Alex Stone
Alex Stone is a writer, poet and artist based on Waiheke Island in New Zealand.
Alex's writing spans feature journalism, weekly newspaper columns, performance poetry, and creative short story writing - for which he has been acknowledged in 10 New Zealand literary awards, and one international award for memoir.
Prepare to be inspired, moved, challenged, informed and stimulated by Alex's distinctive writing.
His short stories are often inspired by snippets of history, upon which Alex expands fictionally. Within his crisp and unique prose form, Alex's stories and mini-essays are witty, full of symbolism, always rewarding.
Alex is also a specialist in interpretation design and writing - the blurb on information panels at museums, zoos, walkways, parks and visitor centres.
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On Alex's writing:
"A writer of striking originality with qualities of daring and humour that are rare. Like Lloyd Jones, Alex has the ability to create a landscape so vivid the reader feels he is walking down a dusty road or in the hold of a ship." - Elizabeth Smither, former poet laureate of New Zealand.
"Alex's perspective is unusual. This gives his stories their outstanding quality: they are original. I have not read stories like this before. If one of the objects of good writing is to move the reader to a different place, then he succeeds very well." - Bruce Ansley, acclaimed New Zealand author.
“Stone has that essential and sometimes under-respected quality of writing stories that engage you till the end. He likes his people and enjoys his eccentrics…” - David Hill, Weekend Herald.
“It was a very impressive collection: the best stories are outstanding.” - literary editor Stephen Stratford on jesus of the credit cards.
“I was very impressed with Alex’s collection, and particularly the story They. With its lyrical language and daring concept, this was a piece of writing that truly stood out from the crowd. I invited Alex to submit a novel...”
“Taken looks to be a bold and imaginative concept. Writing samples I have seen have a musicality and dignity...” - Katie Hayworth, Penguin Books NZ editor.
“I was greatly impressed by his entry Taken – an accomplished and poignant story. Here was a writer of considerable potential should he decide to write longer fiction...”- Tessa Duder, judge, AUT creative writing competition.
"I was struck by their originality, particularly by Came to Talk and Noun and Verb." - Carl Nixon, New Zealand novelist.
“A robust and multi-faceted talent.” - NZ Listener.
"...his poems are wistful little gems in the Thurber tradition." - Otago Daily Times.
Awards
News – Poem included in Ōrongohau | Best New Zealand Poems 2025.
Supermarket run: matuku moana and me – Poem, shortlisted for Monica Taylor Poetry Prize, Takahe journal 2025.
RD Somewhere – Poem, placed third NZ Kohukohu poetry prize 2023.
Umkhapalanga, the song of a son – Manuscript, shortlisted for the International Plaza Prizes for Memoir, London, 2023; shortlisted for the At the Bay Prize for Hybrid Writing, Dunedin.
They – Short story, winner IKA Creative Writing Prize, MIT, 2016
Red Bucket – Short story, very highly commended, NZ Society of Authors Graeme Lay Short Story Competition, 2014
Sitting Ralph, or Love in as Many Names – Short story, winner Rangitawa Short Story Competition, 2013
Taken – Short story, runner-up AUT Creative Writing Competition, 2012
River – Short story, runner-up Takahe Short Story Competition, 2011
Testing – Short story, declared winner of Takahe Short Story Competition, but then had entry withdrawn for being over the word count (!) 2010
Credit – Short story, shortlisted for the Manhire Prize Creative Science Writing, 2007
Sleepwriting – Short story, shortlisted for the BNZ Katherine Mansfield Awards, 2003
Genre:
Skills:
- Adult Fiction
- Adult Non-Fiction
- Autobiography / Memoir
- Feature Articles
- Film Scripts
- Freelance Writer
- Journalism
- Poetry
- Short Stories
- Web Writing
Branch:
Auckland
Location:
Waiheke Island
Publications:
In the Wind
For more than 25 years, Alex has written In the Wind, a weekly column for Gulf News, the feisty wee newspaper of Waiheke Island - and never missed a deadline! Well, once, while battling a full-on oceanic storm during a sailboat crossing of the Tasman Sea.
