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Pollard, Dr Simon
Writer's File

Dr Simon Pollard

Canterbury - Waitaha
Pollard, Dr Simon
In brief
Dr. Simon D Pollard is the author of numerous books and articles, with a particularly focus on natural history topics. He has won a number of significant awards, including the LIANZA Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction Book of the Year in 2002; the Mockingbird Book Award for Non-Fiction Book of the Year (Texas, USA) in 2006; and the New Zealand Association of Scientists Science Communicator of the Year Award in 2007. His book Dear Alison (2009, Penguin Group) is a Non-Fiction finalist in the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2010.
  • Primary publisher
    Penguin Group (NZ)
  • Rights enquiries
    Vicki Marsdon, Penguin Group (NZ) vicki.marsdon[AT]nz.penguingroup.com
  • Publicity enquiries
    As above
Bio

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pollard, Dr. Simon D (1956 - ) is the author of numerous books, with a particularly focus on natural history topics. He was born in Christchurch and his tertiary qualifications include a BSc, MSc, and a PhD along with Post Doctoral fellowships from University of Virginia (USA), University of Alberta (Canada) and Cambridge University (UK).

He is Curator of Invertebrate Zoology, Canterbury Museum and adjunct Professor of Science Communication, College of Science, University of Canterbury. He held senior adjunct positions in the School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, as well as being a research consultant for Genencor, Inc. (USA) for research on spider feeding mechanics and enzyme function.

He has had over 100 natural history articles published for a wide range of audiences. He is the author of I am an Insect (2003, Reed Publishing) and I am a Spider (2001, Reed Publishing). He was a finalist in the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards for I am a Spider in 2002, and won the LIANZA Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction Book of the Year for the same book. He was a finalist in the LIANZA Children’s Book Awards for I am an Insect in 2004, and the book was a finalist in the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2004.

He has published Biggest, littlest spiders (2004, Boyd Mills Publishing), with Sandra Markle. This book won the Mockingbird Book Award for Non-Fiction Book of the Year (Texas, USA) in 2006. He is also the author of Hidden spiders (2004, Reed Publishing); Hidden insects (2004, Reed Publishing); Insects that use colour (2004, Reed Publishing); Hairy caterpillars (2004, Reed Publishing); Funny insects (2004, Reed Publishing); and Biggest, littlest insects, with Sandra Markle (2009, Boyd Mills Publishing).

In 2007, he won the New Zealand Association of Scientists Science Communicator of the Year Award.

Simon Pollard edited Dear Alison (2009, Penguin), a diary that his great uncle Dudley wrote for his niece, Alison, while Dudley was a prisoner of war in Germany during the Second World War. Dear Alison is a finalist in the Non-Fiction category of the 2010 New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards.

It is also a 2010 Storylines Notable Non-Fiction Book, awarded for authoritative, well-designed information books accessible to children and young adults.

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