D. M. Cornish

D.M. Cornish
Born1972
Adelaide, South Australia
OccupationIllustrator, writer
GenreFantasy, picture books

David M. Cornish (born 1972) is an illustrator and fantasy writer from Adelaide, South Australia.

Biography

Cornish studied illustration at the University of South Australia, where in 1993 he began to compile a series of notebooks: over the next ten years he filled 23 journals with his pictures, definitions, ideas and histories of his world, the "Half-Continent".

It was not until 2003 that a chance encounter with a children's publisher gave him an opportunity to develop these ideas further. Learning of his journals, she urged him to write a story from his world. Cornish was sent away with the task of delivering 1,000 words the following week and each week thereafter. Abandoning all other paid work, he spent the next two years propped up with one small advance after another.

Awards and honours

Awards for Cornish's writing
Year Title Award Result Ref.
2006 Foundling Aurealis Award for Best Young Adult Novel Winner [1]
2007 Children's Book Council of Australia Older Readers Book of the Year Honour [2]
2008 Lamplighter Aurealis Award for Best Young Adult Novel Finalist [1]
Thorn Castle, Giant’s Lair, Black Crypt, Wizardry Crag Aurealis Award for Best Children's Fiction Finalist [1]
2009 Lamplighter Andre Norton Award Finalist [3]
2014 "The Fuller and the Bogle" Aurealis Award for Best Young Adult Short Story Finalist [1]

Publications

As writer

Monster Blood Tattoo series

Main article: Monster Blood Tattoo Series

As illustrator

Standalone books

The Sunken Kingdom series

Cornish illustrated The Sunken Kingdom series, which was written by Kim Wilkins.

  1. Ghost Ship (2006, Random House)
  2. Tide Stealers (2006, Random House)
  3. Sorcerer of the Waves (2008, Random House)
  4. The Star Queen (2008, Random House)

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Aurealis Awards, Previous Years' Results" (PDF). Aurealis Awards. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 March 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  2. ^ "Winners 2007 Older Readers Book of the Year 2007". Children's Book Council of Australia. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  3. ^ "Nebula Final Ballot". Locus Online. 27 February 2009. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2023.