Ivan Southall

{{Short description|Australian writer (1921–2008)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}} {{Infobox writer  | name = Ivan Southall | image = Ivan Southall 1972 (cropped).jpg | alt = | caption = Southall in 1972 | birth_name = Ivan Francis Southall | birth_date = {{Birth date|1921|06|08|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Canterbury, Victoria]] | death_date = {{Death date and age|2008|11|15|1921|06|08|df=yes}} | death_place = [[Wantirna]], [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]] | occupation = | language = English | nationality = Australian | ethnicity = | citizenship = | education = | alma_mater = | notableworks = ''Ash Road'', ''To the Wild Sky'', ''Bread and Honey'', ''Fly West'' | awards = [[Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers]] 1966, 1968, 1971, 1976; [[Carnegie Medal (literary award)|Carnegie Medal]] 1971 | years_active = 1942-2000 }}

'''Ivan Francis Southall''' [[Member of the Order of Australia|AM]], [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|DFC]] (8 June 1921{{spaced ndash}}15 November 2008) was an Australian writer best known for [[young adult fiction]].<ref name=nla/> He wrote more than 30 [[children's books]], six books for adults, and at least ten works of history, biography or other non-fiction.<ref name=ABC/>

==Personal life== Ivan Southall was born in [[Melbourne]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]]. His father died when Ivan was 14, and he and his brother Gordon were raised by their mother. He went to Mont Albert Central School (where he wrote the first of his ''Simon Black'' stories) and later Box Hill Grammar, but was forced to leave school early, and became an apprentice process engraver. He joined the [[Royal Australian Air Force]] on 19 Jun 1942 serving with [[No. 461 Squadron RAAF|461 Squadron RAAF]] (raised under an [[Article XV squadron|Article XV]] of the [[Empire Air Training Scheme]]) . He was decorated with the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] for his role in sinking a German U-boat, [[German submarine U-385|U-385]], in the Bay of Biscay on 11 August 1944 (in concert with the destroyer [[HMS Swift (G46)|HMS Swift]]). He returned to Australia with his English bride, Joy Blackburn. Their youngest daughter was born with Down syndrome. His was discharged on 19 Nov 1946.

He tried his hand at farming at Monbulk, but the attempt foundered, so he became a full-time writer.

He met his first wife, Joy Blackburn, during the Second World War and they had four children, Andrew, Roberta, Elizabeth and Melissa. He remarried, to Susan Stanton, whom he met in 1974 on his United States visit to deliver the [[May Hill Arbuthnot Lecture]] at the [[University of Washington]]. Southall died of cancer on 15 November 2008 aged 87.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/11/15/2420715.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311015121/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/11/15/2420715.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 March 2009 |title=Announcement of death |publisher=ABC News (abc.net.au) |date=15 November 2008 |access-date=18 February 2012}}</ref>

His daughter Elizabeth had three daughters, the eldest of whom was murdered in 1999. Elizabeth wrote a book about the case in 2002 titled ''Perfect Victim''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Perfect victim / Elizabeth Southall and Megan Norris |url=https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/7286832 |website=National Library of Australia |access-date=22 February 2020}}</ref> The story was made into a film called ''[[In Her Skin]]'' in 2009.

==Writer== Ivan Southall began his career as a writer primarily writing historical accounts for adults. Notably, he wrote the biography of [[Keith Truscott]], an Australian fighter ace who served in England in the last stages of the Battle of Britain and the aftermath, and later in [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]] and at [[Milne Bay]].

Southall also wrote the official history of his Royal Australian Air Force squadron, 461 Squadron, based at Pembroke Dock, a town in South West Wales, when he was pilot of Short Sunderland flying boats. Later he published a version of this history as ''They Shall Not Pass Unseen'' and much later returned to his experiences of combat in Sunderlands in books for younger readers.

Southall also wrote ''Softly Tread the Brave'', describing the courage of Royal Australian Volunteer Naval Reserve [[bomb disposal]] officers, Hugh Syme (GC, GM and Bar) and John Mould (GC, GM), who served in England disarming [[parachute mine]]s. Southall later published a version of this story for younger readers under the title ''Seventeen Seconds'' — the time available to run in case the fuse of the mine was accidentally triggered while trying to disarm it.

From 1950 to 1962, Southall also wrote, for younger readers, adventure stories about a fictional brave pilot, 'Simon Black' — an Australian counterpart to [[W.E. Johns]]' hero '[[Biggles]]'. Several of these ventured into science-fiction, with space flight, aliens and lost humanoid races.

