Dame Lynley Dodd to Receive Honorary Doctorate
One of New Zealand’s best known children’s
authors will receive an honorary doctorate from the
University of Waikato.
Tauranga-based,
internationally acclaimed Dame Lynley Dodd has sold more
than nine million books during her career and has written 32
books in total. She’ll receive her honorary doctorate at a
special ceremony at Mills Reef Winery on November 11.
“It’s a great honour to present this award to a
person who through her writing and illustrating has become a
household name,” says University Vice-Chancellor Professor
Roy Crawford. “I suspect any home that has children
living in it or visiting will have one of Dame Lynley’s
books.”
My Cat likes to Hide in Boxes, co-written
with Eve Sutton was Dame Lynley’s first success, the
Nickle Nackle Tree written and illustrated by Dame Lynley
was next, and not too long after came Hairy Maclary. The
scrappy dog from Donaldson’s Dairy was the catalyst for 18
more in the ‘Hairy’ series.
Dame Lynley completes
one book a year, sometimes writing up to 25 drafts of the
text before beginning her water colour illustrations. Her
books, designed to be read out loud and rolled around on the
tongue, are studied at university in language and literacy
papers.
“Her work is a joy to read,” says Prof
Crawford. “You don’t know you’re covering numerous
aspects of language, from sound patterning to nuclear tones
and allophones. They are filled with humour and joy and have
a level of chaos that children can easily relate to. Dame
Lynley Dodd has made a huge contribution to New Zealand
literature and continues to do so.”
Dame Lynley
says the feedback she receives for her work is what keeps
her going. "All of us in the business of writing and
illustrating for children know that feedback from the
'consumers' is vital, so to receive a letter from a child
saying ‘Your books rock...’ is to make all the hard slog
at desk and easel worthwhile.
“And when academic
recognition comes unexpectedly in the form of an honorary
doctorate, one tends to feel that all one's Christmases have
come at once! It’s both humbling and deeply gratifying to
receive such a vote of confidence in one's work," she
says.
Dame Lynley Dodd has won at least 10 literary
awards, was awarded the Distinguished Companion of the New
Zealand Order of Merit in 2002 and this year made the
decision to accept the title of Dame.
Meanwhile,
children at primary schools in the Tauranga region have been
taking part in a competition to create a ‘friend’ for
Hairy Maclary with a Tauranga focus.
Tauranga
libraries are also getting into the spirit, with readings of
Dame Lynley’s books from November 2, displays of her
books, and showcasing pictures and profiles from the
competition at all four libraries in the area – Tauranga,
Mt Maunganui, Greerton and Papamoa.
Competition
winners will receive signed copies of Dame Lynley’s books
from her at a ceremony in the Tauranga Central Library on
November 6, and the three prize winners and their parents
will also be invited to the conferral of Dame Lynley’s
University of Waikato Honorary Doctorate on November 11.
ENDS