Dianne "Di" Bates (born 20 March 1948) is an Australian writer and teacher .
Bates was born in Sydney and spent her early years in Appin, New South Wales, attending Campbelltown High School. Later she undertook teaching training in Wollongong where she received a Diploma of Teaching, since gaining a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Wollongong.
While teaching, Bates began her writing career with her first book, Terri, published by Penguin Books in 1980. Since then, she has published over 120 books, mostly for young readers. Some of these books have won state and national awards; others have been translated into French, Danish and German. Her junior verse novel, Nobody's Boy and junior novel, The Shape, have won CBCA Notable Awards.
Bates has received Grants and Fellowships from the Literature Board of the Australia Council for the Arts and has toured for the National Book Council.
Bates has undertaken commissioned writing for a large number of organisations and has worked on the editorial team of the New South Wales Department of Education School Magazine. She was co-editor of a national children's magazine, Puffinalia (Penguin Books) and editor of another national magazine, Little Ears.
Bates has founded several sub-branches of the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) of NSW. She has presented community radio and television programs about children's literature and reviewed books in numerous magazines. She has also worked as a regional newspaper editor.
In 2008, Bates was awarded The Lady Cutler Prize for distinguished services to children's Literature.
Bates is married to prize-winning YA author, Bill Condon, whose awards include the inaugural Prime Minister's Literary Award for Youth Writing and three CBCA Honor Books of the Year. She lives in Wollongong, NSW where she works as a freelance writer and manuscript assessor and writes a popular blog, Writing for Children.
Awards and Commendations
1987 Writer's Fellowship from the Literature Board of the Australia Council1988 Writer's Fellowships from the Literature Board of the Australia Council1988 West Australian Young Readers' Book Award (Grandma Cadbury's Trucking Tales)1993 Special Award, Australian Multicultural Children's Literature Award (I'm An Australian: A Classroom Journal)1995 Varuna Writers’ Centre Fellowship1999 Kids' Own Australian Literature Award (Desert Dan the Dunnyman)2000 Varuna Writers’ Centre Fellowship2001 Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Book (The Shape)2002 Kids Own Australian Literature Award Hall of Fame (Big Bad Bruce)2008 Lady Cutler award for distinguished services to children’s literature2013 Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Book (Nobody’s Boy)The Year I Was Born 1983 (Moondrake, 1993) ISBN 1-86391-208-8The Year I Was Born 1984 (Moondrake, 1993) ISBN 1-86391-209-6A Night at Benny’s (Harcourt Brace, 1989) ISBN 0-7295-0906-0A Tree House (CUP, 2008) ISBN 978-0-521-71026-8Aussie Kid Heroes (Interactive Publications, 2009) ISBN 1-921088-44-3Badu Boys Rule! (Insight Publications, 2006) ISBN 1-921088-44-3Belly Busters (Random House, 1994) ISBN 0 09 182945 3Between You and Me (Pearson Education, 2003) ISBN 0-12-360229-7Big Bad Bruce (illus Phoebe Middleton, A & R, 1994) ISBN 0-207-18831-9, also ISBN 0-207-17696-5 + (illus Cheryll Johns Koala Books, 2007) ISBN 0-86461-771-2Basil Bopp the Burper (Hodder Headline, 1996) ISBN 978-0733603693 + (Five Senses Education, 