Tessa Duder trained as a journalist and has published more than forty works of fiction and non-fiction for both children and adults, plays and anthologies.
Her best-known work Alex (1987) was adapted for a 1993 movie, and recent work features biographies of Margaret Mahy, Sir Peter Blake, Auckland’s ‘First Lady’ Sarah Mathew and James Cook.
Her latest, an historical novel The Sparrow, is set in early Auckland.
Her numerous awards include the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal, the Katherine Mansfield Fellowship to Menton, an Artists to Antarctica award, the OBE, an honorary doctorate from the University of Waikato, the Prime Minister’s Award (Fiction) and in 2020 the CNZM.
She serves on the boards of the Storylines Children’s Literature Trust and is Vice-patron of the Spirit of Adventure Trust.
About Creative Talks
The PumpHouse Theatre’s Creative Talks series aims to bring the community together with creatives to discover more about their process and what inspires them. Each event explores what goes on behind the scenes to create their unique art. There is something for everyone with an interest in the arts and what inspires and drives creativity.
The event is free with tea and coffee provided.
