Taupō author Donovan Bixley nominated for NZ award

Donovan Bixley's vivid illustrations bring Da Vinci's fanciful creations to life, from horses dressed as dragons to robotic lions. Photos / Donovan Bixley

Local author Donovan Bixley is hoping for some luck on his 13th nomination in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.

His book, A Portrait of Leonardo, was nominated for the Russell Clark Award for Illustration prize. The winner will be announced in Wellington on August 10.

The work is the final book in a trilogy about the lives and works of three global arts figures — Mozart, Shakespeare and Da Vinci.

The prolific author recently completed his 130th book in a body of work that includes stories and illustrations covering topics from aviator cats to native New Zealand wildlife.

Bixley said A Portrait of Leonardo, although nominated for a children and young people’s award, was aimed at anyone who wanted to learn more about the fascinating man who was often portrayed as a “Renaissance Gandalf — this old guy in a grey sack”.

The awards judges praised the “stunningly illustrated biography” as “an exceptional art book that is not at all stuffy”.

A Portrait of Leonardo is the third in Donovan Bixley's trilogy, and is nominated for a New Zealand Book Award for Children and Young Adults.

The life of Da Vinci had become a fascination for Bixley, who has spent about 20 years collecting information from all over the world, including a research trip to Italy.

“This is a dream I’ve had since I was a kid; writing about Leonardo.”

His decades-long research revealed a “raconteur” who was constantly reinventing himself as an artist, stage designer, costumier, actor, singer and inventor.

He once threw a wedding party that involved a horse costumed as a dragon, covered in golden peacock feathers.

He also built a working robotic lion for a French king, complete with a chest that opened to reveal a fleur de lys inside.

The resulting illustrated biography was a bold project to be nominated for a New Zealand award, said Bixley, and not the kind of work considered typical for an author based in a rural town.

“These kinds of books seem so ridiculously ambitious for a writer from Taupō.

“It’s like, ‘Who gives you permission to write a book about Leonardo?’

“I do!”

The leap of faith had ultimately paid off, he said.

“If you do something super-ambitious, you might just get somewhere.

“Being nominated is wonderful.”