Margaret Mahy: a writer's life

A literary portrait of New Zealand's best-loved children's author Margaret Mahy's death on 23 July 2012 brought forth an unprecedented outpouring of grief and heartfelt tributes from around New Zealand and the world. Her passing at 76 was breaking news in the media, unstoppable through the social networks, noted by political leaders in Parliament and by children in classrooms throughout the country. Celebrated as a member of the Order of New Zealand (the country's highest civil honour), twice honorary Doctor of Letters and twice winner of Britain's Carnegie Medal for children's literature, Margaret was one of the world's leading authors for younger readers for four decades. In her own country she was popularly known as the writer in the multicoloured wig who wrote marvellously funny picture books and enchanted generations of school children. But internationally, she was primarily recognised for her ground-breaking young adult novels; anyone who heard her speak knew that she was also a brilliant essayist, an expert on children's literature, a scholar and philosopher. For many fellow writers, teachers and librarians she was a treasured friend, supportive, generous and wonderful company. For children, she was the storyteller supreme, warm, full of wonder, magic and mischief - and on their side. Her story had its fairy-tale elements. In 1968, a hard-pressed solo mother of two daughters, working as a librarian by day and writing long into the night, she was 'discovered' by a leading American publisher who flew 'to the end of the earth' to offer her a multi-book publishing contract.