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Swapna Haddow

Swapna is the multi award-winning children’s author who loves to write about boisterous animals that cause mayhem and is working with Faber & Faber, Magic Cat, Scholastic, Oxford University Press and Macmillan to make sure mean cats, grizzly bears, big-hearted little rabbits and clever dinosaurs find their place on the bookshelves. Friendship and humour are always at the heart of what she loves to write.

Swapna also writes the Ballet Bunnies series, illustrated by Binny Talib and Reggie Rabbit series, illustrated by Becka Moor, published by Oxford University Press, under the pseudonym ‘Swapna Reddy’.

Swapna was born in London and moved to Aotearoa in 2018 where she now lives in Dunedin with her husband and son, and their dog, Archie.

Swapna Haddow

Selected bibliography:

Little Dinosaurs, Big Feelings (illustrated by Yiting Lee): Magic Cat, 2024
Bad Panda: Mites, Camera Action (cover art by Sheena Dempsey): Faber & Faber 2024
Reggie Rabbit: The Great Carrot Heist (illustrated by Becka Moor): Oxford University Press 2024
Dave Pigeon (Zombies!) (cover art by Sheena Dempsey): Faber & Faber 2024
Dave Pigeon (Bookshop Mayhem!) (illustrated by Sheena Dempsey): Faber & Faber 2023
Dave Pigeon (Kittens!) (illustrated by Sheena Dempsey): Faber & Faber 2023
Peter and Jane: Clean Our Park: Ladybird 2023
Peter and Jane: The Big Wedding: Ladybird 2023
Peter and Jane: The Street Party: Ladybird 2023
My Mum is a Lioness (illustrated by Dapo Adeola): Pan Macmillan 2022
Bad Panda: The Cake Escape (illustrated by Sheena Dempsey): Faber & Faber 2022
Ballet Bunnies: Trixie is Missing (illustrated by Binny Talib): Oxford University Press 2022
Ishi on the Waves (illustrated by Alessandra Santelli): Oxford University Press 2022
My Dad is a Grizzly Bear (illustrated by Dapo Adeola: Pan Macmillan 2021
Bad Panda (illustrated by Sheena Dempsey): Faber & Faber 2021
Ballet Bunnies: The Lost Slipper (illustrated by Binny Talib): Oxford University Press 2021
Torn Apart, The Partition of India 1947: Scholastic 2021
Ballet Bunnies: The Big Audition (illustrated by Binny Talib: Oxford University Press 2021
All About Diwali: Things to Make and Do (illustrated by Aditi Kakade Beaufrand): Scholastic 2021
Super Dogs: HarperCollins 2021
My Gran is a Fibber (illustrated by Parwinder Singh): HarperCollins 2021
Ballet Bunnies: The New Class (illustrated by Binny Talib): Oxford University Press 2020
Ballet Bunnies: Let’s Dance (illustrated by Binny Talib): Oxford University Press 2020
Ballet Bunnies: Millie’s Birthday (illustrated by Binny Talib): Oxford University Press 2020
Cooking for Mum (illustrated by Emma Trithart): Oxford University Press 2020
King Cat, (illustrated by Max Rambaldi): Pearson 2020
Dave Pigeon (Royal Coo!) (illustrated by Sheena Dempsey): Faber & Faber 2019
Little Rabbit’s Big Surprise (illustrated by Alison Friend): Stripes Publishing 2019
Dave Pigeon (Racer!) (illustrated by Sheena Dempsey): Faber & Faber 2018
Dave Pigeon (Nuggets!) (illustrated by Sheena Dempsey): Faber & Faber 2017
Dave Pigeon (illustrated by Sheena Dempsey): Faber & Faber 2016

Awards:

Winner: The Greenhouse Funny Prize 2014 for Dave Pigeon (Faber & Faber)
Winner: North Somerset Teachers’ Book Award Read Aloud Category 2016 for Dave Pigeon (Faber & Faber)
Winner: Surrey Libraries Children’s Book Award 2017 for Dave Pigeon (Faber & Faber)
Winner: Fantastic Book Awards 2018 for Dave Pigeon (Faber & Faber)
Winner: Woke Babies Picture Book of the Year Award 2022 for My Dad is a Grizzly Bear (Macmillan)
Winner: Coventry Inspiration Book Awards Telling Tales Category 2023 for Bad Panda (Faber & Faber)
Shortlisted: Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Awards 2016 for Dave Pigeon (Faber & Faber)
Shortlisted: Leicester Libraries Our Best Book Awards 2017 for Dave Pigeon (Faber & Faber)
Shortlisted: Sheffield Children’s Book Awards 2017 for Dave Pigeon (Faber & Faber)
Shortlisted: SCBWI Crystal Kite Award 2018 for Dave Pigeon (Nuggets!) (Faber & Faber)
Shortlisted: The Alligator’s Mouth Award 2019 for Dave Pigeon (Racer!) (Faber & Faber)
Highly Commended: The Historical Association Young Quills Award 2022 for Torn Apart (Scholastic)
Highly Commended: Storylines Notable Book Awards 2022 for Torn Apart (Scholastic)
Runner up: New Zealand Society of Authors Heritage Book Awards 2022 for Torn Apart (Scholastic)

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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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