Margaret Ranger

Margaret Ranger writes fiction and non-fiction books.

First prize winner Poems in the Waiting Room (NZ) 2018.

She works as a health professional in Wellington.

Genre:

  • Fiction
  • Non-Fiction
  • Poetry

Skills:

  • Editing
  • Manuscript Assessment
  • Poetry Readings
  • Research

Branch:

Wellington

Location:

Wellington

Publications:

The Long Clear Day; Everyday Life in Aotearoa New Zealand (Steele Roberts, 2012)

"The Long Clear Day" examines life behind the ‘clean, green and safe’ image, offering a deeper understanding of the history, land, culture and people of Aotearoa New Zealand. It looks into Kiwi character, health, education and well-being; it connects research carried out in New Zealand universities to everyday problems such as crime and it explores New Zealand’s relationship with the environment and the rest of the world. “A fascinating blend of biography, social history, and travelogue. New Zealand comes alive in its pages.”– David Crystal, UK linguist & author of A Little Book of Language (Yale University Press, 2011) & The Gift of the Gab: How Eloquence Works, (Yale University Press, 2016)

The Riverbanks Remain (Steele Roberts, 2005)

Set against a backdrop of real places and world events, this is the story of a man and a woman on the borders of language and culture. A chance meeting on a Thai train between Greg, a foreign correspondent, and Mira, an English language teacher living in Thailand, leads them on an Asian journey where they are forced to confront their deepest fears. The story begins in the late 1980s as the Russian troops are withdrawing from Afghanistan and spans the period of the first Gulf War, the initial bomb attack on the World Trade Center and the early 1994 Australian bushfires. But in Asia, where time has a different quality, the past is alive and the future foreshadowed. Present world events can be seen as the unfinished past.

The Guacamole Tree (2013)

Jeffrey lives at number 48. He works from home and keeps his garden borders tidy and his small world under control. Francine, a single mother and self-employed caterer, lives across the road at number 49. Her garden is a little on the wild side. Her seven-year-old son Sam cultivates running beans, a wormery and a guacamole tree. Ernest comes and goes from the neighborhood. Although he claims to be a real plantsman, his own garden remains a mystery. Jeffrey regards Ernest as a living botanical treasure but worries others won’t see past his ramshackle exterior. This novel explores the interwoven life of a New Zealand neighbourhood, and how relationships unfold with the seasons. It exposes the gap between how we see ourselves and how others see us. It unearths the power of belief and the consequences of a well-turned garden. The Guacamole Tree is available in e-book format. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CFWL1WM