Dianne Bates


Dianne "Di" Bates is an Australian writer and teacher.

Early years

Bates was born 20 March 1948 in Sydney, daughter of Richard Amos and Moira Power, and spent her early years in Appin, New South Wales. She attended Campbelltown Performing Arts High School.

Career

Bates completed teaching training in Wollongong, since gaining a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Wollongong.
While teaching, Bates began her writing career with her first book, Terri, published by Penguin Books in 1980. Since then, she has published over 140 books, mostly for young readers. Some of these books have won state and national awards; others have been translated into French, Danish and German. Her junior verse novel, Nobody's Boy and junior novel, The Shape, have won CBCA Notable Awards.
Bates has received Grants and Fellowships from the Literature Board of the Australia Council for the Arts and has toured for the National Book Council.
Bates has undertaken commissioned writing for a large number of organisations and has worked on the editorial team of the New South Wales Department of Education School Magazine. She was co-editor of a national children's magazine, and editor of another national magazine, Little Ears.
Bates has founded several sub-branches of the Children's Book Council of Australia of NSW. She has presented community radio and television programs about children's literature and reviewed books in numerous magazines. She has also worked as a regional newspaper editor.
In 2008, Bates was awarded The Lady Cutler Award for distinguished services to children's Literature.
Bates is married to prize-winning YA author, Bill Condon, whose awards include the in the inaugural category of young adult fiction and . She lives in Wollongong, NSW where she works as a freelance writer and manuscript assessor and writes a popular blog Writing for Children.

Awards and Commendations

  • 1987 Writer's Fellowship from the Literature Board of the Australia Council
  • 1988 Writer's Fellowships from the Literature Board of the Australia Council
  • 1988 West Australian Young Readers' Book Award
  • 1993 Special Award, Australian Multicultural Children's Literature Award
  • 1995 Varuna Writers' Centre Fellowship
  • 1999 Kids' Own Australian Literature Award
  • 2000 Varuna Writers' Centre Fellowship
  • 2001 Children's Book Council of Australia Notable Book
  • 2002 Kids Own Australian Literature Award Hall of Fame
  • 2008 Lady Cutler Award for distinguished services to children's literature
  • 2013 Children's Book Council of Australia Notable Book

    Published books

  • A Fine Line: A Collection of Poetry ISBN 9789388319614
  • The Year I Was Born 1983
  • The Year I Was Born 1984
  • A Gaggle of Giggles
  • A Game of Keeps
  • Awesome Cats
  • Awesome Dogs
  • Awesome Horses
  • A Night at Benny's
  • A Tree House
  • Aussie Kid Heroes
  • Badu Boys Rule!
  • Belly Busters
  • Belligrumble Bigfoot about 1983
  • Between You and Me
  • Big Bad Bruce illus Phoebe Middleton
  • Big Bad Bruce illus Cheryll Johns
  • Basil Bopp the Burper
  • Basil Bopp the Burper.
  • Big Boss
  • Billy Fishbone, King of the Kids
  • Billy Fishbone, King of the Kids
  • Blowflies and Glow-Worms
  • Boys Only
  • Brad the Wonder Baby
  • Bushranger Bob & the Nude Olympics
  • Bushranger Bob & the Nude Olympics
  • Bushrangers Teacher Source Book
  • Candy in the Kitchen
  • Carl's Café
  • Cassandra's Clever Dad by Dianne Bates & Bill Condon ISBN 978420219005
  • Champion Children
  • Christmas Around the World
  • Christmas Carols, Songs and Poems
  • Christmas in Australia
  • Christmas Make and Do
  • Christmas Stories
  • Cinderfella
  • Crossing the Line
  • Crash Landing
  • Daisy's Bedtime
  • Dame Nellie Nickabocka, shooting Star
  • Dame Nellie Nickabocka, shooting Star
  • Daring Dora and the All-Girl Gang
  • Daring Dora and the All-Girl Gang
  • Dateless & Desperate
  • Desert Dan the Dunnyman
  • Desert Dan the Dunnyman
  • Erky Perky Silly Stuff
  • Fangs
  • Famous & Fabulous Kids
  • Freaky Fact or Fiction
  • Getting Even
  • Giggle and Grin
  • Grandma Cadbury's Bikie Gang
  • Grandma Cadbury's Safari Tours  
  • Grandma Cadbury's Trucking Tales
  • Grandma Cadbury's Water World
  • Hairy Hannah and the Grandad Gang
  • Hairy Hannah and the Grandad Gang
  • Here Comes Trouble!
  • How Christmas Began
  • How the Sun was Made: A Traditional Aboriginal Story
  • How to Self-Edit .
  • How to Self-Edit
  • I'm An Australian: A Class Journal
  • In Big Trouble
  • Inventions
  • Jacob Fang & His Feral Family
  • Jacob Fang & His Feral Family
  • Junk
  • Justin's Wells, illustrated by Tony Flowers
  • Kings of the Creek
  • Looking for Imani ISBN 9781922800985
  • Mad, Bad Jason
  • Madcap Cafe & other humorous plays
  • Making Friends on Beacon Street
  • Money Smart Kids
  • My Family
  • My Other Mother
  • My Wacky Gran / also
  • Ned the Nong & the Kelly Kids
  • Ned the Nong & the Kelly Kids
  • Nick Knickers & The Great Santa Round-up
  • Nick Knickers & The Great Santa Round-up
  • Nobody's Boy
  • Operation Lily-Liver
  • Our Home is Dirt by Sea
  • Out of the Blue
  • Piggy Moss
  • Promise Not to Laugh
  • Resourceful Kids
  • Revise, Edit & Re-Write
  • Rotten Rellies
  • Schools at War!
  • Scrum O’Crum & the Bushranger Babes
  • Scrum O’Crum & the Bushranger Babes
  • Skin and Bones
  • Stagestruck!
  • Supermouth
  • Terri
  • The Adventures of Jellybean, with Bill Condon
  • The Belligrumble Bigfoot
  • The Best Teacher Ever ISBN 9781923350083
  • The Bogeyman in the Garden
  • The Boy Who Loved Chocolate
  • The Butti Butti Bunyip, illustrated by Greg Holfield
  • The Case of the Kidnapped Brat with Bill Condon
  • The Curse of King Nevertrustme
  • The Funnies: Cartoons and Comics
  • The Girl in the Basement
  • The Hold-Up Heroes
  • The Last Refuge
  • The Little Red Hen, infants' play
  • The Magician
  • The Musicians of Bremen, infants' play
  • The Pobblebonk Frog
  • The Trouble with Parents
  • The New Writer's Survival Guide
  • The Shape
  • The Worst Cook in the World
  • The Slacky Flat Gang
  • Thirteen Going on Forty
  • To the Moon and Back
  • Top Tasty Treats
  • Treasure Seekers
  • Troublemaker +
  • The Trouble with Parents +
  • The Worst Cook in the World
  • Thirteen Going on Forty
  • Top Tasty Treats
  • Treasure Seekers
  • Troublemaker
  • Urgent Delivery
  • Villains
  • When Melissa-Ann Came to Dinner
  • Whales
  • Wild and Wacky Adventurers with Bill Condon
  • We Care for Our School
  • Who Pushed Humpty?
  • Wordgames
  • Wordgames
  • Writing Essentials: A Teacher's Guide to Grammar, Punctuation & Word Usage
  • Your Teeth
  • Zoo Animals