New Zealand Writers
HUNT, Janet
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 worked initially 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), 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 .
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.
Janet Hunt lives in Auckland and participates in the Book Council Writers in Schools programme.
(LK)
Updated Information
Janet Hunt won the Elsie Locke Award for A Bird in the Hand: Keeping New Zealand Wildlife Safe at the LIANZA Children's Book Awards in 2004.
Hunt's next book was 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.
From Weta to Kauri: A Guide to the New Zealand Forest was a finalist in the Non Fiction Category of the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults 2005.
Wetlands of New Zealand: a bitter-sweet story (Random House, 2007) has won the Environment Category of the Montana Book Awards, and the Montana Medal for Non-Fiction at the 2008 Montana New Zealand Book Awards.
Janet 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.
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