Nine Things I Love

• Sculpting limestone, such as this:
• My family
• Honey bees, naturally
• Running on the beach
• Moomin and Tintin books
• Being silly: At 15, I ran through the school staffroom in a gorilla suit
• Riding my bike
• Making compost and growing blackcurrants
• The Marx Brothers

Growing Up

I grew up in Christchurch, NZ, where my mother volunteered in a small children’s library (it was like my own big ‘reading room’). Significant books were Horton Hatches the Egg (5 years old); Tintin- The Crab with the Golden Claws (7 yrs); and the Hobbit (9 yrs).  As a teen I loved sci-fi books. My first jobs included work at the City Mission, Gardener, Insect Research Assistant;  later a Primary School teacher for 15 years; and now a writer and editor. I’ve always got a buzz from writing – I thank my Standard 2 teacher, Mr Stedman, who praised a quirky report I wrote — and I really love children’s books.

Science fascinates me. I studied bugs at University and have written short science books for NZ and American schools. I like travel and I’ve recently discovered the wonders of Europe (my parents’ homeland). Favourite spots? Florence (Italy), Schladming (Austria), and Kakadu (Australia).

My wife Penelope Todd is a fine novelist (and excellent editor) and we have 3 lovely grown up children. We live in Dunedin because it’s small, friendly, cool and green.

Answers to Deep Questions

What is your favourite food? Golden honey from my bees.
Do you have a nickname ?: No, but I’ve been likened to comics characters: Tintin (it’s the hair) and Calvin’s dad (the bike helmet and glasses).

What was your most embarrassing moment? When a teacher dragged me off stage in our high school talent show – he said I was ‘showing off’.

How do you relax?: Sculpting while listening to scratchy 20 Solid Gold Hits LPs from the 1970s.

Who inspired you when you were little? Yes, he did – Doctor Who that is – I dreamed about having adventures like his.
What were you like at school? A bit shy, a bit worried, but I had a sense of humour that made it a bit of fun.
What was your favourite/most hated subject at school? I loved science and drama, and found PE painful (it was always cold).
What was the book you most loved as a child? Calico the Wonder Horse (The Saga of Stewy Stinker) by Virginia Lee Burton.
Which person from the past would you most like to meet? Myself as a school boy – I’d tell me not to worry so much.
Who is your favourite children’s author?  Tove Jansson (Moomin books).
What’s the best thing and worst thing about being a writer? Worst is not enough time; best is when I first see a copy of my book arriving in the letterbox.
If you weren’t a writer, what would you like to be? A film maker.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers? Read great books. Write down your dreams (both sorts). Be persistent – one day you will be published.

Newspaper interview with me, click here.

Here’s our scrappy dog Polly:

and beautiful Austria.