The Writing Life: Twelve New Zealand Authors

(Paperback)

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A unique and intimate survey of the lives and work of 12 of our most acclaimed writers: Patricia Grace, Tessa Duder, Owen Marshall, Philip Temple, David Hill, Joy Cowley, Vincent O'Sullivan, Albert Wendt, Marilyn Duckworth, Chris Else, Fiona Kidman and Witi Ihimaera. As a group they are now the `elders' of New Zealand literature; they forged the path for the current generation. These interviews reveal not just the grand moments of their careers but also the defeats and disappointments. There are also stories about the enabling and symbiotic role of editors and publishers, showing how key industry figures have played a critical role in shaping New Zealand's literary landscape. They also share some advice on writing. Magnificent portraits by distinguished photographer John McDermott complete the package.

Author Bio

Deborah Shepard is an author, teacher of memoir, oral historian and film and art historian. She has also been a Film, TV and Media Studies lecturer at the University of Auckland, and has written various entries on women filmmakers for the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography and the Paris Le Dictionnaire Des Creatrices Les Editions Des Femmes. Her major publications include Her Life's Work: Conversations with Five New Zealand Women (2009), Between the Lives: Partners in Art (2005), Reframing Women: History of New Zealand Film (2000), and Giving Yourself to Life: A Journal of Pain, Hope and Renewal (2015). Deborah teaches introductory and Master classes in memoir and is a life writing mentor for the New Zealand Society of Authors.