Niki Daly

Niki Daly

Nicolas Daly is a born and bred Capetonian. He was born there on 13 June 1946, attended Observatory Boys Junior and Observatory High School, studied at Cape Town Technikon and he still lives in Cape Town - in the suburb of Mowbray! Niki did a Diploma in Art and Design and worked in advertising (1967-1969) straight after college. In 1970 he got a recording/song writing contract with CBS Records in London, UK and from 1973 until 1980, worked as a freelance illustrator in the city. Except for his work as a graphic designer and illustrator, he also taught design at the East Ham College for Technology in London. During this time in London, Niki published his first children’s book, The Little Girl who lived down the Road. In 1978 he won a British Arts Council Illustration Award for the book.
After his return to South Africa in 1980 he taught at various art schools. He acted as Head of Design at Stellenbosch University from 1988-1993 and editor of children’s books at David Philip (Songololo Books) from 1993-1994.Today he is a freelance illustrator although he has maintained his interest in music by composing songs for puppet theatre and animation. He has recorded two LP’s, Living in the Suburbs, released in 1982 and Whitey in Love in 1990. From 1989 to 1992 he developed Songololo Books, a children’s book division of David Philip Publishers in Cape Town. During 1989-1990 he ran writing and illustration workshops which facilitate the work of other writer and illustrator teams. Many of these workshop projects, such as Charlie’s House; Somewhere in Africa and All the Magic in the World have been published internationally as picture books. Niki has been illustrating children’s books since 1978, his own, as well as those of other writers. He considers Not so fast, Songololo as his most successful book. It was a ground breaking book in South Africa and has continued to stay in print in the USA since it was first published in 1985. In 1986-7 he won the Katrine Harries Award for Children’s Book Illustrations for the book and in 1988 a Parents Choice Award in the USA. In 1990 he travelled with South African storyteller, Gcina Mlophe, to the USA to work with Weston Woods Studios on a video of the book.

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One of Niki’s favourite themes is the solitary child who discovers self worth with the help of an adult. "As a solitary child myself, I suppose I have always counted on there being a powerful figure to open doors for me and to help me fulfil my dreams - in other words, a fairy godmother!". He says that he developes his ideas for a book through drawing characters and living with them for as long as it takes until they become real enough and believable. Niki believes that his working class background has specific influences on his work in that it makes him wanting to champion the causes of the have-nots. He views most religions as mystery and mythology - the bases of story telling. "I hope that my books have soul - which suggests that I adhere to values that are not purely material.

I am attracted to the Jungian school of thought regarding the self correcting psyche as people change and grow, or fall, through seemingly random events, it suggests some great storyteller at work. As a story teller, I try to stay aware of the twists and turns in life - that nothing is quite as it seems". In an interview for a magazine Niki had the following to say about creativity: "... my creative ability is the result of an enormous amount of reading over the years, resisting idiotic popular views, and an ability to follow the dictates of my soul.It includes the ability to create a particularly rich mindset, to visualize fast and imaginatively and to be able to change the inner picture at will".

Niki regards the work of Eleanor Farjeon, Angela Carter and Charles Keeping as the most important literary influences in his work.

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According to Niki, the absence of a cohesive South African children’s book illustration heritage deprives the illustrators in the country of a model of excellence against which they can measure themselves. "I believe the current generation of illustrators are busy creating a model, that, in recent years, suggests an international standard". Another problem for children’s book illustrators in South Africa is the lack of prizes and awards and the general indifference towards children’s literature in the country. Children’s book illustrators have to remain fresh, relevant and contemporary. "Unfortunately, the rapd turnover of illustrated books has given the market a "fast food" mentality. There seems to be an insatiable appetite for variety regardless of quality. I sometimes feel left in the dust with my rather 19^th century attitude to art!".When asked about his view on the difference between children’s books and adult literature, he answered that children’s books are accompanied by a pack of watchdogs who still have tremendous control over what children’s books can contain. "Perhaps, it’s a matter of censorship that is the difference. Otherwise, there ought to be no reason why an adult should not enjoy or be enriched by children’s books. Of course, one of the best things about children’s books is that they encourage physical contact - between people. You don’t have to sit on the lap of somebody when reading Jane Austen - I think!"

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Niki uses water colour, combined with line that varies from book to book - i.e. line executed with pencil, pen or brush. His favourite technique, however, is water colour "when it is as simple and pure as I am brave enough to do!" "I draw from memory and emotion which results in an impression of life." Except, being a free-lance illustrator, Niki also composes music.

As mentioned, Niki received several awards and prizes for his children’s book illustrations:

1978: British Arts Council Illustration Award for The Little Girl who lived down the road

1986-7: Katrine Harries Award for Children’s Book Illustrations for Not so fast Songololo

1994: All the magic in the world selected to represent South Africa children’s books at the IBBY Conference in Seville

1995: IBBY Honours Award for the illustrations in All the magic in the World

1995: Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky is selected by the New York Times as one of the 10 best illustrated books to be published in the USA

1996: Anne Izard Sttory Teller’s Choice Award (awarded by the Westchester, NY, Library System) for Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky

1996: One Round Moon and a star selected to represent South African children’s books at the IBBY Conference in Groningen

1999: Parent’s Choice Award (USA) for Bravo, Zan Angelo!

