Janet Frame helped break down barriers

"Janet Frame was a New Zealand literary icon who helped break down the misconceptions about mental illness," says National Party Leader Don Brash. "She overcame enormous odds to become one of New Zealand's most distinguished writers - her death will be met with great sadness."

The Australian winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Patrick White, once described her as '... the most considerable New Zealand novelist yet'.

"Janet Frame was a gifted writer who endured great hardship.

"Her work undoubtedly helped open doors to those who were suffering from mental illness, at a time when patients were often locked away and forgotten.

"It's clear she'll leave behind a legacy that will live on in the hearts and minds of all New Zealanders," says Dr Brash.

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