The NZSA Oral History Podcast is about writers: our writers. It’s about their beginnings, middles and (for some) endings. Their successes and their rejections. But what makes it truly unique is the stories they tell about NZSA, about the collegiality, support, advocacy and achievements in our community of writers and in the New Zealand arts scene.

In 2015, the New Zealand Society of Authors commissioned the most recent interviews in our thirty-year Oral History Project. It’s these authors who will be sharing their experiences in Season 3 of the NZSA Oral History Podcast beginning with renown author Tessa Duder.

Tessa has published fiction and non-fiction for children and adults both in New Zealand and overseas. Tessa’s best known work is the Alex quartet about a young female competitive swimmer who struggles to succeed in swimming, school, love and life. The first book was adapted into a movie in 1993 and the quartet was recently republished by OneTree House.

In this episode, Tessa talks with Deborah Shepard as they chart Tessa’s journey from a cub-reporter to famous novelist and the people who helped and inspired her along the way. Tessa has also dedicated herself to the promotion of writing and writers through involvement in the New Zealand Society of Authors and in the Storylines Children’s Literature Charitable Trust. Our next episode will focus on this aspect of her life and work.

Tessa’s episodes, and all in Season 3, are accompanied by a beautiful photo portrait of the writer taken by John McDermott, and hosted by New Zealand broadcaster, NZSA member and author Karyn Hay. Season 3 has been supported by a grant from The Southern Trust.

You can listen to Season 3 and 14 other episodes from writers (both living and dead) from previous seasons on our website, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to know more about the NZSA Oral History Podcast Series? Read the NZ Herald article about the series on our website.