Mary-anne Scott
Mary-anne’s books (1)
Mary-anne Scott was born in 1960 in Hastings, and is the second eldest of nine children. Her father Kevin Watson was a chemist and musician and her mother, Joy Watson, authored the Grandpa’s Slippers series. The combination of music and writing, plus Scott’s love of reading, have been the driving forces in her life.
Scott’s first novel Snakes and Ladders was published by Scholastic in 2012. At the time she had four teenage sons living at home, and found writing the book cathartic and helped her make sense of motherhood. It was shortlisted for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults in 2013 and won the teenage category of the Children’s Choice award. It was also shortlisted for the LIANZA award in 2013.
In 2016 Coming Home to Roost was published by Penguin Random House and in 2017 was shortlisted for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. It was also awarded a Storylines Notable Book Award in 2017. Coming Home to Roost was the first book for young adults to address teenage pregnancy from a young man’s point of view.
In 2018, One Tree House published Sticking With Pigs and it was also shortlisted for that year’s New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. This novel targets younger readers and the story is adventure-based. It was used by many intermediate schools in the #NZreadaloud programme in 2018 and was awarded a Storylines Notable Book Award.
In February 2020, OneTree House published another hunting book for Scott, but this book, Spearo, features spearfishing and free diving.
In September 2020, Scott produced her first illustrated book. Fantastic Mr Bean was published by OneTree House to commemorate the 50th anniversary since Roald Dahl wrote Fantastic Mr Fox.
In 2017, Scott started writing a weekly column for Stuff called 'Dear Mary-anne', which is an agony aunt piece. Originally intended for parents of teenagers, it subsequently broadened to deal with all family issues and is now published in 25 papers around the country.
Scott is currently the chair of the Central Districts Branch of New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc) Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa and in 2018 was the short story judge for the Ronald Hugh Morrieson Literary awards in Taranaki.
In 2018, One Tree House published Sticking With Pigs and it was also shortlisted for that year’s New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. This novel targets younger readers and the story is adventure-based. It was used by many intermediate schools in the #NZreadaloud programme in 2018.
Scott is still writing for young adults but the experience of becoming a grandmother inspired her to produce children’s books. Scholastic is publishing her first picture book soon.
Her 2021 YA novel The Tomo (OneTree House) was reviewed by David Hill, who writes "compelling realistic and heart-thumpingly engrossing. A boy and his dog. A family crisis, a sudden wrench, a fearsome ordeal. Classic elements, which Mary-anne Scott fuses into this pacy, authentic story of loss and triumph."
MEDIA AND LINKS
Mary-anne's website
Mary-anne Scott's profile on Penguin NZ
Mary-anne's Facebook page
Sticking with Pigs review on The Sapling
Coming Home to Roost review on Bob's Book Blog
Snakes and Ladders review in The Listener
Teacher's Notes for Sticking With Pigs
Teacher's Notes for Spearo
Sapling review of Spearo
