Sarah N. Anderson
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anderson, Sarah Nelisiwe (1983 - ) was born in London, and moved to New Zealand as a child. She attended schools in Whitianga and Hamilton before studying at Massey University of Design in Wellington. In addition to working as an illustrator, Anderson's past jobs have included designing her own clothing range, and teaching English for 5 months at a school for the blind in Poland.
She illustrated The Were-Nana (2008) and Tiny Miss Dott and her Dotty Umbrella (2009). The Were-Nana: Not a Bedtime Story, written by Melinda Szymanik, won the Children's Choice Award at the 2009 New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. The work was also listed as a 2009 Storylines Notable Picture Book and was a finalist in the New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards 2009 in the Picture Book category. Anderson says Szymanik's imaginative writing and the scariness of the unknown inspired her illustrations in The Were-Nana. The Were-Nana was highly recommended by reviewer Margaret Kedian in the November 2008 issue of Magpies, and it was also reviewed favourably by John McIntyre on Radio New Zealand.
Tiny Miss Dott and Her Dotty Umbrella, written by Michelle Osment and illustrated by Sarah N. Anderson, was a 2010 Storylines Notable Book, and it was also a finalist for the LIANZA Russell Clark Award 2010.
Anderson says that what she enjoys most about illustrating is the 'feeling of creating something that didn’t exist before – bringing imaginary characters and places to life'.
She has also illustrated Hester's Blister, written by Chris Gurney (Scholastic 2010), A Crack in the Sky, written by Kyle Mewburn (Scholastic 2010), and Little Red and the Cunning Kuri, written by Chris Gurney as part of the Kiwi Corkers series (Scholastic 2010).
Sarah Nelisiwe Anderson lives in Thames.
MEDIA LINKS AND CLIPS
- Book review of The Were-Nana on Radio New Zealand
- Sarah N Anderson’s website
