her books, in the USA and Europe.

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Storylines Trust Te Whare Waituhi Tamariki and Friends of Storylines Te Pou o Te Whare Waituhi Tamariki together form New Zealand’s only national organisation working year-round to promote New Zealand children’s and young adult literature through activities that include a major national Story Tour to schools, early childhood centres and communities, and awards for writers, illustrators and those who work in the area of New Zealand children’s literature

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