Bernard Beckett

A high school teacher with a particular love for writing plays and teaching drama, film and outdoor education, Bernard Beckett was brought up in Masterton and now lives in Wellington with his wife, Clare Knighton (and co-author of Deep Fried).

In 2005 he took a break from teaching as he was awarded a Royal Society NZ Science, Mathematics and Technology Teaching Fellowship. He explored DNA mutations while working at the Allen Wilson Centre for Molecular Evolution, Massey University. Genesis is the first of three works he started in 2005. Falling for Science (2007), is an adult non-fiction title offering a history of the ideas behind recent scientific development, and introducing arguments about the nature of consciousness, evolutionary biology, artificial intelligence – and more.

'The trouble with novels is that you can't plan them. They are a self-assembling biological process, and the writer's job is simply to feed them, and provide a benign developmental environment. As if to drive the point home, the novel I began working on in February underwent a lethal mutation somewhere in the middle of June, and by July I had to face the fact that the heart of my 50,000 word work-in progress was no longer beating. On the upside, it had produced healthy offspring, and I am now planning three new writing projects. The first, already well advanced, is a sci-fi novel for teenagers, working off an evolutionary theme. The second is a series of essays, based upon my research and musings during the year, and the third's an historical novel set in the mid 1800's, using the twin arrivals of Darwin's Dangerous Idea, as it has been called, in Victorian England, and Catholicism in Tokelau. Which of these will grow strong and true enough to make it onto the book shelves remains to be seen' (Allen Wilson Centre newsletter September 2005)

In 2008 Genesis made publishing history when UK publisher Quercus Books offered the largest advance ever put forward for a young adult novel in New Zealand. The novel, also published in Australia, was  released in the UK in early 2009 in simultaneous young adult and adult editions. Genesis was also longlisted in Australia's 2008 Inky Awards. Bernard's latest work Acid Song (2008) is an adult novel which combines science, ethics, controversy and relationships.

Selected bibliography:

• Lester (Longacre Press 1999).
• Red Cliff (Longacre Press 2000).
• Jolt (Longacre Press 2001).
• No Alarms (Longacre Press 2002). 
• Home Boys (Longacre Press 2003). 
• Malcolm and Juliet (Longacre Press 2004).
• Deep Fried with Clare Knighton. (Longacre Press 2005). 
• Genesis (Longacre Press 2006). 

Awards:

• Storylines Notable Books List 2000 Senior Fiction list for Lester.
• Storylines Notable Books List 2001 Senior Fiction list for Red Cliff.
• Storylines Notable Books List 2002 Senior Fiction list for Jolt.
• White Ravens List 2002 for Jolt.
• Storylines Notable Books List 2003 Senior Ficiton list for No Alarms.
• New Zealand Book Council International Writers’ Programme sponsorship 2003.
• Esther Glen Award 2005 for Malcolm and Juliet.
• Storylines Notable Bookst List 2005 Senior Young Adult list for Malcolm and Juliet.
• Royal Society NZ Science, Mathematics and Technology Teaching Fellowship 2005.
• New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2005 Young Adult Fiction winner for Malcolm and Juliet.
• Storylines Notable Books List 2006 Young Adult Fiction list for Deep Fried.
• New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2006 Young Adult fiction shortlist for Deep Fried.
• New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2007 Young Adult Fiction winner for Genesis.
• Storylines Notable Books List 2007 Young Adult Fiction list for Genesis.
• Esther Glen Award 2007 for Genesis.
• Inky Awards 2008 shortlist for Genesis.
• IBBY Honour Book Writing 2008 for Genesis.