George Ella Lyon

George Ella Lyon is an American author known for picture books, poetry, novels for young adults, and essays. Lyon is best known for her books The Pirate of Kindergarten (2010), which won the Schneider Family Book Award, and Which Side Are You On? The Story of a Song (2011), which won the American Folklore Society's Aesop Award. She was named poet laureate of Kentucky in 2015.

George Ella Lyon was born in Harlan, Kentucky, on 25 April 1949 and grew up listening to her family's stories and music. Her father worked as a dry cleaner, while her mother played imaginative games with her, fostering Lyon's lifelong love of words.

Lyon attended Centre College in Kentucky, earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1971. She later pursued advanced degrees, earning a Master of Arts from the University of Arkansas in 1972 and a Ph.D. from Indiana University in 1978. Lyon married musician Stephen C. Lyon in 1972, and they have two children.

Lyon's first significant literary achievement came with the publication of Mountain (1983), her first collection of poetry, which established her voice within the Appalachian tradition. She went on to publish numerous books for children and young adults, many of which reflect her Appalachian roots, such as Borrowed Children (1988), which won the Golden Kite Award.

In addition to her writing career, Lyon has taught at various institutions, including the University of Kentucky and Centre College, and has conducted workshops and writing conferences.

George Ella Lyon continues to write across genres. Her most recent work includes Voices of Justice: Poems About People Working for a Better World (2020) and Back to the Light: Poems (2021).

George Ella Lyon, a mother of two sons, lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband, musician and writer Steve Lyon.

Photo credit: www.georgeellalyon.com