Amy visited Titirangi Primary this week for Book Week to talk to the children about writing and share a few tips.

Amy McDaid is a local author and ex-Titirangi Primary School student. Her first novel, Fake Baby, was long-listed for the NZ book awards in 2020, and she was awarded the Todd New Writer’s Bursary for her second novel-in-progress in 2021. She writes the occasional children’s poem and story for the School Journal. 

“What a funny, smart, thoughtful bunch of kids we have at Titirangi Primary. 

I shared with them about my writing journey, and I was impressed by how engaged and interested they were in the writing process. There were tonnes of fantastic questions. From the professional: ‘What obstacles do you face in writing?’ ‘How did you get published?’ And ‘How do you come up with ideas for stories?’ To the personal: ‘How old are you?’ ‘How much money do you make?’ and ‘Is Coach Kev your husband?’ (For those that are curious: 41, not enough, no).

The kids shared with me how they find inspiration, generate stories and even showed me some of their own wonderful stories and drawings. I came away buzzing from the energy of our creative tamariki and all the great work being done by the teachers and staff at the school to foster their love of the written word.”