Wellington writer shortlisted for New Zealand Book Awards

Wellington writer shortlisted for New Zealand Book Awards

First time author Erin Donohue has hit the jackpot this week with her young adult novel Everything is Right But Everything is Wrong being shortlisted in the NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults in two categories — best first novel and best young adult novel.

Erin has close ties to Te Auaha. She is a graduate of Te Auaha’s Creative Writing Programme and her book was published by Te Auaha’s publishing company, Escalator Press, with the help of the Te Auaha-based Whitireia Publishing Programme which undertook the production work.

The novel follows seventeen-year-old Caleb as his world disintegrates and his sky threatens to fall. Erin Donohue’s novel is described by award winning young adult author Bernard Beckett as ‘A tremendous debut novel, both delicate and muscular, artful and honest.’

'This novel is a striking chronicle of a young person watching the wall between himself and the world grow ever taller, and the small moments of brightness that reach him through the gaps,’ says Wellington author Ashleigh Young.

Mary-Jane Duffy from Escalator Press says, ‘Erin's novel is not only a great read, it raises serious issues about mental health. It's a book we're really proud to have published.’

Erin Donohue is a young Wellington-based writer of fiction and poetry. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Arts (Creative Writing) from Whitireia (creative writing is now part of Te Auaha) and her work has previously been featured in They Call Me Ink: Re-draft 15 and 4thFloor Literary Journal.

Her writing draws heavily on her own experience with mental illness and Because Everything Is Right but Everything Is Wrong is her debut novel.

Erin was included in the Auckland Writer’s Festival last month and spoke on a panel with Guardian Fiction writer Alex Wheatle and New Zealand writer Eileen Merriman.

ENDS

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