Mandy Hager

Amanda (Mandy) Hager is a writer of fiction and non-fiction for children, young adults and adults. Many of her books have been shortlisted for or won awards, including Singing Home the Whale which won both the Young Adult fiction category and the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults in 2015. She has been the recipient of several fellowships, residencies and prizes, including the Beatson Fellowship in 2012, the Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship in 2014, the Waikato University Writer in Residence in 2015 and the Margaret Mahy Medal and Lecture Award in 2019.

Biography

Amanda (Mandy) Hager was born on 26 July 1960 in Levin.[1][2][3] Her father, Kurt, was born in Vienna[4] and her mother, Barbara, in Zanzibar.[5] She is the third of four children who grew up in a household where books, reading and writing were encouraged and valued[3] and who were all raised with a strong sense of social justice.[5][6]

Hager has worked as a primary teacher, teacher of people with learning difficulties, youth education officer, research assistant, research and resource writer and creative writing tutor.[1] She has a Teaching Diploma (Wellington College of Education), an Advanced Diploma in Applied Arts (Whitireia New Zealand) and an MA in Creative Writing from Victoria University of Wellington.[3][7][8]

Her first published book, Tom's Story, was written after the death of her first husband in a boating accident, when she was trying to find picture books that would help her own children understand the nature of death and the emotions they were feeling.[9] Since then, her books have often tackled difficult subjects such as grief, anger, violence, physical and emotional abuse, suicide and self-harm, racism, sexism, bullying and environmental issues, but she handles them with sensitivity, insight, compassion and understanding.[3]

She writes predominately for young adults, although a shift in 2017 saw her publish Heloise (Penguin NZ), a historical novel based on the life of 12th century nun Heloise d'Argenteuil, famed lover of philosopher Peter Abelard. In 2015 her book Singing Home The Whale (Random House NZ)[10] won the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year and the Young Adult Fiction Category[11] in the NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults,[12] as well as a Storylines Notable Book Award[13] and was a finalist in the LIANZA Book Awards.[14] Her 'Blood of the Lamb' trilogy has been published in the US by Pyr Books.[15]

She also writes adult fiction, short stories, non-fiction, educational resources, blogs and articles. She has had work published in various journals including Fresh, Broadsheet[3] and the 4th floor Literary Journal,[16] and has written many educational resources for Learning Media and other publishers. Her work as a resource writer for the Global Education Centre dealt with topics such as Weather Wars – The Politics of Climate Change, Parihaka and the gift of non-violent resistance, Healing the World – Back to the Future, Get Up! Stand Up! Music For Change, Take Action, Money Matters, Who Are You: the search for self in the Global Village?, Cook Me Some Eggs, Woman! (Violence Against Women) and Slaves to Fashion: the threads that bind us[5].

She has run many creative writing workshops,[17] is a frequent visitor to schools[18] and has appeared at numerous literary festivals, including the National Writers Forum,[7] the Auckland Writers Festival[19] and Verb Wellington.[20]

Hager worked for ten years as a tutor and mentor on the Creative Writing Programme at Whitireia New Zealand[3][21] until the Novel Writing course she taught was disestablished.[22]

She is married with two children and two grandchildren, and lives on the Kapiti Coast.[23][5] She is a sister to Nicky Hager, a prominent investigative writer and journalist.

Awards and prizes

Many of Mandy Hager’s books have been shortlisted for or won awards. She has won the LIANZA Book Award for Young Adult fiction three times, the New Zealand Post Book Award for Young Adult fiction, an Honour award in the Aim Children's Book Awards, Word Weavers Excellence Award (2002), Golden Wings Award (2003) and five Storylines Notable Book Awards.[24]

Tom’s Story received an Honour Award in the Picture Book category of the 1996 AIM Children’s Book Awards.[25] Juno Lucina received a Golden Wings Excellence Award in 2002 and Run for the Trees received a Golden Wings Award in 2003.

