Authors

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Dr Lorraine McLeod's career in education spanned almost 50 years, first as a primary school teacher, then in early childhood education and as a principal lecturer at AIT (now Auckland University of Technology). Her next position was as Associate Dean, Early Childhood Teacher Education at Auckland College of Education (now Auckland University). After a brief spell at the then -Teachers Council and the Ministry of Education, she was employed as an Assistant Professor of Education at the United Arab Emirates University near Dubai. Now retired, she has the advantage of time to consider important issues - like racism in her own country.

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Silva Mcleod was born on the small Tongan island of Vava‘u. With the encouragement of Ken, her Australian husband, she trained to become the first Tongan female airline pilot, working for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and eventually flying B777 jets around the world.

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Frankie McMillan is the author of five books of poetry and short fiction. Her most recent collection, 'The Father of Octopus Wrestling', was listed by The Spinoff as one of the 10 best New Zealand fiction books of 2019 and shortlisted for the NZSA Heritage Book Awards, and her 2016 collection, 'My Mother and the Hungarians', was longlisted for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. She has twice won the New Zealand Flash Fiction Day competition and has been the recipient of numerous awards and residencies, including the NZSA Peter and Dianne Beatson Fellowship (2019), the Michael King writing residency at the University of Auckland (2017), and the Ursula Bethell residency in creative writing at the University of Canterbury (2014). McMillan spends her time between Ōtautahi Christchurch and Mohua Golden Bay.

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Karen McMillan is the author of 20 diverse books, from bestselling novels, The Paris of the East, The Paris of the West and Brushstrokes of Memory, to non-fiction books that inspire and help others: Everyday Strength and Unbreakable Spirit, and now the Elastic Island Adventures series for children. Karen wrote Elastic Island Adventures as a fun family project to enjoy with her husband’s granddaughter, Milla. The books are now optioned for the screen, and Suzy Cato is doing narration for the audiobook versions. More information at: www.karenm.co.nz and www.elasticisland.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Fiona moved from Wellington in 2002 to help establish the vineyard with her sister and brother-in-law. She was in employment relations for 35 years, and continued working whilst the vineyard was being established. She is now retired, both from full-time employment and the vineyard, as the family have closed the business. She decided to write the history of the vineyard, initially just as a personal record for the family, but was encouraged to consider publishing her account. She now runs a farm stay in what was the old cellar door on her property, and keeps five goats. Fiona has had other writing published including a non-fiction book, journal articles and poetry.

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Jo McNeice is a poet based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. She completed a Master of Arts in Creative Writing at the International Institute of Modern Letters, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, in 2013, and her poems have been published in Turbine | Kapohau, Sport, JAAM and Mayhem. In 2023, McNeice won the prestigious Kathleen Grattan Poetry Award for her manuscript Blue Hour.