After 1960, Southall's career pivoted into the everyday world of children and teenage characters. Southall dealt in his books both with survival in the face of dramatic events such as fire and flood and with personal and psychological challenges. He was one of the first to write specifically for [[adolescence|young adults]].<ref name=AtoZ>{{cite web|url=http://www.statelibrary.vic.gov.au/slv/exhibitions/southall/index.html |archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20040906140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/44356/20040907-0000/www.statelibrary.vic.gov.au/slv/exhibitions/southall/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 September 2004 |title=Retrospective: Southall from A–Z: Ash Road to Ziggurat |publisher=State Library of Victoria. NLA |date=23 August 2006 |access-date=18 February 2012}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

Southall's best known children's novels include ''[[Hills End]]'', ''[[Ash Road]]'', ''[[Let the Balloon Go]]'' and ''[[Josh (novel)|Josh]]'' (1962 to 1971). The non-fiction ''Fly West'' recounts his experiences in [[Short Sunderland]] [[flying boat]]s during the [[Second World War]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1071382 |title=SOUTHALL, Ivan Francis, DFC |publisher=It's an Honour. Australian Government |date=31 October 1944 |access-date=18 February 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417211624/http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1071382&search_type=simple&showInd=true |archive-date=17 April 2012}}</ref> He is the only Australian winner of the annual [[Carnegie Medal (literary award)|Carnegie Medal]] for British children's books, the 1971 award to ''Josh''.<ref name=nla/><ref name=medal1971/>{{efn |name=british}}

A retrospective exhibition ''Southall A–Z: Ash Road to Ziggurat'' was held in the State Library of Victoria in 1998 and is available online.<ref name=AtoZ/> It includes an interview conducted in 1997, a biography, bibliography and exhibition of book cover designs with information about the books.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/fiction/authors/at19.htm#isouthall |title=Ivan Southall |work=CMIS Focus on Fiction |publisher=Department of Education. [[Western Australia]] (det.wa.edu.au) |access-date=18 February 2012 |archive-date=10 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210174742/http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/fiction/authors/at19.htm#isouthall |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Honours== Ivan Southall won the 1971 [[Carnegie Medal (literary award)|Carnegie Medal]] from the [[CILIP|Library Association]], recognising ''Josh'' as the year's best children's book by a [[British subject]].<ref name=medal1971/> He was the first Medalist from outside the United Kingdom and remains the only one from Australia.<ref>{{cite web|title="Guide to the Papers of Ivan Southall" |publisher= NLA|url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-415845604/findingaid|access-date= 10 December 2025}}</ref>{{efn |name=british}}

''Ash Road'', ''To the Wild Sky'', ''Bread and Honey'' and the nonfiction ''Fly West'' were all named [[Children's Book Council of Australia|CBCA]] [[Australian Children's Book of the Year]] (1966 to 1976).

Southall was appointed a Member of the [[Order of Australia]] (AM) in 1981.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870111 |title=SOUTHALL, Ivan Francis, AM |publisher=It's an Honour. Australian Government |date=26 January 1981 |access-date=18 February 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417211628/http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=870111&search_type=simple&showInd=true |archive-date=17 April 2012}}</ref>

In 2003 he was awarded the [[Dromkeen Medal]] by the Oldmeadow Foundation for his lifetime contribution to [[children's literature in Australia]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Dromkeen Medal |publisher=Scholastic |url=http://www.scholastic.com.au/common/dromkeen/medal.asp |access-date=15 July 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703210330/http://www.scholastic.com.au/common/dromkeen/medal.asp |archive-date= 3 July 2007}}</ref>

Earlier that year, the [[Phoenix Award]] from the [[Children's Literature Association]] had recognised ''The Long Night Watch'' ([[Methuen Publishing|Methuen Children's Books]], 1983) as the best English-language children's book that did not get a major award when it was originally published twenty years earlier. It is named for the [[Phoenix (mythology)|mythical bird phoenix]], which is reborn from its ashes, to suggest the book's rise from obscurity.<ref name=phoenix>{{cite web|title="Phoenix Award" |publisher= Children's Literature Association|url=https://www.childlitassn.org/phoenix-award|access-date= 18 December 2025}}</ref>

''The Sly Old Wardrobe'', written by Southall and illustrated by Ted Greenwood, was named Children's Picture Book of the Year in 1969.<ref name=nla/>

==Works== ===Nonfiction=== * ''The Weaver from Meltham'' (Melbourne: Whitcombe & Tombs, 1950) — about [[South Geelong]] carpet manufacturer Godfrey Hirst<ref>[http://www.godfreyhirstusa.com/catalogue/about_gh/history "Discover Godfrey Hirst"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812070248/http://www.godfreyhirstusa.com/catalogue/about_gh/history |date=12 August 2011 }}. Godfrey Hirst Carpets North America. Retrieved 3 March 2013.</ref> * ''The Story of The Hermitage: the first fifty years of the [[Geelong Church of England Girls' Grammar School]]'' (Melbourne: F. W. Cheshire, 1956) * ''They Shall Not Pass Unseen'' (Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1956) * ''A Tale of Box Hill: day of the forest'' ([[Box Hill, Victoria|Box Hill]]: Box Hill City Council, 1957) * ''Bluey Truscott'' (Angus and Robertson, 1958)  * ''Softly Tread the Brave'' (1960) about Australian mine clearance officers [[John Mould]] and [[Hugh Syme (GC)]] * ''Seventeen Seconds'' (1960) an abridged version of ''Softly Tread the Brave'' * ''Journey into Mystery'' (1961) * ''Parson on the Track'' (1961) * ''Indonesia Face to Face'' (1964) * ''Lawrence Hargrave'' (1964), in the ''Six Great Australians'' series<ref name=nla/> * ''Rockets in the Desert: The Story of Woomera'' (1965) * ''The Challenge: Is the Church Obsolete?'' (1966) * ''[[Fly West]]'' (1974) * ''A Journey of Discovery: on writing for children'' (1975)

