Hunt, Janet
IN BRIEF
Janet Hunt is a highly awarded writer, academic and graphic designer. In 2004, her study of New Zealand wildlife won the non-fiction section and Book of the Year at the New Zealand Post Book Awards, as well as the Elsie Locke Award at the LIANZA Children's Book Awards. In 2008, her Wetlands of New Zealand: A Bitter-Sweet Story won the Environment Category and the Montana Medal for Non-Fiction at the Montana New Zealand Book Awards. Hunt has also written feature articles for The NZ Herald arts pages.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hunt, Janet (1951 –) is a writer, an academic and graphic designer.
Hunt was born in Taranaki. After completing a Bachelor of Arts with Honours at Massey University, she went on to complete a Diploma in Teaching at Palmerston North Teacher’s College and a Master of Arts in English at the University of Auckland.
Professionally, Hunt initially worked as a primary and secondary teacher. She went on to lecture in design, graphics and media at both the Auckland Institute of Technology and University of Auckland. She has also worked in publishing as a production editor.
Hunt published her first book Hone Tuwhare: A Biography in 1998. Terry Sturm writes, in The Evening Post, that ‘the book’s scholarship, lightly worn, is impeccable, and provides a great deal of new information about Tuwhare… In the text itself there are excellent discussions of Tuwhare’s books and fascinating accounts of his methods and composition of revision.’
Hunt's next book, A Bird in the Hand: Keeping New Zealand Wildlife Safe (Random House, 2003) was targeted at a younger audience. This won both the non-fiction section and the Book of the Year award at the 2004 New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. It also won the Elsie Locke Award at the LIANZA Children's Book Awards in 2004.
In addition to her books, Hunt contributed poetry to A Brief Description of the Whole World (1995) and has written feature articles for The NZ Herald arts pages.
In 2004, Janet Hunt designed and wrote From Weta to Kauri: A Guide to the New Zealand Forest (Random House, 2004). A great book to put in your backpack when you go walking and tramping in the bush. Over 300 species of insects, birds and plants are described in a way that is clear and easy to follow, and the book is packed with photos by Rob Lucas to help with identification. This was a finalist in the Non Fiction Category of the 2005 New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.
Wetlands of New Zealand: a bitter-sweet story (Random House, 2007) won the Environment Category of the Montana Book Awards, and the Montana Medal for Non-Fiction at the 2008 Montana New Zealand Book Awards.
In 2009, Janet Hunt released E3 Call Home, which is based on the true story of the godwit which was tagged as 'E3', who varied his usual route to Alaska for the breeding season, instead turning back and losing his transmitter somewhere on the coast of Australia. Adult godwits make this incredible flight from New Zealand to Alaska each year, and 2007 was the first time that scientists had tried to follow it. The journey was followed closely online by millions of people from all over the world. E3 Call Home is a finalist in the 2010 New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards.
writers in schools information
Hunt is available to talk to intermediate and secondary school students. She is prepared to discuss the life of Hone Tuwhare, conservation in New Zealand, and graphic and book design. She is will talk to groups of between 20-30 students. She is prepared to travel out of town for Writers in Schools visits.
