Raymond Huber

Raymond Huber has written several books for children about honey bees. Sting is a novel told from a bee’s viewpoint and was a finalist in the New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards in 2010. A sequel novel (Wings) and a picture book (Flight of the Honey Bee) will be published by Walker in 2011. Raymond's other published works include English and science textbooks for primary and intermediate schools, articles for the School Journal and short stories for Random House collections.

Raymond has lived mainly in Christchurch and Dunedin. He has degrees in Horticultural Science, Education and a Diploma in Children’s Literature. He's been a social worker; a gardener; a primary teacher; and is now a writer, a freelance editor, and teaches writing classes in school, Polytechnic and University settings.

Sharon Greenway (Magpies) describes Sting as a ‘…wonderfully imaginative story.’ Vanda Symon says it is ‘particularly appealing to that often neglected group of readers – boys. My two loved it, and have re-read and re-read it.’

Raymond writes, ‘Sting brings together my love of children’s literature and science. I wanted to create an adventure with a small hero who saves the world. Honey bees proved perfect characters and enabled me to use biology as a basis for the fiction. Inspirations were The Hobbit, Phillip Temple’s kea novels and Ian McEwan’s Daydreamer.’

Selected bibliography:

• Sting (Walker Books 2009).
• Wings (Walker Books 2011).

Awards:

• New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards 2010 Junior Fiction finalist for Sting.
• Storylines Notable Books 2010 Junior Fiction list for Sting.
• Sir Julius Vogel Awards 2010 Best Young Adult Novel nominee for Sting.

 Website:

• Raymond Huber

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