Sarah Ell: 2026
Mid-Autumn Residency

Sarah was born and raised on Auckland’s North Shore, and trained as a newspaper journalist before working in magazines and book publishing. She has a Bachelor of Arts in New Zealand history from Massey University and a Master of Creative Writing from the University of Auckland, and is the author of thirteen books for children and adults, including popular histories Lost Wonders (2020) and The Spirit of a Place (2025). Her first novel, A Sky Full of Fire, will be published by Bateman in September 2026. During her residency she is working on another New Zealand historical novel. She still lives on the North Shore, with her husband, yacht designer Rob Shaw, and their two children.

*Photo credit – Amanda Aitken/The Elms Te Papa Tauranga