John Millen Lasenby (9 March 1931 – 27 September 2019), commonly known as Jack Lasenby, was one of New Zealand’s most important children’s book authors. His novels and short stories earned numerous honours, including key awards and fellowships. After publishing his first novel, The Lake, he wrote dozens of books for children and young adults. His writing is characterised by a portrayal of childhood as full of hard lessons, adventure and the search for self determination. He wrote over 30 books for children and young adults, many of which were shortlisted for or won prizes. He was also the recipient of numerous awards including the Margaret Mahy Medal and Lecture Award in 2003 and the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement for Fiction in 2014.
