Name: Craig Smith
Date of birth: 3 January 1972
Place of birth: Clyde, Central Otago
Now living in: Queenstown
What is your favourite food?
Free :0)
Do you have a nickname, and if so what is it?
‘The Wonky Donkey Man’, ‘The Big Lug’ and ‘Hagrid DiCaprio’.
What was you most embarrassing moment?
When children ask me if I'm a boy or girl!
How do you relax?
Reading, listening to Vlogs, paragliding, skiing, fishing, boating, kayaking, playing and listening to music, and hanging with my best friends, family.
Who inspired you when you were little?
Mum, Grandma, Spike Milligan, opens a new window, Monty Python, opens a new window, and all the great singer-songwriters out there.
What were you like at school?
Some would call me a bit of a trouble maker.
What was your favourite/most hated subject at school?
Social Studies was my favourite. Probably maths my least favourite
What was the book you most loved as a child?
Bad Jelly the Witch, opens a new window.
Which person from the past would you most like to meet?
Nelson Mandela, opens a new window.
Why did you want to be a writer?
I love to be creative and express myself through writing music.
Do you have a special place where you write your books?
My log cabin in Monowai.
What’s the best and worst thing about being a writer?
Best, the impact you have on people’s lives big and small. Worst, deadlines... I don't like working to deadlines.
If you weren’t a writer, what would you like to be?
A Neologist, opens a new window and an awesomist.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Try and write daily or at least as much as you can. The more you write, the more you will be inspired to write.
Find books by Craig Smith, opens a new window in our collection.
Visit Craig Smith's website.
Read a review of The Dinky Donkey.
Wonky Donkey and the Scottish granny
On 30 August 2018, Janice Clark aka The Scottish Granny published a video of her reading The Wonky Donkey to her baby grandson. It went viral, and has had over 3 million views - and this took Craig Smith and illustrator Katz Cowley's The Wonky Donkey book to the top of bestseller lists around the world.
Wonky Donkey creator's life changed by a Scottish granny, Christina Persico, 15 November 2018, Stuff
Photos
Photos of Craig Smith in performance at our libraries.
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Kate interviewed Craig in October 2019.
