Joy Holley

HOLLEY, Joy (1997-) is a writer currently based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington who has published fiction, poetry, and personal essays. She graduated from the International Institute of Modern Letters at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington in 2020 with a Master of Arts (Creative Writing), and was awarded a Distinction for her fiction writing portfolio. Joy also studied English Literature and Philosophy as an undergraduate.

Joy’s writing has been published in collections and anthologies including Headland, Landfall, Starling, Sweet Mammalian, The Pantograph Punch, The Spinoff, Turbine, and more. In 2023, her debut short fiction collection, Dream Girl, was published by Te Herenga Waka University Press. Ruth Spencer, writing for Kete Books, described the stories as “witty, self-aware, honest and deeply engaging, capturing the tense longing and energy of this moment in life.”

Joy is particularly interested in writing and reading about LGBTQIA+ experiences, especially those of young queer women. In 2021, Joy was awarded both first prize and the Under-25 prize in the Peter Wells Short Fiction Contest, which is run annually by the Samesame but Different LGBTQI+ Writers and Readers Festival.

Joy is a popular panellist and speaker for literary events and podcasts. She was invited to curate the Verb Wellington Festival in 2021, organising and chairing a range of panels, readings and workshops. Joy has also performed as part of the Show Ponies performance ensemble at literary festivals in Aotearoa and Australia.