Mary-Anne Scott was born in Hastings into a big family of eleven where the culture was music, reading, church and family. She played the cello and the guitar and has sung in bands and groups all her life.

After leaving school, Mary-Anne studied cello and classical guitar. Music was her main creative outlet as she raised her four sons but when her boys were teenagers she started writing young adult fiction, partly to help make sense of the chaos. Six grandchildren, six novels and many years later, writing children’s stories and encouraging children to be life-time readers are two of the things she is most passionate about. Her first book, Snakes and Ladders was a finalist in the New Zealand children’s book awards and the LIANZA awards and went on to win the teenage choice award for 2012. Coming home to Roost was a finalist in the NZ children’s book awards and was awarded a Storylines Notable Book award. Sticking with Pigs was also awarded a Storylines Notable Book award and was a finalist in the New Zealandchildren’s book awards and the New Zealand mountain fiction award. Spearo was awarded a Storylines Notable Book award and her most recent novel, The Tomo, was a finalist in the 2022 children’s book awards.