Peter Farrell

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Farrell, Peter (–) is a fiction writer and memoirist.

A former director of The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Farrell has also worked as a public servant, ministerial secretary and in various change management and policy development roles.

Farrell has contributed short fiction to several anthologies and journals, including A Magpie Stole My Heart (2003) and issues of the 4th Floor Journal. His writing has also been broadcast on Radio New Zealand and he was commended in the Novice Writer Award category of the 1997 BNZ Katherine Mansfield Awards.

Peter Farrell studied creative writing with New Zealand author Fiona Kidman before gaining an advanced diploma in applied arts (creative writing) from Whitireia Community Polytechnic. He also completed the Life Writing course at Massey University.

In 2012 he was runner-up in the New Zealand Society of Authors (NZSA) Memoir and Local History Competition. The following year, his memoir, The Lie That Settles, was published by writers collective Oceanbooks. The Lie That Settles was praised by critics and reviewers. Kathryn Ryan described the book on her Nine to Noon show on Radio New Zealand as ‘A wonderful social history alongside a personal history. A delightful book.’ In her review for Massey University’s DefiningNZ, Maree Hoare commented, ‘Farrell's memoir is a captivating story, a lesson in hope, and a personal history written with empathy, skill and honesty.’

Jane Westaway reviewed the memoir for New Zealand Books, writing, ‘This is a deeply humane account. At the same time as it’s a loving, respectful portrait of his mother (to whom it is dedicated), it refuses to condemn his father. What drives Farrell is the longing to connect. He astutely avoids sentimentality and judgment.’

In 2014 Farrell was a guest author at the Auckland Writers Festival.

MEDIA LINKS AND CLIPS

• Peter Farrell’s author website
• Visit The Lie That Settles website for links to reviews and other responses to the book