Smashed won the Esther Glen Award in the 2008 LIANZA Book Awards[26]. The Crossing won the Young Adult Fiction category of the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards in 2010.[27][28]

Into the Wilderness was nominated for the Best Young Adult novel in the Sir Julius Vogel Awards in 2011.[29]

The Nature of Ash won the Young Adult fiction section of the LIANZA Book Awards in 2013[30] and Dear Vincent won the same section in the LIANZA Book Awards in 2014.[30] Singing Home the Whale won both the Young Adult fiction category and the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults in 2015, as well as an IBBY Honour Book in 2016[31][32].

Heloise spent several weeks on the bestseller list[33] and was longlisted for the 2018 Ockham Book Awards.[34][35]

Mandy Hager has been the recipient of a number of awards and residencies, including the Beatson Fellowship in 2012,[36][37] the University of Waikato Writer in Residence in 2015[38][39] and the D’Arcy Writer’s Grant in 2017[40][41].

On 7 November 2013, it was announced that Hager had been awarded the 2013 Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship.[42][43][44][45] The prize provides for a NZD$75,000 award and the opportunity to take up residency for at least six months in Menton, a port town on the French Riviera and is one of New Zealand's most long-standing and prestigious literary awards.[46]

In 2019, Hager also received the Margaret Mahy Medal and Lecture Award, which acknowledges lifetime achievement and a distinguished contribution to New Zealand’s literature for young people.[47] She delivered her lecture, titled “Channelling our greater good", on 31 March 2019.[48]

Bibliography 

Children’s and YA fiction

Tom’s Story, illustrated by Ruth Paul (Mallinson Rendel, 1995) Also produced for "Ears" National Radio, 1995; Won an Honour Award in the Picture Book Category of the AIM Children's Book Awards, 1996

Run for the Trees (Steele Roberts, 1999) Endorsed by David Bellamy and Paula Boock (Longacre Press); Shortlisted for "CanRead 2000; 2003. Re-published by Wings Press, USA; Golden Wings Award (Publishers Award) May 2003

Smashed (Random House, 2007) (US Edition, Pyr Books, 2013) Named a 2008 Notable Book by the Children's Literature Charitable Trust;[5] Winner of the Esther Glen Medal in the 2008 LIANZA Children's Book Awards for the most distinguished book written for children/young adults in that year.[49]

The Crossing [Blood of the Lamb, book one] (Random House, 2009)[50] Winner of the 2012 NZ Post Children's Book Awards YA Fiction Category

Into the Wilderness [Blood of the Lamb, book two] (Random House, 2010) (U.S. Edition Pyr Books, 2014)

Resurrection [Blood of the Lamb, book three] (Random House, 2011) (US Edition, Pyr Books, 2014)

The Nature of Ash (Random House, 2012)

Dear Vincent (Random House NZ, 2013)[4][51] (Slovenian edition 2015)

Singing Home the Whale (Random House NZ, 2014)[10] 2014 Margaret Mahy Book of the Year, 2014 Best YA Fiction (NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Persons), IBBY Honour Award, Notable Book Award

Ash Arising (Penguin, 2018)

Children’s non-fiction

Hindsight (One Tree House, 2019)

Adult fiction

Juno Lucina (Wings Press, USA, 2002)

Heloise (Penguin Random House NZ, 2017)[52][53][54]

Educational publications

Stumpy’s Secret, ill. David Elliot (Learning Media, 2000) Short Novel; subbed to HarperCollins UK, 2003

Double Danger, ill. Don DeMacedo (Learning Media, 2000) Short Novel; subbed to HarperCollins UK, 2003

Stuck!, ill. Greg Broadmore (Learning Media, 2002)

Wood Stork Swamp, ill. Annabel Craighead (Learning Media, 2004)

Help, my Brain Hurts!:  a guide to understanding and supporting learners with specific learning differences (Essential Resources, 2004)[55]

DARE to be you: facilitator’s guide (DARE Foundation of NZ, 2005) Five integrated resources written exclusively for The DARE Foundation of New Zealand, based around Run for the Trees; Modules include: Family Issues, Disability Issues, Self Esteem, Celebrating Diversity and Conservation Issue.

