Bell, Krista 1950- (Krista Anne Blakeney Bell)

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Bell, Krista 1950- (Krista Anne Blakeney Bell)

PERSONAL:

Born January 27, 1950, in Sydney, Australia; daughter of John Spencer (an engineer) and Lurline Joyce Blakeney; married Douglas Bell (a transport planner), July 16, 1983; children: Ben, Damien, Henry. Ethnicity: "Anglo-Saxon (fifth generation)." Education: Attended Monash University. Hobbies and other interests: Watercolor and pastel painting, recycled book and clothing shops, animals and birds, overseas travel.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Kooyong, Victoria, Australia. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Freelance writer, 1985—. Australian Broadcasting Commission, book reviewer for ABC-Radio, 1984-96; Radio for the Print Handicapped, Melbourne, Australia, producer and presenter of The Children's Hour, 1990-95; presenter of workshops and talks at libraries and schools; coordinator of Virtuoso Literary Weekends, 1997-99; Australian Children's Literary Board, coordinator of Virtuoso Weekend Writing Workshops, 2007.

MEMBER:

Children's Book Council of Australia, Dromkeen Society, Australian Society of Authors, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

AWARDS, HONORS:

"Notable book" citation, Children's Book Council of Australia, 1997, for Where Do You Get Your Ideas? Interviews with Australian Authors of Children's Books; Australian Family Therapists' Award, children's literature category, 2004, for Who Cares?

WRITINGS:

Where Do You Get Your Ideas? Interviews with Australian Authors of Children's Books, Reed Library, Cardigan Street (Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), 1996.

That's the Trick: Commonly Confused Homophones, illustrated by Sarah Dunk, Lothian Books (Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), 2006.

Writer for the radio series The Children's Hour, Radio for the Print Handicapped, 1990-95. Contributor to books, including Saddle Up Again—More Australian Horse Stories, compiled by Mary Small, Blue Gum Press, 1995; Thrillogy: Cliff Hangers, Longman, 2001. Contributor to magazines, including Classroom, Author, Magpies, Literature Base, Australian Book Review, Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia), Pets and Vets Australia, and Writing Australia.

JUNIOR NOVELS

Read My Mind!, Lothian Books (Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), 2000.

Get a Life!, Lothian Books (Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), 2001.

No Regrets, Lothian Books (Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), 2002.

Who Cares?, illustrated by son, Damien Bell, Lothian Books (Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), 2003.

No Strings, illustrated by Damien Bell, Lothian Books (Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), 2004.

Who Dares?, illustrated by Damien Bell, Lothian Books (Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), 2005.

No Tears, illustrated by Damien Bell, Lothian Books (Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), 2006.

CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOKS

Jezza, illustrated by Kym Lardner, Macmillan (South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), 1991.

Pidge, illustrated by Ann James, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, New South Wales, Australia), 1997.

That's Our Henry, illustrated by Mike Johnson, Era Publications (Flinders Park, South Australia), 1997.

The Kindest Family, Thomson Nelson (Scarborough, Ontario, Canada), 2001.

Rory's Big Chance, Thomson Nelson (Scarborough, Ontario, Canada), 2001.

CHILDREN'S CHAPTER BOOKS

Sniffy the Sniffer Dog, illustrated by Craig Smith, Lothian Books (Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), 2003.

If the Shoe Fits, illustrated by Craig Smith, Lothian Books (Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), 2006, Charlesbridge (Watertown, MA), 2008.

Flying Feet, illustrated by Beth Norling, Puffin (Camberwell, Victoria, Australia), 2006.

Lofty's Mission, illustrated by David Miller, Lothian Books (Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), 2008.

"TOP SHOTS" CHAPTER BOOKS FOR CHILDREN

The Slammers, illustrated by Kevin Burgemeestre, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, New South Wales, Australia), 1995.

Star Rookie, illustrated by Kevin Burgemeestre, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, New South Wales, Australia), 1995.

Camp Phantom, illustrated by Kevin Burgemeestre, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, New South Wales, Australia), 1996.

Nothing but Net, illustrated by Kevin Burgemeestre, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, New South Wales, Australia), 1996.

SIDELIGHTS:

Krista Bell once commented: "I was a bookseller, and then a publicist before reviewing books on radio for about fifteen years, as well as being a critic for literary magazines and newspapers. When I finally started to write fiction for children, I was terrified that no one would take my writing seriously—but luckily they did.

"Since 2000 I've been writing fiction full time, and it's been like ‘coming home.’ My one career regret is that I didn't become an author before I was forty—so many books to write, and so little time! If I had attended Bennington College, Vermont, in 1970, as I originally intended, while my parents were living in New York, perhaps my career would have taken off far earlier. But I returned to Australia instead!

"My advice to would-be writers is to do it now—there's no ‘right time to write,’ just as there's no ‘right way to write.’ Write now, do it your way and find your own unique voice.

"When I give writing workshops, I tell children that I write not fiction, but ‘fibtion.’ To create my stories, I take my own experiences and stories that I've been told, or overheard, and then I use a portion of truth, mixed with a large dollop of imaginative fibs. That's fibtion!"

Bell later told CA: "One of the highlights of my career so far has been the opportunity to work with my middle son Damien, who rendered the chapter heading illustra- tions for the novel Who Cares? when he was only seventeen. Damien has worked with me on three novels since then: No Strings, Who Dares?, and No Tears. His illustrations add that something extra that invites a young reader into a book, and I look forward to working with him on future projects.

"My novel Who Cares? won the prestigious Australian Family Therapists' Award for children's literature in 2004, and being presented with that award was a truly defining moment for me as a writer. In my acceptance speech I said that the award affirmed my decision to be true to my own ‘voice,’ having consciously avoided the popular humor and fantasy genres, which so many of my colleagues employ with great success. But slapstick comedy is not me! Neither is fantasy. I like to write ‘fibtional’ stories about real children living real lives in Australia in the twenty-first century, albeit some of them having quite humorous content. The award publicly acknowledged the success of my being true to my own voice, and the best advice I can give to any aspiring writer is to find your own voice and stick to it. Apart from patience and perseverance, your voice is the most powerful tool you have as a writer. In fact, it is the very essence of being a writer."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Magpies, September, 1995, Russ Merrin, review of The Slammers and Star Rookie, p. 24; September, 1996, Joan Zahnleiter, review of Where Do You Get Your Ideas? Interviews with Australian Authors of Children's Books, p. 43; November, 2000, Debbie Mulligan, review of Read My Mind!, p. 37.

Reading Time, Volume 44, number 4, 2000, review of Read My Mind!, p. 24.