Caroline Macdonald
Caroline Macdonald was a notable New Zealand author born on October 1, 1948, in Stratford, Taranaki. She grew up in a family that valued literature, which fostered her passion for reading and writing from an early age. After working as an accountant, she transitioned to a career in writing and editing, eventually becoming an editorial figure at Oxford University Press in New Zealand. Macdonald moved to Australia in 1982, where she found inspiration for her writing as an expatriate. Her debut novel, *Elephant Rock*, published in 1983, received significant acclaim, including the Esther Glen Memorial Medal.
She primarily wrote in the genres of fantasy and science fiction, often utilizing unreliable narrators to enhance her storytelling. Her personal experiences, including the search for her adopted daughter, influenced her work, particularly the novel *Speaking to Miranda*. Throughout her career, Macdonald received multiple awards and honors for her contributions to children's literature, and her works have been translated into various languages. Tragically, she passed away from cancer on July 24, 1997, leaving behind a legacy that includes several unfinished novels and a collection of donated papers to the Lu Rees Archives of Australian Children's Literature.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Caroline Macdonald
Writer
- Born: October 1, 1948
- Birthplace: Stratford, Taranaki, New Zealand
- Died: July 24, 1997
- Place of death: Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Biography
Caroline Macdonald was born on October 1, 1948, at Stratford in the Taranaki region of New Zealand, the daughter of Norman Macdonald, an electrical engineer, and Esther Macdonald, a librarian. Macdonald’s two older sisters and older brother had all left home when she was a toddler. Her mother brought home library books, and Macdonald read between seven and fifteen books each week. She bicycled to the primary school in Stratford and then attended the technical high school in that community. Her family owned a beach house at Oakura, where Macdonald vacationed. She later set her first novel, Elephant Rock, there.
In 1967, Macdonald gave birth to a daughter, whom she placed for adoption. Macdonald moved to Wellington and worked as an accountant before securing an editorial position with Oxford University Press in New Zealand. In 1982, Macdonald relocated to Australia. She noted that being an expatriate stimulated her writing.
Throughout the 1980’s, Macdonald searched for her adult daughter, and they were reunited in 1989. By 1991, Macdonald was living in Adelaide, South Australia, and taught creative writing at the University of South Australia. In March, 1994, Macdonald visited schools at Darwin and other places during a Northern Territory tour. From 1994 to 1995, she served as a board member of the South Australian Writers’ Centre.
Macdonald started writing books for children and young adults in 1982, and her debut novel, Elephant Rock, was published the next year. She primarily wrote fantasy and science fiction and often created unreliable narrators to heighten tension and plot twists. Macdonald’s successful search for her daughter influenced her to write the novel Speaking to Miranda. Macdonald also wrote six plays aimed at teaching non-English speaking children to learn English; these plays were included in an anthology of children’s plays. Some of Mcdonald’s short stories also were included in anthologies.
Reviewers praised Macdonald’s work for its characterizations, settings, and suspense. The New Zealand Library Association presented Elephant Rock its prestigious Esther Glen Memorial Medal in 1984. The next year, Macdonald received the New Zealand Children’s Story Book of the Year Prize for Visitors; that book also was included in the Children’s Literature Foundation of New Zealand’s list of that nation’s one hundred best children’s books of the twentieth century. Her novel, The Lake at the End of the World, won the 1989 Alan Marshall Prize for Children’s Literature. In 1991, Speaking to Miranda received a commendation from the Family Therapy Association. Secret Lives was short-listed for the 1994 Adelaide Festival National Award for Children’s Fiction. In addition, Macdonald received a 1988 Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council grant. Her books were translated into several languages and Braille.
Macdonald developed cancer in the summer of 1996. She received medical care at the Adelaide Door House Hospice, where she died on July 24, 1997. Macdonald had two novels in progress during her illness. Her estate donated some of her papers to the Lu Rees Archives of Australian Children’s Literature at the University of Canberra.