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In her own words: "Although I call myself a New Zealand writer, I was born in St Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex, and educated at the Anglican convent school of St Mary’s, Baldslow. As my father was in the Navy we moved every eighteen months. Home base while he was at sea was Petersfield, Hants, but his shore jobs took us to Cornwall, Edinburgh, Naples, Bahrain and Cape Town. On the sea journey to Cape Town I met my future husband, Arne. We stayed on in South Africa for five years, based in Durban and exploring the Transkei, Zululand, Swaziland, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Thirty four years ago we moved on to New Zealand, where we settled, raised three children, and now run a Design business south of Auckland, with our son David.
I have been writing since I was a child - poems, stories and later, novels – fitting it around running a home and working full-time. What motivated me? In the beginning, make-believe may have replaced the companions I lost by travelling but writing became a compulsion, and a way of expressing my wonder or frustration at the world around me. Through writing I can explore situations and empathise with people of other countries. It is a God-given gift and I try to use it for His praise and glory. My poetry has appeared in several anthologies in New Zealand and my poems have been read and used in churches in New Zealand, England and South Africa. I don’t take all the credit for this. They were given me to be shared. I would like to share more of my work."
Althea's first novel is planned for release during 2009 - working title "Your Move".
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