Shirley Deuchrass
For me, writing is a passion that lingers around my daily life.
I have an interest in sharing history in ways that help understand it. Like Cicero I believe we don't know who we are unless we know and understand the past. With that in mind, my novels are all historical.
My poetry is often about our natural world, quite a few relate to our lack of care of the environment.
Won a place in the NZSA/ Creative NZ mentorship programme (poetry) in 2005.
Nurse 1977, LTCL (speech & drama) 1984, B.A. 2003, TESOL 2003, Dip creative writing 2003-4, Nat cert floristry 2014.
Personal attributes: kind/ tenacious.
Live in Wanaka
Genre:
- Adult Fiction
- Children's Fiction
- Poetry
Skills:
Branch:
Otago/Southland
Location:
Wanaka
Publications:
River Calls Me Home
Poetry book. Poems follow the Clutha River from Wanaka to the Catlins (with a few extra thrown in around the sea). Published 2010 Steele Roberts, Wellington
Isabella's Diary
A novel for 10-12 year olds in the form of a diary. It is the story of emigration; of Isabella as she sails from Glasgow to Dunedin, NZ in 1860. The journey takes three and a half months and follows a true diary. 2005
Kicking Goals
Kicking Goals is a childrens novel for 10-13 year olds, set in rural NZ in the 1930s. The novel is written in diary format and the protagonist is based on a real person. Confidence and self belief are important in the junior years and this novel was written to help empower young people to give anything a go. The protagonist Jack McCulloch is a shy country boy, the youngest of five who hates school and doesn't think he is good at anything. He loves playing cricket and rugby with his brothers. He has aspirations of joining a team which changes his life forever. 2018.
Articles
Nursing Praxis. Vol 10, No 2. 1995. True story of nursing in NZ at the turn of 1900s.
"Beginners Guide to Europe's Loos." Otago Daily Times. Nov.,2001.
"A Land of Lush Green and Crisp White." Otago Daily Times. 9 Mar.,2004
"A Journey of Rememberance." Otago Daily Times. 24 Apr., 2004
Short Stories
"Jack's Legacy." Wordsmag UK. 2000. (Commended in short story competition).
Owaka Jack: The Jack McNab Story
Rugby history of Jack McNab, All Black in 1949, 1950. Only 200 copies printed. 2008.
Reprinted by Owaka Museum 2022
The Catlins Through Kitty's Eyes
Biography of Kitty Burgess, local identity. Written and produced for the local community. Self-published 2001.
2nd Edition 2005.
3rd Edition 2014
Reprint 2021 by Owaka Museum
Seasons of my Life: Neil Aitken
Biography of Neil Aitken, Pataeroa, 2003. Written and produced for local Maniototo community. 500 copies. Sold out.
Commonwealth Anthology
Short story - Damien- the -Dork
Poetry - Today the Sea is an Angry Child, Waiheke, Driving Home by TSpublishing, UK, 2023
UK anthology
Poem - Iron Weight TSpublishing 2023
Countryside Anthology
Short Story - The Drakness on the Horizon, 2023. TSpublishing, UK
Poetry
In Takahe, ODT, PoetryNZ, Blackmail Press