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Niki’s work has been exhibited extensively. Locally, his work was part of a joint exhibition in the Irma Stern Museum in Cape Town and of various children’s book illustration exhibitons at the Bellville Art Gallery. The illustrations from The Dancer was exhibited at Rust and Vreugd near Stellenboch. In 1995 the artwork from Why the sun and the moon live in the sky was exhibited at the "Original Art Show" of the Society of Illustrators in New York.

The Children's Literature Research Unit of Unisa exhibited his work with those of other SA illustrators in Antwerp, Belgium in 1998. Niki was one of 34 illustrators from Africa whose work was chosen for the "Amabhuku: illustrations from Africa" exhibition at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in 1999. His illustrations for The boy and the Beach were chosen.

Niki is married to Jude Daly, an illustrator of children’s books herself. They have two sons, Joseph and Leo.

Further reading: Something about the author, vol 21, 1996, Gale, p. 75-102

Articles on children’s literature written by Niki Daly:

"A lighthouse on the silver sea" in Towards more understanding: the making and sharing of children’s literature in Southern Africa. Kenwyn: Juta, 1993: 61-64.

"Books and children" in Proceedings of Indaba 98: conference held at Zimbabwe Book Fair, 1998, p.171-4

Celebration song, vol 2, Simon & Schuster, p.11

Niki is an accomplished speaker at national and international conferences and symposia. He participation in numerous talks and panel discussions at educational institutes.

Books published by Niki Daly:

1978. The Little Girl who lived down the Road. London: Collins

1979: Vim the Rag Mouse. London: Gollancz; New York: McElderry

1981: Maybe It’s a Tiger. (Text by Kathleen Hersom). London: MacMillan

1982: Joseph’s Other Red Sock. London: Gollancz; New York: McElderry

1982: Fly Eagle Fly. (Text by Christopher Gregorowski). Cape Town: Tafelberg

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1983: Leo’s Christmas Surprise. London: Gollancz.

1984: I Want to see the Moon. (Text by Louis Baum). London: Bodley Head; USA:Overlook Press

1985: Not So fast Songololo. Cape Town: Human & Rousseau; New York: ?; London: McElderry. Puffin paperback USA & UK.

1986: "The Walker Story Time Series: Look at me, Thank you Henrietta, Monsters are like that, Teddy’s Ear, Just Like Archie and Ben’s Gingerbread Man. London: Walker Books; USA Viking Kestrel

1988: The Day of the Rainbow. (Text by Ruth Craft). London: Heinemann; Cape Town: Human & Rousseau

1989: Charlie’s House. (Text by Reviva Schermbrücker). Cape Town: Songololo Books; London: Walker Books; New York: Viking Kestrel

1990: Ashraf of Africa. (Text co-written by Ingrid Mennen and illustrated by Nicholaas Maritz. Cape Town: Songololo Books; London: Bodley Head; New York: Duttons; Cape Town: Human & Rousseau

1991: Mama Papa and Baby Joe. Cape Town: Songololo; USA: Viking; London: Bodley Head.

1993: Papa Lucky’s Shadow. Cape Town: Songolo; Cape Town: Human & Rousseau; London: Margaret McElderry; London: Bodley Head.

1993: All the Magic in the World. (Text by Wendy Hartman). Cape Town: Songololo; New York: Duttons; London: Bodley Head.

1994: Mary Malloy and the baby who wouldn’t sleep. London: Heinemann; USA:Western Publishing

1995: One Round Moon. USA: Orchard Books; London: Bodley Head

1995: Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky. New York: Lothrop, Lee and Shephard.

1995: My Dad. New York: Margaret McElderry.

1995: Red light, green light, mum and me. (Text by Cari Best). New York: Orchard

1996: The Dinosaurs are back and it’s your fault, Edward! (Text: co-written with Wendy Hartman). London: Bodley Head.

1996: The dancer. Cape Town: Human & Rousseau. Published in Danish, Swedish and Norwegian, Copenhagen: Forlaget Hjulet.

1998: Bravo! Zan Angelo. London: Frances Lincoln; USA: Farrar Strauss and Giroux; Copenhagen: Forlaget Hjulet.

1999: The Boy and the Beach. Cape Town: Human & Rousseau; New York: Margaret McElderry; London: Bloomsbury; Copenhagen: Forlaget Hjulet.

1999: Jamela’s Dress. Cape Town: Tafelberg; London: Frances Lincoln; USA: Farrar, Strauss & Giroux; Copenhagen: Forlaget Hjulet.

2000: Fly, Eagle Fly. (Text: Ghanaian fable retold by Christopher Gregorowski). Cape Town: Tafelberg; London: Frances Lincoln; USA: Farrar, Strauss & Giroux; Copenhagen: Forlaget Hjulet.

Other publications:

1984: LP - Living in the Suburbs released by WEA Records

1991: Not so fast Songololo: video produced by Weston Wpopods, USA (Narrated by Gcina Mlophe)

1992: LP - Whitey in Love released by Sea Records.

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© T.B. van der Walt, CLRU, University of South Africa. 2001