Amy McDaid: 2020
Emerging Writers Residency

Amy McDaid: 2020
Emerging Writers Residency

Amy McDaid: 2020
Emerging Writers Residency
1625 1625 Michael King Writers Centre

Amy is a New Zealand writer of Rarotongan descent. She has a Master of Creative Writing from the University of Auckland with first class honours, and won the Sir James Wallace Prize in 2017. She enjoys being a perpetual student, taking ten happy years to complete a Bachelor of Arts in English and History. Amy also has a Bachelor of Nursing and a Postgraduate Certificate in Neonatal Nursing, and loves caring for New Zealand’s tiniest citizens. She’s written pieces for The Spinoff and Auckland University’s Three Lamps Literary Journal, and her short story Kōwhai was short-listed for the Katherine Mansfield Competition in 2010. She lives in Titirangi with her five year old daughter Eleanor, two obscenely fluffy cats, (both free to a good home), and at most times of the day can be found in front of her computer in a dressing gown.

Her debut novel FAKE BABY was published in May 2020. It is a dark comedy following three people over nine days: a socially-awkward pharmacist, a homeless man and a grieving mother. It has been described by Paula Morris as ‘moving and wise’.

Amy is looking forward to knuckling down on her second novel during her residency. Another darkly funny work — this time about a nurse whose rebellion against the hospital system is causing her all sorts of trouble. (Any resemblances to her work colleagues will be purely coincidental).