Catherine Bateson

Background

Catherine Bateson was born in 1960, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. She spent her childhood in a used

bookstore, which sparked her career as a poet and author of young-adult fiction.

Education

Catherine Bateson earned a Bachelor of Arts with a major in art history at the University of Queensland.

Career

Catherine Bateson works as a writer. A published poet, Bateson made the transition to fiction by creating "A Dangerous Girl" and its sequel, "The Year It All Happened" verse novels that reflect the concerns and speech of modern Australian teens.

Her first published book was "Painted Love Letters". In this book Bateson tells the story of Chrissie, a teen who must deal with the death of her mother to lung cancer and the tragedy's effect on other family members, while Rain May and Captain Daniel finds an inner-city mother and daughter adapting to platypus, fruit bats, and other quirks of life in rural Australia.

In addition to writing novels and poetry, Bateson worked as a creative writing teacher for over a decade. In her spare time, she hosts writing workshops for students and appears at poetry and writing festivals. Bateson works at GippsTafe, Victoria at the time, where she teaches creative writing.

Achievements

• Catherine Bateson became a recognizable author in Australia. Her works were translated into different languages and warmly received by critics.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Boyfriend Rules of Good Behavior

    (While trying to cope with a new town, new school, and new...)

    2006
  • Stranded in Boringsville

    (Following her parents separation, twelve-year-old Rain mo...)

    2007
  • Rain May and Captain Daniel

    (Rain May and her mum escape their old inner-city life for...)

    2015
  • Millie and the Night Heron

    ("The daughter of an artist and a scientist, and your own ...)

    2014
  • A Dangerous Girl

    (Merri, John, Leigh and Nick are positioned like the four ...)

    2000
  • The Year It All Happened

    (I throw the dice - four or over I stay, one to three I pa...)

  • Being Bee

    (Bee can't understand what her father sees in Jazzi. Ever ...)

    2008
  • Magenta McPhee

    (Life is treating Magenta McPhee pretty well. She's writin...)

    2010
  • The Wish Pony 2010
  • The Vigilant Heart 1998

Interests

• Knitting

Connections

Catherine Bateson is married and has two children.

Son:

Alasdair

Alasdair was born in 1991.

Daughter:

Helen

Helen was born in 1992.

References

• Contemporary Authors vol. 233