Tessa's world of writing 'I'LL NEVER GIVE UP'

The Alex author always has a new plot twist and a best-seller up her sleeve

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Beloved Kiwi author Tessa Duder bristles at the claim that “children don’t read any more”. She fears it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy and a deeply misguided one. “Of course they read,” she insists. “We hear all these things about kids’ concentration spans being less and it’s true, I suppose due to social media, but there are still a lot of kids out there who are prepared to read long books and long fiction.

“Children just need encouragement – they need role models who read and the opportunity to find books they love. If you talk about books in the family and the parents take their kids to the library, that’s one of the most valuable things they can do. Enthusiastic teachers can be key. There’s still so much joy to be found in reading.”

Children’s literature remains her greatest passion, and at 84, Tessa still finds as much satisfaction in writing as she did when she first began her career in the early 1980s.

It’s been nearly 40 years since she cemented her place as one of New Zealand’s most acclaimed children’s and young adult authors, with her beloved Alex novels leaving a lasting mark on generations of Kiwi teens. Much has changed in the world of publishing since then, but one thing remains the same: her unwavering dedication to storytelling.

“As long as I’ve still got my marbles, I’ll keep doing it,” she laughs, welcoming us into her Auckland home. It’s a chilly morning, but sunlight spills into the cosy cottage, where her desk is perfectly positioned to catch the morning light. “It’s a busy little area,” she admits.

While the four