Dianne (Di) Bates
Dianne (Di) Bates is a much loved children’s author with over 100 books to her name.
With a background in teaching, Di made the transition to author extraordinaire with relative ease. She has been rewarded with State and National awards for some of her books and even cracked the international market.
In 2008, Di was awarded The Lady Cutler Prize for distinguished services to children’s Literature. She lives in Cordeaux Heights (a suburb of Wollongong in NSW) with her husband and fellow author, Bill Condon.
I have had the privilege of knowing Di for the last 7 years. Oh what an experience that has been! Her greatest asset is her passion; it never fades no matter what the situation. She has an uncanny sense of what children want to read about and never fails to hit the nail on the head. Her books are humorous and appeal to the young and young at heart.
But Di has also braved the more serious subjects of, domestic violence, suicide, self mutilation, abandonment and losing a family member.
She has been an inspiration to me and through her I have met lots of wonderful children’s authors. It was due to Di’s encouragement that I started the CBCA Sutherland Shire branch in 2009.
I hope you enjoy this month’s feature author, Di Bates.
Check out Di’s website www.enterprisingwords.com.au and read about the courses she offers.
Here is Di's interview. I'm sure you'll enjoy it!