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Philippa Werry

Philippa Werry was born in Christchurch and grew up in Wellington, Auckland and New Plymouth. After university, she worked as a librarian and travelled widely overseas. Philippa started writing for the School Journal when the first of her three daughters was born.

As well as her children’s novels and non-fiction titles, Philippa has written many stories, plays, poems and articles for the School Journal and other educational publications, and reviews and articles for Booknotes, The Sapling and New Zealand Author. Her work has been included in several anthologies and some of her stories have been broadcast on Radio New Zealand. She went to Gallipoli in April 2014 to help at the Anzac Day services with Gallipoli Volunteers and spent a week at Scott Base in December 2016 with Antarctica New Zealand. Philippa  is currently Chair of the Wellington Writers Walk.

Philippa Werry

Selected bibliography:

  • The NZ Series; Wild Life: An Animal History of Aotearoa Part 9 (Oratia, 2026)
  • The NZ Series; New Zealand Migration Part 7 (Oratia, 2023)
  • Iris and Me (Cuba Press, 2023)
  • Quarantine (Scholastic, 2022; My New Zealand Story; prev pub as Enemy at the Gate)
  • Voices from Around the World: Pacific Islands New Zealand, with André Ngāpō, consultant (Norwood Press, 2022)
  • The Water Bottle, illustrated by Burak Akbay (Oratia, 2022)
  • The Other Sister (Pipi Press, 2021)
  • This is Where I Stand, illustrated by Kieran Rynhart (Scholastic, 2021)
  • Our Incredible Dogs (New Holland, 2020)
  • Antarctic Journeys (New Holland, 2019)
  • The Telegram (Pipi Press, 2019)
  • The New Zealand Wars (New Holland, 2018)
  • Armistice Day: The New Zealand story: what it is and why it matters (New Holland, 2016)
  • Waitangi Day: the New Zealand story: what it is and why it matters (New Holland, 2015)
  • Best Mates, illustrated by Bob Kerr (New Holland, 2014)
  • Harbour Bridge (Scholastic, 2014)
  • Anzac Day: The New Zealand Story: What It Is and Why It Matters (New Holland 2013)
  • Lighthouse Family (Scholastic, 2013)
  • A Girl Called Harry (Scholastic 2010)
  • Enemy at the Gate (Scholastic 2008; reprinted Pipi Press, 2020)
  • The Great Chocolate Cake Bake Off (Scholastic 2007; reprinted Pipi Press 2020)
  • Top Secret (Gilt Edge Publishing 2006)
  • Wonderful Wheels Day, illustrated by Alice Bell (Scholastic 2004)
  • The Lost Watch, illustrated by Alice Bell (Scholastic 2003).

Awards:

  • 2024 Shortlisted for the Storylines Tessa Duder Award
  • 2024 IBBY Honour List for Iris and Me
  • 2023 Winner, Young Adult Fiction Award, NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults for Iris and Me
  • 2023 Longlisted for the ARA Historical Novel Prize for Iris and Me
  • 2023 Storylines Notable Book Award, Young Adult list for Iris and Me
  • 2022 Highly commended Storylines Notable Book Award 2022, Young Adult list for The Other Sister
  • 2022 Runner-up, NZSA Laura Solomon Cuba Press Prize
  • 2021 Storylines Notable Book Award, Picture Book list for This is Where I Stand
  • 2021 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, Picture Book shortlist for This is Where I Stand 
  • 2020 Storylines Notable Books Award, Junior Fiction list for The Telegram
  • 2019 Storylines Notable Book Award, Non-Fiction list for The New Zealand Wars
  • 2019 Fiction Special Mention, NZ Heritage Book Awards for The Telegram
  • 2019 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, Junior Fiction shortlist for The Telegram
  • 2019 Michael King Writers Centre Easter Residency (https://writerscentre.org.nz/about-our-residency-programme/)
  • 2018 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults non-fiction shortlist for The New Zealand Wars
  • 2017 Storylines Notable Book Award, Non-fiction List for Armistice Day: The New Zealand Story
  • 2016 Antarctica New Zealand community engagement programme
  • 2016 Storylines Notable Book Award, Non-fiction List for Waitangi Day: The New Zealand Story
  • 2016 Anzac Bridge Fellowship with NZ Pacific Studio: Two Bridges, Two Countries (Kaiparoro, NZ and Brooweena, Australia) http://anzacbridge.blogspot.co.nz/
  • 2015 Storylines Notable Book Award, Junior Fiction list for Harbour Bridge
  • 2015 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults children’s choice non-fiction shortlist for Waitangi Day: The New Zealand Story
  • 2015 CLNZ / NZSA Research Grant
  • 2015 Storylines Notable Book Award, Non-fiction List for Waitangi Day: The New Zealand Story
  • 2014 New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, Non-fiction shortlist for Anzac Day
  • 2014 Storylines Notable Book Award, Junior Fiction List for Lighthouse Family
  • 2014 Storylines Notable Book Award, Non fiction List for Anzac Day
  • 2014 LIANZA Children’s Book Awards, Non-fiction Shortlist for Anzac Day
  • 2011 Storylines Notable Book Award, Junior Fiction List for A Girl Called Harry
  • 2011 New Zealand Society of Authors Mid Career Writers Grant
  • 2009 New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards Shortlist for Enemy at the Gate
  • 2007 Storylines Notable Book Award, Junior Fiction List for The Great Chocolate Cake Bake Off
  • 2006 Jack Lasenby Award
  • 2004 Bilby Awards (Queensland) Shortlist for The Lost Watch

Other Resources:

Author blog

Going to Gallipoli blog

Children’s war books blog

Going to Antarctica blog

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