Wendy Shailer-Knight

Wendy Shailer-Knight is a writer, editor, communications practitioner, and former newspaper journalist from Palmerston North, New Zealand.  Her articles and stories have appeared in numerous publications, and she has tutored in journalism and communication at Massey University.  She holds a Master of Business Studies in Communication, and a Bachelor of Arts in English. She launched ShailerKnight Publishing to produce her first book, a commissioned family history that she researched, wrote, designed and produced.

Genre:

  • Academic
  • Adult Fiction
  • Children's Fiction
  • Freelance Writer
  • Journalism
  • Non-Fiction

Skills:

  • Academic Writing
  • Corporate Writing
  • Editing
  • Freelance Writing
  • Illustration
  • Journalism
  • Print Media Writing (magazines/newspapers)
  • Proofreading
  • Research
  • Short Story Writing
  • Tutoring
  • Website Content

Branch:

Central Districts

Location:

Palmerston North

Publications:

Legacy: A lost fortune, a new land, lasting faith. A Nelson family history

In Legacy, a Nelson family’s German origins are traced back to the wealthy and widowed 18th century baron Jacob von Garben. The baron, nearing the end of his life and finding himself without heirs, establishes a financial legacy that should last centuries. But as New Zealand immigrants Gustav and Johanna Forster discover, the trust fund they counted upon to survive was not as guaranteed as it seemed. 

Traversing the lives of well-known Nelson surnames, Bensemann, Forster, Sutton and Joss, this tale in four parts captures the stories of the matriarchs and pioneering men that survived to build Nelson and New Zealand. Life history interviews and a family’s carefully kept letters and documents reveal the resilience and determination of the early immigrants of New Zealand. Despite tragedy and loss, this family story is one of courage and commitment to leave those that follow a legacy of faith and hope for the future.

 

Published July 2025