Ian Falconer

Ian Woodward Falconer (August 25, 1959 – March 7, 2023)^[1] was an American author and illustrator of children's books as well as a designer of sets and costumes for the theater. He created 30 covers for The New Yorker and also for other publications. He wrote and illustrated the Olivia series of children's books, chronicling the adventures of a young pig, a series initially conceived as a Christmas gift for a young niece of his.^[2]

Ian Falconer
Born	August 25, 1959  Ridgefield
Died	March 7, 2023  (aged 63) Norwalk
Occupation	Illustrator, children's writer, costume designer

Theater designs

Falconer was active in the world of theater design. In 1987, he assisted the artist David Hockney with the costume designs for the Los Angeles Opera's production of Richard Wagner's Tristan Und Isolde; in 1992 he assisted Hockney with the Chicago Lyric Opera's production of Puccini's Turandot.^[3] In 1992, Falconer designed the costumes (Hockney designed the sets) for The Royal Opera's production of Richard Strauss' Die Frau ohne Schatten at Covent Garden.^[4]

In 1996, Falconer designed the set for The Atlantic Theater's production of The Santaland Diaries, written by David Sedaris. The theater critic for The New York Times, Ben Brantley, wrote "The cartoon cutout set by Ian Falconer looks totally chic in its monochromatic grayness."^[5]

In 1999, Falconer designed scenery and costumes for the Boston Ballet's production of Igor Stravinsky's The Firebird, choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon. In the same year, he designed the sets for Scènes de Ballet. In 2001 he designed the sets and costumes for Felix Mendelssohn's Variations sérieuses. Wheeldon choreographed for both productions of the New York City Ballet.^[6] In 2002, Falconer designed the sets and costumes for Stravinsky's Jeu de Cartes, choreographed for the New York City Ballet by Peter Martins.

In 2008, Falconer designed the sets and oversaw the installation for the operetta Veronique at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. Francis Carlin, a critic, noted, "Ian Falconer's clever play-off between background film and lavish sets climaxes in a stunning society ball."^[7] Beginning with the 2015 season, the Pacific Northwest Ballet's The Nutcracker features costumes and sets designed by Falconer.^[8]

Writing career

Ian Falconer's covers for The New Yorker caught the eye of Simon & Schuster children's book editor Anne Schwartz, who approached Falconer about the possibility of illustrating a children's book by another author.^[9] Falconer shared the manuscript for Olivia, and after Falconer took Schwartz's suggestion to cut down the manuscript, the book was published in 2000.^[9] Falconer went on to write more books in a series about Olivia.^[9]

Personal life and death

Ian Woodward Falconer was born on August 25, 1959, in Ridgefield, Connecticut, to parents Alexandra and Bruce Falconer.^[8] Falconer graduated from The Cambridge School of Weston and studied art history at New York University before transferring to the Parsons School of Design and the Otis Art Institute.^[8]

Falconer was gay.^[10][11] and according to Tom Ford, a designer and filmmaker, Falconer's boyfriends included Ford and later the artist David Hockney.^[12][13][14] Ford said in interviews that he and Falconer remained good friends and decades after their breakup, Ford used Falconer's surname for the title character of A Single Man, his 2009 film (based on the Christopher Isherwood novel, in which the title character has no surname).^[15]

In later life, Falconer lived in Rowayton, Connecticut, a village within the city of Norwalk. He died from kidney failure in Norwalk on March 7, 2023, at the age of 63.^[8][16]

Written works

In the Olivia series:

• Olivia (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2000)
• Olivia Saves the Circus (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2001)
• Olivia's Opposites (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2002)
• Olivia Counts (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2002)
• Olivia...and the Missing Toy (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2003)
• Teatro Olivia (New York: Rizzoli Universe Promotional Books, 2004)
• Olivia Forms a Band (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2006)
• Dream Big: Starring Olivia (New York: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2006)
• Olivia Helps with Christmas (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2007)
• Olivia Goes to Venice (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2010)
• Olivia and the Fairy Princesses (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2012)
• Olivia's ABC (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2014)
• Olivia the Spy (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2017)

Awards

• Caldecott Honor for Olivia, 2000
• Parents' Choice 2000, Gold Award Winner
• Nick Jr. Books, Best Book of 2001
• American Library Association, Notable Children's Books of 2001, for Olivia.
• Child's Best Book of 2001
• Los Angeles Times Best Books of 2000 & 2001
• Publishers Weekly, Best Books of 2000 & 2001
• American Library Association, Notable Children's Books of 2002, for Olivia Saves the Circus.
• BookSense Illustrated Children's Book of the Year, 2002, for Olivia Saves the Circus.
• Child Magazine's Best Children's Book Award in 2006, for Olivia Forms a Band
• Voted "Favorite Illustrator" for Olivia Helps with Christmas by over 50,000 children at the Children's Choice Book Awards, 2008