DARE To Move On (2007) A programme for use by the DARE Foundation of New Zealand, based around the book "Smashed" – for use with young people at risk.

Various short stories and books, contracted by Learning Media NZ Ltd (2000–06) including: Spoiled by Oil (Orbit Double Take Series, August 2003) Wood Stork Swamp (Orbit Double Take Series, Jan 2003); The Oak Tree Kids (Environment Series, 2001); Stuck! (Orbit Additions Series 2001); The Mystery of the Midnight Muncher (Orbit 4 Collections, 2001); Creepy Rats and Scaredy-cats (Orbit Themed Collections, 2001); Sweet Peas (Part 1 Journal, 2001); The Terrible Techno Turn-off (School Journal publication 2003); Beating the Frost (2004); Slot Canyons (2004); Tire Fire – Disasters (Orbit Collections G5; 2004); Transforming Trash (Powerzone 2005); Oils Well That Ends Well (Orbit Collections; 2006); Energy of the Future (Orbit Collections, 2006); People Power (Orbit Investigations, 2006).

Film scripts

“Crossing the Boundaries" Full length Feature Film Script – Runner-up Feature Film Screenwriting Competition, River City Film Festival, 2003. (Film Wanganui Trust)

"Smashed" Full length film script adaptation – Finalist, Moondance International Film Festival, USA, 2008

Global Education Centre

  • The Next (2005) An extensive 38,000-word resource for the Global Education Center ('providing an innovative approach for engaging young people in an exploration of social justice and global issues through Hip Hop.')
  • Slaves to Fashion – The threads that bind us Global Bits resource – [www.globaled.org.nz]
  • Healing the World – Back to the Future Global Bits resource – [www.globaled.org.nz]
  • Get Up! Stand Up! Music For Change Global Bits resource – [www.globaled.org.nz]
  • Weather Wars – The Politics of Climate Change" Global Bits resource – [www.globaled.org.nz]
  • Cook Me Some Eggs, Woman! (Violence Against Women) Global Bits resource – [www.globaled.org.nz]
  • Who Are You in the Global Village? (Identity Issues) as above
  • Take Action as above
  • Money Matters as above
  • Parihaka and the gift of non-violent resistance as above

