By Kylie Klein-Nixon for Stuff…
Jewish author and part-time Massey University creative writing lecturer, Gigi Fenster, won the Michael Gifkins Prize for an unpublished novel, and her novel The Good Winter is shortlisted for the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction in this year’s Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.
She moved to New Zealand from her native South Africa seeking peace and calm. After a brief sojourn in Wellington, she has found it, and so much more in the beachside town of Ōtaki, north of the capital. In a writing shed at the bottom of her garden she works and watches her chickens.
GIGI FENSTER: I first started spending time in Ōtaki in 2006 – we just had a tiny house there, a little bach. Then about six years ago, I did big alterations and added on a bit, and it’s now our permanent home.
I had the work done. I do nothing myself. I’m in complete awe of New Zealanders who do everything themselves.
I had wonderful architects, Patchwork. That was some years ago, I think before they’d done what has become quite famous work.
Read the full story on Stuff here.
Read a review of “A Good Winter” here.
