October 5

Margaret is one of New Zealand's most famous, and popular authors. She has delighted children and adults of all ages since the publication of her first book, the iconic 'The Lion in the Meadow'.

In 1993 Margaret was made a member of the Order of New Zealand, New Zealand's highest honour. Her entry on the Honours' website states: "She is regarded as one of the foremost authors of children's literature and is said to be one of the best living authors in the English language."

In 2006 Margaret received the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the world's premier prize for children's writing. Often called the Little Nobel, the award is given biennially by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) to honour an author who has made a lasting contribution to international children's literature. Previous winners have included English novelist Aidan Chambers (2005), the Irish writer-illustrator Martin Waddell (2004) and a galaxy of writers stretching back to 1956.