===Fiction=== {{colbegin}} * Simon Black series (RAAF adventure stories)<ref name=dromkeen/> **''Meet Simon Black'' (1950) **''Simon Black in Peril'' (1951) **''Simon Black in Space'' (1952) **''Simon Black in Coastal Command'' (1953) **''Simon Black in China'' (1954) **''Simon Black and the Spacemen'' (1955) **''Simon Black in the Antarctic'' (1956) **''Simon Black Takes Over'' (1959) **''Simon Black at Sea'' (1961) After ''Simon Black'', Southall changed emphasis "from the actual adventure ... to the depiction of the way children respond, interact and grow".<ref name=dromkeen>[http://www.scholastic.com.au/common/dromkeen/pdf/medal_recipient2003.pdf "Ivan Southall: 2003 Dromkeen Medal Winner"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512204247/http://www.scholastic.com.au/common/dromkeen/pdf/medal_recipient2003.pdf |date=12 May 2013 }}. Scholastic. Retrieved 3 March 2013.</ref> * ''[[Hills End]]'' (1962) * ''[[Ash Road]]'' (1965) * ''[[The Fox Hole]]'' (1967) * ''[[To the Wild Sky]]'' (1967) * ''Sly Old Wardrobe'' (1968), pictures by Ted Greenwood * ''[[Let the Balloon Go]]'' (1968) * ''Finn's Folly'' (1969) * ''Chinaman's Reef is Ours'' (1970) * ''[[Bread and Honey]]'' (1970); US title, ''Walk a Mile and Get Nowhere''<ref name=dromkeen/> * ''[[Josh (novel)|Josh]]'' (1971) * ''Benson Boy'' (1972) * ''Head in the Clouds'' (1972) * ''Over the Top'' (1972) * ''Matt and Jo'' * ''What About Tomorrow'' (1977)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2428773 |title=What about tomorrow / Ivan Southall |publisher=Catalogue record. National Library of Australia (NLA) |access-date=18 February 2012}}</ref> * ''King of the Sticks'' (1979) * ''The Golden Goose'' (1981) — sequel to King of the Sticks * ''The Long Night Watch'' (1983) * ''A City Out of Sight'' (1984) * ''Rachel'' (1986) * ''Blackbird'' (1988) * ''The Mysterious World of Marcus Leadbeater'' (1990) * ''Ziggurat'' (1997) {{colend}}

==Further reading== * ''The Loved and the Lost: The Life of Ivan Southall'' by Stephany Evans Steggall, Lothian, South Melbourne, 2006.

==See also== {{Portal |Children and Young Adult Literature|Australia }}

==Notes== {{notelist |notes= {{efn |name=british |1= For about sixty years, the Library Association (now [[CILIP]]) defined British children's books by publication of the first edition in Britain. Around the turn of the century it opened the Carnegie and [[Greenaway Medal]]s to books published in Britain within three months of the first English-language edition, which covers at least the co-publication that is now common. }} }}

==References== {{reflist |25em |refs= <ref name=medal1971>[http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/livingarchive/title.php?id=87 (Carnegie Winner 1971)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927092058/http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/livingarchive/title.php?id=87 |date=27 September 2011 }}. Living Archive: Celebrating the Carnegie and Greenaway Winners. [[CILIP]]. Retrieved 17 August 2012.</ref>

<ref name=nla> {{cite web|title=Papers of Ivan Southall (1921–2008): Biographical Note |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.ms-ms5379|publisher=National Library of Australia|access-date=28 July 2012}}</ref>

<ref name=ABC> [http://www.abc.net.au/rn/bookshow/stories/2008/2422702.htm "Vale Ivan Southall"]. ''The Book Show''. [[ABC Radio National]]. — Preface (2008); Interview on his novel ''Ziggurat'', by [[Ramona Koval]] (1997), broadcast 18 November 2008. Retrieved 3 March 2013.</ref> }}

==External links== * {{isfdb name |88237 |Ivan Southall}} * [http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/s/ivan-southall/ Ivan Southall at Fantastic Fiction] * {{IMDb name|816063}} * [https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/veteran?id=1064073&c=WW2#R Ivan Southall] at Australian Department of Veterans' Affairs WW2 nominal roll.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Southall, Ivan}} [[Category:Australian children's writers]] [[Category:Carnegie Medal in Literature winners]] [[Category:Members of the Order of Australia]] [[Category:Australian recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)]] [[Category:Deaths from cancer in New South Wales]] [[Category:1921 births]] [[Category:2008 deaths]] [[Category:Australian male novelists]] [[Category:People from Canterbury, Victoria]] [[Category:Writers from Melbourne]]