Angie Belcher

Like the volcanic ash erupting from Stromboli and carried on winds across far oceans, my father and his family arrived in Island Bay, Wellington New Zealand in 1923.

The journey from Italy in those days was long and thwart with discomfort and doubts. After a long period their lives settled down and the circle of life continued.

My writing journey shares similarities; caste off- shore, sinking or swimming, uncertainty as to what the future holds and whether the effort is worthwhile.

While my Italian side has given me creativity and a colorful upbringing, it is the New Zealand connection that has influenced my writing; culture, environment, education and adventure.

Diving, caving, hiking and biking provided exciting writing prospects resulting in commissioned work in Sri Lanka, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and parts of Europe. The published work began appearing in travel, adventure and inflight magazines. But it was teaching and motherhood which allowed me to look closer to home resulting in The Girls in the Kapahaka, also produced as a radio story, and The Woven Flax Kete which was rewritten as a school production.

Writing has also provided me with many interesting and sometimes bizarre opportunities including being used as: a window display during New Zealand Book Month, the prize in a raffle at a literary conference and being part of a living art work during an arts festival

I can hardly imagine what will come next.