Kerry grew up as the youngest of five, in the seaside suburb of Seatoun, Wellington, New Zealand. Her childhood was spent in the outdoors, swimming, biking, horse-riding and tramping with Wellington' wild hills with her mother. She was surrounded by a large, musical and lively extended family. She went to boarding school in New Plymouth. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and English, Diplomas in Teaching and Drama and has taught English and Drama for thirty-five years. Kerry is a graduate of the Master of Creative Writing programme at AUT. She’s had poetry and a number of short stories published in literary magazines, several in Landfall and was a semi-finalist in the Sunday Star Short Story Competition. Kerry was accepted, out of 200Kerry grew up as the youngest of five, in the seaside suburb of Seatoun, Wellington, New Zealand. Her childhood was spent in the outdoors, swimming, biking, horse-riding and tramping with Wellington' wild hills with her mother. She was surrounded by a large, musical and lively extended family. She went to boarding school in New Plymouth. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and English, Diplomas in Teaching and Drama and has taught English and Drama for thirty-five years. Kerry is a graduate of the Master of Creative Writing programme at AUT. She’s had poetry and a number of short stories published in literary magazines, several in Landfall and was a semi-finalist in the Sunday Star Short Story Competition. Kerry was accepted, out of 200 applicants as one of 12 in the first year of Karl Stead and Michael Gifkins Stage 3 English, Creative Writing Course at Auckland University in 1983. Her novel Wahine was published in 2011. She has been married to Bill Newson for 36 years. She has three children and grandchildren. Her interests are gardening, writing, swimming, politics and the environment. She spends her time in Avondale, Auckland and the beautiful beach, Orere Point. ...more