Much-Loved Writer Barbara Anderson Honoured

media release
18 August 2009
immediate

Much-Loved Writer Barbara Anderson Honoured

Barbara Anderson will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Literature from the University of Otago this weekend. This degree marks her enormous contribution to New Zealand literature.

She has written eight novels including the award-winning “Portrait of the Artist’s Wife” and as well as collections of short-stories beginning with “I think we should go into the jungle” in 1989.

Her autobiography “Getting There” was acclaimed by readers and critics last year on publication, with Kate de Goldi calling it, “the best New Zealand autobiography since Janet Frame's.”

Barbara began her writing career began relatively late in life, after gaining a BSc from Otago in 1947, teaching and working as a medial technician. She met and married Neil and with him, raised their two boys in various ports around the world as Neil pursued his career in the NZ Navy

She has achieved remarkable overseas success with all her novels being published in the UK, gathering fulsome praise from some of writing’s top names: “The promise that was evident in “Girls High” has been splendidly fulfilled, and now it seems only a matter of time before Wellington replaces New York as the literary capital of the world.” Nick Hornby, Sunday Times.

ENDS

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