2010) ISBN 978-1-74130-456-5Billy Fishbone, King of the Kids (Hodder Headline, 1997) ISBN 978-0733605079 + (Five Senses Education, 2010) ISBN 978-1-74130-460-2Blowflies and Glow-Worms (CUP, 2008) ISBN 978-0-521-71067-1Boys Only (No Girls) Otford Press, 2002) ISBN 1-876928-93-XBrad the Wonder Baby (Blake Education, 2000) ISBN 1-86509-331-9Bushranger Bob & the Nude Olympics (with Bill Condon) (Hodder Headline, 1999) ISBN 0-7336-1038-2 + (Five Senses Education, 2010) ISBN 978-1-74130-465-7Bushrangers Teacher Source Book (Five Senses Education) ISBN 978-1-74130-467-1Candy in the Kitchen (Collins,1989) ISBN 0-7322-7320-XCarl’s Café (Thomas Nelson, 2002) ISBN 0-7339-3338-6/ISBN 0-7608-5799-7Champion Children (Heinemann Library, 1998) ISBN 1-86391-694-6Christmas Around the World (Macmillan) ISBN 0-7329-0215-0Christmas Carols, Songs and Poems (Macmillan) ISBN 0-7329-0212-6Christmas in Australia (Macmillan) ISBN 0-7329-0216-9Christmas Make and Do (Macmillan) ISBN 0-7329-0217-7Christmas Stories (Macmillan) ISBN 0-7329-0213-4Cinderfella (Penguin, 2001) ISBN 0-14-131265-3Crossing the Line (Ford Street Publishing, 2008) ISBN 978-1-876462-70-3Crash Landing (Thomas Nelson, 2002) ISBN 0-17-010514-8Dame Nellie Nickabocka, shooting Star (Hodder Headline, 1996) ISBN 978-0-7336-0372-3 + (Five Senses Education, 2010) ISBN 978-1-74130-459-6Daring Dora and the All-Girl Gang (Hodder Headline, 1996) ISBN 978-0-7336-0335-8 + (Five Senses Education) ISBN 978-1-74130-463-3Dateless & Desperate (Pearson Education, 2002) ISBN 0-7339-3472-2Desert Dan the Dunnyman (Hodder Headline, 1997) ISBN 0-7336-0509-5 + (Five Senses Education, 2010) ISBN 978-1-74130-461-9Erky Perky Silly Stuff (Five Senses Education, 2013) ISBN 978-1-74130-780-1Fangs (Thomas Nelson, 2002) ISBN 0-17-010513-XFamous & Fabulous Kids (Jacaranda Wiley, 1995) ISBN 0-7312-1652-0Freaky Fact or Fiction (Hinkler Books 2011) 9781741852530Getting Even (Rigby Heinemann, 1996) ISBN 0-7312-1979-1Giggle and Grin (Five Senses Education, 2012) ISBN 978-1-74130-598-2Grandma Cadbury’s Bikie Gang (A&R, 1993) ISBN 0-207-17918-2Grandma Cadbury’s Safari Tours (A&R, 1989) ISBN 978-0-207-16344-9Grandma Cadbury’s Trucking Tales (A&R, 1987) ISBN 0-207-15877-0 (WINNER 1988 WEST AUSTRALIAN YOUNG READERS’ BOOK AWARD)Grandma Cadbury’s Water World (Hodder Headline, 1997) ISBN 0-7336-0472-2Hairy Hannah and the Grandad Gang (Hodder Headline, 1997) ISBN 978-0-7336-0508-6 + (Five Senses Education, 2010) ISBN 978-1-74130-458-9How Christmas Began (Macmillan,1990) ISBN 0-7329-0214-2How to Self-Edit (To Improve Your Writing) (Emerald Publishers, India, 2005) ISBN 81-7966-159-8 + (Five Senses Education, 2009) ISBN 978-1-74130-683-5I’m An Australian: A Class Journal (Jacaranda Wiley, 1992) ISBN 0-7016-3028-0In Big Trouble (Rigby, 1996) ISBN 0-7312-2164-8Inventions (Heinemann Library,1998) ISBN 1-86391-693-8Jacob Fang & His Feral Family (Hodder Headline, 1996) ISBN 978-0-7336-0371-6 + (Five Senses Education, 2010) ISBN 978-1-74130-462-6Junk (CUP, 2008) ISBN 978-0-521-71025-1Justin’s Wells, illustrated by Tony Flowers (Rigby, 2007) ISBN 978-0-7312-7486-4Kings of the Creek (Rigby, 2001) ISBN 0-7312-2743-3Madcap Cafe & other humorous plays (with Bill Condon; Brooks Waterloo, 1986) ISBN 978-0-86440-015-4Making Friends on Beacon Street (Mimosa, 1992) ISBN 0-7327-7104-8Money Smart Kids (Ibis, 2005) ISBN 1-920923-90-XMy Family (CUP, 2008) ISBN 978-0-521-71017-6My Other Mother (Rigby Heinemann, 1996) ISBN 0-7312-2155-9My Wacky