Stephanie Johnson

Stephanie Johnson is a writer, critic and creative writing teacher who lives in Auckland, New Zealand.

Her first serious works were for the stage. In 1985 her prize-winning play Accidental Phantasies enjoyed successful productions in Wellington and Auckland, the same year she left for what was to be five years in Sydney, Australia. The following year, when Stephanie was twenty-five, Hard Echo Press published her first book of poems The Bleeding Ballerina. A collection of short stories followed – The Glass Whittler - published simultaneously in Australia (Penguin) and New Zealand (The New Women’s Press).

At the end of 1989, Stephanie returned to New Zealand with her Australian partner Tim Woodhouse and their year-old son Stanley. They made their home in Grey Lynn, Auckland, where they have lived ever since. Their daughters Maeve and Willa were born in 1990 and 1994.

In 1992 Stephanie’s first novel Crimes of Neglect (Picador Australia and New Women's Press New Zealand) appeared. Over the next twelve years six more novels were published to wide acclaim. These are The Heart's Wild Surf (Random House United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand) 1996; (St Martin’s Press, New York) May 2003 as The Sailmaker’s Daughter; The Whistler (Allen & Unwin Australia and Vintage, Random House NZ ) May 1998; Belief (Vintage, Random House New Zealand and Australia) October 2000; (Random House U.K) November 2001; (St Martin’s Press), New York May 2002, The Shag Incident (Vintage, Random House NZ) July, 2002, Music From A Distant Room (Vintage, Random House NZ) July, 2004 and most recently John Tomb’s Head (Vintage, Random House NZ August 2006). There were also two more collections of short stories All The Tenderness Left In The World (Otago University Press) 1993 and Drowned Sprat and Other Stories (Vintage, Random House NZ) February 2005.

In 1996 the stage play Folie A Deux, co-written with Stuart Hoar, was produced at the Watershed Theatre, Auckland. Most recently Strange Children was produced by Potent Pause, Herald Theatre, Auckland, May-June, 2005. This critically acclaimed and well-attended production was directed by Michael Lawrence and starred Donogh Rees, Sarah Wiseman and David Aston. Stephanie’s plays are available from Playmarket, Wellington.

A second collection of poems, Moody Bitch, (Godwit Press NZ) was well received in 2003.

Stephanie has also written for radio and television. Most recently, she wrote for the MF Films (TVNZ) series Rude Awakenings. She has also enjoyed stints on Shortland Street and Marlin Bay.

Literary prizes and awards include the Deutz Medal for Fiction, Montana Book Awards, 2003 (for The Shag Incident), Literary Fellow at Auckland University, 2001, Belief short-listed for Montana Book Awards, 2001, Katherine Mansfield Fellow, Menton, France, 2000, The Whistler third prize in Montana Book Awards, 1999, Leading Writers’ Grant, Creative New Zealand, 1997, winner of Dymocks/Quote Unquote Reader's Poll, Best New Zealand Book 1996 (for The Heart's Wild Surf), Crimes of Neglect shortlisted for Wattie Book Awards, 1993, Bruce Mason Memorial Playwright's Award, 1985.

Since 1988 Stephanie has worked as a creative writing tutor at various summer schools and evening schools in Australia and New Zealand. With Witi Ihimaera, she established the Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Auckland and co-taught that degree from 2004-2006. Stephanie is available for manuscript assessment for aspiring writers. You can email her at steph.tim@xtra.co.nz

Last but not least, Stephanie is the co-founder (with Peter Wells) of the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival, a highly successful international festival that runs every year in late May.