Paul Geraghty

Paul Geraghty
Paul Geraghty
Born	(1959-05-03) 3 May 1959 (age 65)
Occupation	Author-Illustrator
Nationality	South African
Education	Natal University
Genre	Picture Books and Children's Fiction
Notable works	Pig, Solo, Dinosaur in Danger
Notable awards	Red House Children's Book Award, Young Africa Award
Website
www.paul-geraghty.com

Paul Geraghty (born 3 May 1959, in Durban, South Africa) is a British based author and illustrator of children's picture books. He also writes teenage fiction and won the Young Africa Award for his first novel Pig.^[1]

Background

His master read Fine Arts and English at Natal University, South Africa and holds a Higher Diploma in Education. After teaching for two years in Cape Town he took a copywriter's job in advertising. There he met John Bush, who would later go on to collaborate with him on three picture books. Since 1986 he has lived in London, UK.^[2]

Geraghty’s picture books typically centre on wildlife/environmental themes, either treated in a highly realistic manner, rich in detail, or irreverently stylised, usually illustrated in watercolour.^[3] Translated into over 20 languages internationally, his work has won various awards, including the Red House Children's Book Award for Solo in 1996.^[4]

In 2008, he translated the ancient Indian ethical treatise of the Tirukkural into Fijian.^[5]

A frequent lecturer and live illustrator on the literary circuit, he is renowned for his inspirational, if eccentric style with audiences of all ages.

He is also a musician, photographer and extensive traveller.

Picture books

(Illustrated in watercolour, unless otherwise stated)

• The Giraffe who Got in a Knot (Written by John Bush) (1987)
• The Cross-with-us Rhinoceros (Written by John Bush) (1988)
• Over the Steamy Swamp (1988)
• The Great Knitting Needle Hunt (1989)
• The Bungle in the Jungle (Written by John Bush) (1989)
• What on Earth was That? (1990)
• Look out, Patrick! (1990)
• Slobcat (1991)
• Monty’s Journey (1992)
• The Great Green Forest (1992)
• The Hunter (1994)
• Solo (1995)
• The Wonderful Journey (Oil on canvas) (1999)
• Tortuga (2000)
• The Hoppameleon (2001)
• Dinosaur in Danger (2004)
• Rotten & Rascal (The Two Terrible Pterosaur Twins) (Mixed media illustrations) (2006)
• Help Me! (2010)

Novels

• Pig (1988)
• Tina Come Home (1991)

References

External links

• Paul Geraghty website
• Video: Paul Geraghty discusses changes and inspirations
• Illustration from Dinosaur in Danger
• Illustration from The Hunter
• A Paul Geraghty Oil Painting commissioned by the military
• South African Children's Literature:Lifting The Stones of Apartheid by Beverly Naidoo, 2006^{[permanent dead link]}