Gran (Angus & Robertson, 1994) ISBN 0-207-18537-9 also ISBN 0-207-19167-0 (1997)Ned the Nong & the Kelly Kids (with Bill Condon) (Hodder Headline, 1999) ISBN 0-7336-1040-4 + (Five Senses Education, 2010) ISBN 978-1-74130-464-0Nick Knickers & The Great Santa Round-up (with Bill Condon) (Hodder Headline, 1999) ISBN 0-7336-1039-0 + (Five Senses Education, 2010)Nobody’s Boy (Celapene Press, 2012) ISBN 978-0-9872556-0-0Operation Lily-Liver (with Bill Condon, 1987) ISBN 0-333-41219-2Out of the Blue (Pearson Education, 2005)Piggy Moss (Puffin, 1982) ISBN 0-14-031536-5Promise Not to Laugh (Angus & Robertson, 1996) ISBN 0-207-19142-5 (with Chris McTrustry)Resourceful Kids (Rigby, 1997) ISBN 0-7312-2215-6Revise, Edit & Re-Write (Ashton Scholastic, 1994) ISBN 1-86388-173-5Rotten Rellies (Nelson, 1997) ISBN 978-0-17-009301-9Schools at War! (Random House, 1997) ISBN 978-0-09-183292-6Scrum O’Crum & the Bushranger Babes (Hodder Headline, 1997) ISBN 0-7336-0510-9 + (Five Senses Education, 2010) ISBN 978-1-74130-457-2Skin and Bones (CUP, 2008) ISBN 978-0-521-71070-1Stagestruck! plays (with Bill Condon; HBJ, 1992) ISBN 0-7295-0865-XSupermouth (Rigby, 1995) ISBN 0-7312-1947-3Terri (Puffin, 1981) ISBN 0-14-031376-1The Belligrumble Bigfoot (Roo Books, 1984) ISBN 0-949924-47-4The Bogeyman in the Garden (Longman, 1995) ISBN 978-0-582-80484-5The Boy Who Loved Chocolate (Omnibus, 1990) ISBN 0-14-034570-1The Case of the Kidnapped Brat (with Bill Condon, Reed Mystery Mammoth, 1995) ISBN 0-582-91068-4 / ISBN 1-86330-475-4The Curse of King Nevertrustme (Angus & Robertson, 1995) ISBN 0-207-18786-XThe Funnies: Cartoons and Comics (Jacaranda Press, 1993) ISBN 0-7016-2816-2The Girl in the Basement (Morris Publishing Australia, 2013) ISBN 978-0-9875434-1-7The Hold-Up Heroes (National Museum of Australia, 2005) ISBN 978-1-876944-38-4The Last Refuge (Hodder Headline, 1996) ISBN 0-7336-0318-1The Little Red Hen, infants’ play (Macmillan, 1987) ISBN 978-0-333-41079-0The Magician (Rigby,1988) ISBN 0-7312-0274-0The Musicians of Bremen, infants’ play (Macmillan, 1987) ISBN 0-8136-3644-2The New Writer’s Survival Guide (Penguin,1989) ISBN 0-14-011508-0The Pobblebonk Frog (CUP, 2008) ISBN 978-0-521-71024-4The Shape (Allen and Unwin, 2000) ISBN 1-86508-353-4The Slacky Flat Gang (with Bill Condon; Brooks Waterloo, 1988) ISBN 0-86440-088-8The Trouble With Parents (Longman, 1996) ISBN 0-582-80486-8 + (Scholastic, Canada, 2001) ISBN 0-7791-0827-2The Worst Cook in the World (Nelson, 1987) ISBN 0-454-01254-3Top Tasty Treats (Jacaranda, 1993) ISBN 0-7016-3195-3Treasure Seekers (Longman, 2001) ISBN 0-7339-2470-0 + (Pearson Education, 2001) ISBN 0-7339-2470-0 (with Ann C Whitehead & Bill Condon)Troublemaker (Longman, 1995) ISBN 0-582-80485-X + (Addison Wesley Longman 1996) ISBN 0-7791-0828-0 + (Sundance, 1997) ISBN 0-7608-0768-XThirteen Going on Forty (Hodder & Stoughton, 1986) ISBN 0-340-37612-0Urgent Delivery (Thomas Nelson, 2002) ISBN 0-17-010519-9Villains (Heinemann Library, 1996) ISBN 1-86391-457-9We Care for Our School (Landmark, NZ, 1996) ISBN 978-1-86959-174-8Whales (CUP, 2008) ISBN 978-0-521-71069-5When Melissa-Ann Came To Dinner (Harcourt Brace, 1989) ISBN 0-7295-0809-9Who Pushed Humpty (with Mary Small, illustrated Craig Smith, Mimosa,1992) ISBN 978-0-7327-0960-0Wordgames (Longman Cheshire, 1993) ISBN 0-582-91068-4 + (Five Senses Education, 2009) ISBN 978-1-74130-682-8Your Teeth (CUP, 2008) ISBN 978-0-521-71068-8Zoo Animals (CUP, 2008) ISBN 978-0-521-71071-8