References
  1. "Interview with Mandy Hager". Christchurch City Libraries: Nga Kete Wananga-o-Otautahi. 2002. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  2. Mandy Hager at Backyard Books NZ
  3. "Hager, Mandy". Read NZ: Te Pou Muramura. January 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  4. "Interview with Mandy Hager". My Best Friends are Books. 12 June 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  5. Hager, Mandy. "Detailed biography". Mandy Hager – writer. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  6. Lancashire, Rebecca (7 November 2013). "Mandy Hager: tackling the big issues". New Zealand Listener. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  7. "Mandy Hager". National Writers Forum. 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  8. "Mandy Hager". Storylines. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  9. Hager, Mandy (13 April 2017). "The Reckoning: an argument for inclusiveness". The Sapling. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  10. [www.randomhouse.co.nz], Random House Books New Zealand. "Singing Home the Whale by Mandy Hager – Books – Random House Books New Zealand". Random House New Zealand. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  11. "A whale of a tale". Stuff. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  12. "About the Awards | Booksellers New Zealand". booksellers.co.nz. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  13. "Notable Books List 2015". www.storylines.org.nz. Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  14. "The LIANZA Children's Book Awards 2015 Finalists | LIANZA". www.lianza.org.nz. Archived from the original on 22 January 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  15. "Pyr | Science Fiction + Fantasy". www.pyrsf.com. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  16. Hager, Mandy (2015). "The Thrill of the Chase". 4th Floor Literary Journal.
  17. "Off the Page: Novel Writing with Mandy Hager". Palmerston North City Library. 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  18. Loulie-Wijtenburg, Danica. "Mandy Hager shares her creative process". Sancta Maria College. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  19. "Schools Program". Auckland Writers Festival. 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  20. "Mandy Hager". Verb Wellington. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  21. "Mandy Hager". www.whitireia.ac.nz. Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  22. Hager, Mandy (23 May 2019). "Mandy Hager's Brickbat For Bureaucrats". Kapiti and Coast Independent. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  23. "Mandy Hager". Penguin Books. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  24. "Storylines Notable Books Awards". Storylines. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  25. "AIM Children's Book Awards – Kids – Christchurch City Libraries". christchurchcitylibraries.com. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  26. "LIANZA Esther Glen Junior Fiction Award". Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  27. "Mandy Hager". RNZ. 27 May 2010. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  28. [www.randomhouse.co.nz], Random House Books New Zealand. "The Crossing by Mandy Hager – Books – Random House Books New Zealand". Random House New Zealand. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  29. "Sir Julius Vogel Award Nominations – 2011". SFFANZ. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  30. "LIANZA Young Adult Award". Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  31. "Singing Home the Whale top book". RNZ. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  32. "Ibby Honour List: 2016". IBBY: International Board on Books for Young People. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  33. "Nielsen Weekly Bestsellers for the week ending 30 December". Booksellers NZ. 5 January 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  34. "2018 Awards". NZ Book Awards Trust. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  35. Braunias, Steve (28 November 2017). "Announcing the longlist for the 2018 Ockham New Zealand national book awards: all the finalists, and some passing remarks". The Spinoff. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  36. "NZSA Peter & Dianne Beatson Fellowship". NZSA The New Zealand Society of Authors (Pen NZ Inc) Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  37. "Hager wins 2013 NZ Beatson Fellowship". Books + Publishing. 27 November 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  38. "Writer in Residence". The University of Waikato: Te Whare Wananga o Waikato. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  39. Grant, Nick (16 December 2014). "Hager named Waikato University's 2015 writer in residence". The National Business Review. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  40. Hager, Mandy (12 August 2017). "For the love of arts: The politics of art and arts education". North & South. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  41. Beattie, Graham (9 December 2016). "D'Arcy Writers' Grants for 2017". Beattie's Book Blog. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  42. "Mandy Hager wins Mansfield Fellowship". Fairfax Media. 7 November 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  43. "Mandy Hager awarded Katherine Mansfield Fellowship". RNZ. 8 November 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  44. "Young adult author Mandy Hager gains 2014 Menton Fellowship". Whitireia New Zealand. 8 November 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  45. "Mandy Hager on her Menton experience". The Big Idea. 17 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  46. "Katherine Mansfield – Menton Fellowship – Literary Award". mansfieldfellowship.org. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  47. "Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal and Lecture Award". Storylines. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  48. "Storylines Margaret Mahy Lecture 2019" (PDF). Storylines. 31 March 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  49. "Smashed by Mandy Hager". Random House Books New Zealand. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  50. "The Crossing". Kirkus Reviews. 24 October 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  51. [www.randomhouse.co.nz], Random House Books New Zealand. "Dear Vincent by Mandy Hager – Books – Random House Books New Zealand". Random House New Zealand. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  52. Pope, Rachel (3 July 2017). "Vintage read: Heloise by Mandy Hager". Stuff. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  53. Else, Anne (1 July 2017). "Heloise by Mandy Hager – book review". New Zealand Listener. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  54. "Heloise: Mandy Hager". Penguin Books. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  55. "New Zealand catalogue". Essential Resources. Archived from the original on 28 October 2007. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  • Mandy Hager at Storylines Children's Literature Charitable Trust of New Zealand
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