Mandy Hager

ABOUT

In Brief

Mandy Hager is a fiction writer. Her published writing includes novels for young adults and adults, non-fiction resources for youth, scripts and short stories. Her first book, Tom's Story (1995), won an Honour Award in the 1996 Aim Children's Book Awards. Her first novel for adults was Juno Lucina (2000). Her young adult novel, Smashed (2007), won the Esther Glen Award at the 2008 LIANZA Children's Book Awards, and it was also named a Notable Book by the Children’s Literature Charitable Trust. The Crossing won the Young Adult Fiction Award in the 2010 NZ Post Children’s Book Awards, as well as being named as a Notable Book and shortlisted for the LIANZA Young Adult Award and the Sir Julius Vogel Award.

In Detail

Mandy Hager (born in 1960) writes a range of different genres, including young adult and adult novels, non-fiction resources, scripts and shorter fiction work the younger age group. Her background as a teacher of children with special educational needs gives her a keen understanding of the need for a fast-paced story to ‘hook’ the young reader. Hager has a MA in Creative Writing from Victoria University and an Advanced Diploma in Applied Arts (Writing) from Whitireia Community Polytechnic. She works as a tutor and a mentor for this programme.

Her first book Tom's Story (1995) won an Honour Award in the 1996 Aim Children's Book Awards. It tells the story of a six year old boy whose father is killed in a boating accident, and looks at grief from a child's point of view. It has been adapted for National Radio.

Run for the Trees (1999), Hager's second book is an eco-thriller set against the background of protests in the South Island's rimu forests. ‘Definitely a page turner,’ writes Paula Boock, ‘a pacy, exciting story. The climax is riveting.’

Other titles include Double Danger (2000) and Stumpy's Secret (2000), along with a number of others published by Learning Media.

Mandy Hager has also published short stories in Fresh and Broadsheet. KC

Juno Lucina (2000), Hager's first novel for adults is an intricately woven story about fear and faith. Tess Chromain’s journey into the dangerous territory of religious fervour, domestic violence and sexual re-awakening is interlaced with her dreams, memories and research articles — to layer around her compounded grief in a climatic, literal, rebirthing of hope.

Help! My Brain Hurts - Special Tips for Special Kids (2004 Essential Resources Educational Publishers Ltd.) is a guide for students with learning differences.

Smashed (Random House, 2007) is a young adult novel that tackles gritty teenage issues such as alcohol, physical and sexual abuse, and anger. Delivered with a sense of humour and sensitivity, it is a thoughtful, pacy read. Smashed received the Esther Glen Award at the 2008 LIANZA Children's Book Awards. It was also listed as a 2008 Storylines Notable Young Adult Fiction Book.

In 2006, Hager wrote DARE To Be You — Five integrated resources written exclusively for The DARE Foundation of NZ, based around Run For The Trees. In 2007 she wrote DARE To Move On — a comprehensive resource for use by the DARE Foundation of NZ to target youth at risk, based around her novel Smashed.

Hager also writes for the Global Education Centre —producing resources on such issues as Violence Against Women, Parihaka and the gift of non-violent resistance, Weather Wars — the politics of climate change, Take Action; The Measure of Money; Who Are You —the search for self in the global village; Get Up, Stand Up — music for change; The Trafficking Trap; Healing the World —back to the future? Hager also wrote the script for the dramatised documentary ‘He Drove Me Mad’(Point of View Productions, 2008).

The Crossing - Book One of the Blood of the Lamb trilogy, published by Random House NZ in September 2009, was described by Margaret Mahy as ‘Like 1984 for teenagers – direct, passionate and powerful.’ The Crossing was listed as a 2010 Storylines Notable Young Adult Fiction Book. The Crossing won the Young Adult section of the NZ Post Awards, and is also nominated for the LIANZA book awards.

Into the Wilderness – Book Two of the Blood of the Lamb trilogy was published by Random House NZ in March 2010. It was named Notable Book in 2011 by the Storylines Trust and shortlisted for the Sir Julius Vogel Awards (2011).

Book Three of the Blood of the Lamb Trilogy - 'Resurrection' was published by Random House in March 2011.

The trilogy is speculative fiction - set on a small Pacific Island several generations after an apocalyptic event has decimated the population and left them under the control of the Apostles of the Lamb. It looks at issues of power and control over faithful populations, indigenous cultures, women and refugees. The target audience is anyone from 14 through to adults. As Zara

Andrews-Goss of Kapiti Independent News wrote: 'the way Mandy Hager writes is so compelling and touching, it feels that you are a part of the novel, not just reading it.'