Popular author drops in | Taranaki News | Local News in Taranaki

AUTHOR William Taylor visited St Mary’s School this week in connection with the Ronald Hugh Morrison Writing Awards.
With over 35 novels for children and young adults since 1981, Taylor is one of New Zealand’s most prolific and popular writers, with a significant body of his work published internationally, often in translation. 
He has received wide critical acclaim,  His humorous fiction for 10-12 year olds “Agnes the Sheep” is considered by the National Library of New Zealand as a “classic” book for the young. 
His more reflective young adult fiction has touched on issues seldom addressed in NZ writing for the young. 
Taylor was President of Honour of the NZ Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc) 2009-10.  He was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2004 for his services to children’s literature. 
Taylor’s memoir Telling Tales was launched in Taumarunui in May and he also featured at the recent Auckland Writer’s Festival. 
A review in the Listener recently states the first paragraph of Telling Tales constitutes the best opening lines for a book since Ronald Hugh Morrison’s ‘Scarecrow”.
Telling Tales starts: “When I was seven years old I saw Jesus in our garden at Roslyn Rd, Levin. It was a surprise because we didn’t get many visitors.”