Anna Mackenzie (born 22 April 1963) is a New Zealand writer of contemporary, historic and speculative fiction for adult and young adult audiences.[1] She has won numerous awards for her writing and also works as an editor, mentor, teacher of creative writing programmes and public speaker at festivals and in schools.
Anna Mackenzie | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | April 22, 1963 Palmerston North, New Zealand |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Genre | Historical fiction speculative fiction contemporary literature |
Biography
editAnna Mackenzie was born in Palmerston North, New Zealand on 22 April 1963.[2] She was a keen reader and wrote her first collection of stories aged 7.[3] She started writing for children when running reading groups at her own children’s school.[2]
She has a degree in psychology and while studying at Victoria University in Wellington she helped to produce the university newspaper, Salient.[4] Later she worked in publishing and spent some time overseas in a variety of jobs ranging from nannying in London to hiring out fishing boats on the West Coast of Scotland.[4]
Mackenzie now lives on a farm in Hawkes Bay.[5] She has served as Vice-President of the New Zealand Society of Authors (NZSA) and Central Districts Regional Delegate.[6] As well as writing, she edits magazines, mentors aspiring writers and teaches creative writing and speaks at schools and literary festivals.[7] She has appeared at the Auckland Writers & Readers Festival in 2010,[8] Writers Week at the New Zealand Festival in Wellington in 2016,[9] the Hawke’s Bay Readers & Writers Festival in 2013[10] and 2018,[11] and she was a speaker, panellist and Chair in several sessions of the NZSA National Writers Forum in 2018.[12]
Awards and residencies
editHer nine novels have been recognised with an NZ Post Honour Award, Sir Julius Vogel Award, iBooks ‘Top Five’ and Storylines Notable Book Awards.[3] The Sea-wreck Stranger was awarded a prestigious White Raven Award for outstanding children's literature.[1]
In 2013 she was awarded a writing residency in Belgium by Belgian arts organisation Passa Porta,[5] and in 2014 she spoke at ‘This Way Up’,[13] the Australia and New Zealand Festival of Literature and Arts in London.[5]
Bibliography
edit- High Tide (Scholastic, 2003)
- Out on the Edge (Longacre, 2005)
- The Sea-wreck Stranger (Longacre, 2007)
- Shadow of the Mountain (Longacre, 2008)
- Ebony Hill (Random House/Longacre, 2010)
- Finder’s Shore (Random House/Longacre, 2012)
- Cattra’s Legacy (Random House, 2013)
- Donnel’s Promise (Random House, 2014)
- Evie’s War (Penguin Random House, 2015)
External links
edit- Anna Mackenzie's website
- Profile of Anna Mackenzie on Read NZ Te Pou Muramura website
References
edit- ^ a b "Mackenzie, Anna". read-nz.org. Read NZ Te Pou Muramura. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- ^ a b "Interview with Anna Mackenzie". Christchurch City Libraries. 2008. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- ^ a b "Anna Mackenzie". NZSA The New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc) Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- ^ a b "About Anna". Anna Mackenzie. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- ^ a b c "Anna Mackenzie". Penguin Books NZ. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- ^ "National Board". NZSA The New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc) Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- ^ "Anna Mackenzie". NZSA National Writers Forum. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- ^ "Auckland Writers & Readers Festival 2010". The Big Idea. 29 April 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- ^ "Writers Week: Anna Mackenzie: WW1 voices". New Zealand Festival. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- ^ "Guest Authors for 2013 Hawke's Bay Readers & Writer Fest". Scoop independent news. 12 March 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- ^ "2018 Harcourts Hawke's Bay Arts Festival Readers & Writers". Hawke's Bay Readers & Writers Festival. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- ^ "Speakers". NZSA National Writers Forum. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- ^ "Cutting edge authors This Way Up at London Festival". NZEDGE. Retrieved 14 October 2018.