Category Archives: About writing

New novel in the works! My novel is being published in March by Cloud Ink Press – watch this space 🙂

One of my favourite authors is the Australian writer Margo Lanagan. Here’s a quote from her: ‘I write a lot of stories with babies, children and young people in them, because I’m interested in the way people piece together their … Continue reading →

I’m very proud that my latest YA title Ursa has now been launched at the Storylines Margaret Mahy Day. Head of Publishing Linsay Knight at Walker Books had this to say: “Working with last year’s winner, Tina Shaw, has  been … Continue reading →

Am very excited to see the ARC of my YA novel Ursa that’s due to be released early next year by Walker Books. This is what the full cover looks like.

I find the decision by Whitcoulls to not stock my new YA title ‘Make a Hard Fist’ – as it’s possibly too confronting and therefore a hard sell – to be a disturbing trend for New Zealand publishing. So does … Continue reading →

To see in the New Year, I’ve been reading the marvellous and thought-provoking memoir by Tim Winton: The boy behind the curtain. Am particularly enjoying his muscular descriptive passages that bring the Aussie landscape to life, such as driving across the … Continue reading →

Found this marvellous description from the poet Mary Oliver of how easy it is to be distracted as a writer: It is a silver morning like any other. I am at my desk. Then the phone rings, or someone raps … Continue reading →

I have had the loveliest email from James Watson, a teacher in the UK: Hello Tina, I am a Year 3 teacher in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England and my class is currently working on a writing project surrounding your book, The … Continue reading →

I’ve just finished a great ‘memoir’ style book that reminds me that you don’t have to think of memoir as starting at the beginning and sketching in one’s whole life … H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald is about a young … Continue reading →

I’ve just discovered this wonderful American poet, Eileen Myles: WHAT TREE AM I WAITING That whole part of the world where I won’t go any- more that whole separation that I won’t feel high in this house in this hemisphere … Continue reading →