In the Wind, the book, is a selection of the best of the first ten years. It was published in 2009.
Three hundred pages of musing about the island condition, the turning of the seasons, of sailboats, good friends and good ol' dogs. The perfect gift for anyone who's ever asked, "What's it like to live on Waiheke?"
jesus of the credit cards
A collection of Alex Stone's best short stories from 30 years of writing. jesus of the credit cards was described by literary editor Stephen Stratford as "...a very impressive collection: the best stories are outstanding.”
Other reviewers were David Hill in the Weekend Herald: "Stone has that essential and sometimes under-respected quality of writing stories that engage you till the end. He likes his people and enjoys his eccentrics…”
And acclaimed New Zealand author Bruce Ansley wrote, ""Alex's perspective is unusual. This gives his stories their outstanding quality: they are original. I have not read stories like this before. If one of the objects of good writing is to move the reader to a different place, then he succeeds very well."
jesus of the credit cards includes stories that were either winner, runner-up or shortlisted for eight New Zealand literary awards. It was published in 2016, and is available on Amazon.
Taken
Pulmulla is worried her vision of the future will come true.
Biligiri just wants to get home. Besides, he's in love for the first time, and will be a father in 22 months.
Tant-Meisie is lonely and going around in circles. She meets famous and eccentric people though.
Hannibal Solo thought he was retired - until Carroll came along, and she's hard case.
On top of this, he has voices in his head.
Taken is the first novel ever to be written in first-person Elephant.
“Absorbing and lyrical, and poignant in the elephants’ message. Like Heathcote Williams' Sacred Elephant before it, Taken deserves a wide readership.”
- Gareth Patterson, author of The Secret Elephants and Beyond the Secret Elephants.
“A writer of striking originality with qualities of daring and humour that are rare. Like Lloyd Jones, Alex has the ability to create a landscape so vivid the reader feels he is walking down a dusty road or in the hold of a ship.”
- Elizabeth Smither, novelist and Poet Laureate of New Zealand
“There is energy and confidence on every page. The way you inhabit your lines is remarkable.”
- Lloyd Jones author of Mr Pip and Winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Award
“Beautiful, eye opening, exquisitely absorbing, gentle and powerful.”
- Danielle Mathieson, New Zealand artist
“Sometimes his rendering can be so singular, so startling, that you'll hear yourself exclaiming aloud.”
- David Hill, Kete Books
“It is an absolute blast – a triumph of writing of the imagination, skilfully mashing together magisteria – of orders of life, time, ecology, colonialism and the damage it does – without losing the reader or taking the easy route.
“Most remarkably of all, the voices are those of elephants, and Taken’s greatest feat is to let you in on their secrets so utterly, you begin to feel like one. Superb.”
- Jenny Nicholls, Weekender
“There are also exquisite descriptions of acts of kindness, and gestures of gentleness – extended to elephants and humans alike....
“Much of the descriptions are richly olfactory, given as they are by elephants, who can smell emotions, intentions, and deceptions, as well as weather, flora, food, and farts.
“We listen; that has always been our strength – or at least one of them”, and I guess Taken is saying if only we were wise enough to listen to elephants
“I loved reading this book.”
- Alyson Baker alysontheblog reviews of New Zealand fiction
“Hannibal’s interlopers want their voices heard, and what wonderful voices they are. [Taken’s] story will delight and haunt readers.
“This book is a gem. Perhaps we need dense storytelling to fully appreciate highlights in Stone’s writing, which appear like morsels of delicious fruit.”
- Nod Gosh, Landfall
“Whether in Kentucky or the Belgian Congo, the landscape is vivid, and the events are dramatic, daring and humorous by turn.
“And you will want to savour each page – there are many moments of brilliance. It’s a rewarding read.
“The most compelling part of this novel? The voices of the elephants, with their distinctive tone and cadence. Taken is an epic novel and a saga of these wonderful creatures that you won’t forget.”
- Karen McMillan, NZ Booklovers
https://pegasuspublishers.com/books/alex-stone/taken
Lode
Poems and pictures 1994-2024