Keith Olsen
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Olsen, Keith (1952 –) is an illustrator and writer with an interest in the outdoors.
Olsen was born in Hawera and raised in New Plymouth. As a long time outdoors enthusiast Olsen has worked as a teacher, outdoor instructor, illustrator and traveller. He has also worked as a potter.
Olsen has written a number of books including When the Sun Goes Down (1994) and Pick Up A Pack (2003). He has illustrated a host of books for his wife Diana Noonan including The Deer (1994), Room 4 at Cattle Creek (1995), A Writer’s Work (1995) and A Touch of Jungle Fever (1995). With Noonan he co-wrote and illlustrated The Know, Sow & Grow Kids’ Book of Plants (1997) which won the Non-fiction category of the 1998 New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards.
Olsen has also illustrated books for Colin Anderson, How To Catch Fish (1999) and Christine Ward, Learning to Learn: Strategies for Accelerating Learning and Boosting Performance (1993).
Pick Up a Pack: A Guide to Tramping and Camping The New Zealand Way (2003) was a finalist in the non-fiction category at the 2004 New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. In the same year, the work was included in the Storylines Notable Non-Fiction Book list.
In 2007, Olsen was convenor and judge of the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.
Keith Olsen lives in the Catlins and participates in the Book Council's Writers in Schools programme.
WRITERS IN SCHOOLS INFORMATION
Keith Olsen is able to speak to students 7 years and over as part of the Book Council's Writers in Schools programme. He is happy to speak about being an educational writer, a picture book illustrator, and a writer/illustrator. He can give an Introduction and Talk, Reading and Q&A session, and a Gifted and Talented talk and workshop. He would prefer to speak to 10-20 students per session, with a maximum of 40. Olsen is able to participate in tours outside of his region.
