Authors

Tim Upperton is a poet, reviewer, teacher and blogger who has published three poetry collections. His first book, A House on Fire, was published by Steele Roberts in 2009. His second poetry collection, The Night We Ate The Baby, was an Ockham New Zealand Book Awards finalist in 2016. In his third poetry collection A Riderless Horse (AUP, 2022) Tim stands in the everyday and then runs with it with poems of acid wit, intimations of loss and unexpected resolution.

Oscar Upperton’s first poetry collection was New Transgender Blockbusters (VUP, 2020). In 2019 he was awarded the Creative New Zealand Louis Johnson New Writer’s Bursary. His work has been featured in Sport, The Spinoff, Metro and Best New Zealand Poems.

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Julie V'lk is a celebrated illustrator from Vienna, Austria, who studied at the University of Applied Sciences in Hamburg and has illustrated many award-winning picture books. In 2018, she was named an IBBY Honored Illustrator. Julie V�lk is a celebrated illustrator from Vienna, Austria, who studied at the University of Applied Sciences in Hamburg and has illustrated many award-winning picture books. In 2018, she was named an IBBY Honored Illustrator.

Linda Va'aelua is of Samoan and Scottish heritage and grew up in West Auckland, New Zealand. She graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor of Design (Visual Communications) from Unitec. With more than 20 years' experience as a graphic designer, she was the first Pasifika art director for the New Zealand Woman's Weekly and has worked on other publications, including the New Zealand Listener. More recently, Linda designed the award-winning book NUKU: Stories of 100 Indigenous Women (finalist Ockham New Zealand Book Awards 2022, finalist PANZ Book Design Awards 2022). In 2021, she launched her visual arts career with a virtual exhibition HALF, and has since been practising as a full-time artist, with numerous group and solo exhibitions to date.

Jane Va'afusuaga was born and raised in Eastbourne, Wellington and is of Scottish heritage. Having trained as a teacher, Jane taught for 10 years in Auckland and four years in Apia, Samoa. Jane lives in Samoa in the village of Falease'ela, with her husband, Olsen and daughter, Coco. Their house sits beside the Liua le Vai o Sina River, where they host visitors from around the world through their ecocultural adventure tourism business. Life in the village means Jane has been immersed in the culture, language, natural environment, church and customs of the Samoan people. She works in the family business, writes when she can and volunteers at the local primary school where she has set up a library. Jane is a 2017 New Zealand Society of Authors mentorship recipient.

Jane Va'afusuaga was born and raised in Eastbourne, Wellington and is of Scottish heritage. Having trained as a teacher, Jane taught for 10 years in Auckland and four years in Apia, Samoa. Jane lives in Samoa in the village of Falease'ela, with her husband, Olsen and daughter, Coco. Their house sits beside the Liua le Vai o Sina River, where they host visitors from around the world through their ecocultural adventure tourism business. Life in the village means Jane has been immersed in the culture, language, natural environment, church and customs of the Samoan people. She works in the family business, writes when she can and volunteers at the local primary school where she has set up a library. Jane is a 2017 New Zealand Society of Authors mentorship recipient.

Dom Felice Vaggioli (1845-1921) was a Benedictine monk from Tuscany. As a youth he was a conscientious objector, avoiding compulsory military service by hiding in a region which was under Austrian rule. He began his novitiate in 1864 and was professed a religious the following year. In 1876 he was sent as a missionary to Tunisia, and three years later to New Zealand. Vaggioli was first appointed parish priest in Gisborne, and was entrusted with the job of clearing the parish debt. He then performed similar tasks at St Benedict's church in Newton, Auckland. However, the stress of debt collecting resulted in his health deteriorating and after a brief holiday he was appointed to Coromandel. In 1888, after his return to Italy, he assumed the important post of Abbot Visitor of the Italian province of his order, until 1896 when he ceased this role to concentrate on his writing. From 1910 until his death he occupied the prestigious position of Superior of San Giorgio Maggiore monastery in Venice. Vaggioli was known for his austerity, intellectual curiosity and frankness. John Crockett was born in Auckland in 1946 and attended Holy Name Seminary in Christchurch to begin studies for the Catholic priesthood. He then spent four years at Propaganda Fide College in Rome, where he received a theology degree and was ordained as a deacon, but decided not to become a priest. On returning to New Zealand he completed a BA in history and Italian and an MA in applied sociology. He has worked as a social worker and counsellor and currently works at Student Health at the University of Auckland. He is translating the first volume of Vaggioli's History of New Zealand and is also working on an historical novel, Nga Roimata, based on the journey of two students, Maori and Pakeha, who were sent to Rome by Bishop Pompallier in the mid nineteenth century.