Singing Home the Whale

Mandy Hager is an award-winning author of novels for adults and young adults, short stories, scripts, and non-fiction resources.

Awards and Recognition:

• Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal (2019)
• Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship (2014)
• New Zealand Society of Authors Beatson Fellowship (2012)
• LIANZA YA Fiction Award for The Nature of Ash (2013)
• Esther Glen Award for Fiction for Smashed
• NZ Post Book Awards Best Young Adult Book for The Crossing (2010)
• Storylines Notable Book Award for Singing Home the Whale (2015)
• LIANZA YA Fiction Award Finalist for Singing Home the Whale (2015)
• New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults YA Category Winner for Singing Home the Whale (2015)
• Margaret Mahy Book of the Year for Singing Home the Whale (2015)
• Heloise longlisted for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards (2018)
• The Nature of Ash shortlisted for the NZ Post Children’s Book Awards (2013)

Education:

• MA in Creative Writing from Victoria University
• Advanced Diploma in Applied Arts (Writing) from Whitireia Community Polytechnic

Career:

Mandy Hager currently works as a tutor and mentor at Whitireia Community Polytechnic. She lives with her partner on the Kapiti Coast.

Works and Critical Acclaim:

Novels for Young Adults:

• The Crossing: Hailed as “1984 for teenagers – direct, passionate and powerful” by Margaret Mahy, and compared to Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Lois Lowry’s The Giver. The New Zealand Listener described it as “classic young adult fiction” – “fast-paced, moving and the personal is always political”.
• Blood of the Lamb Trilogy (Into the Wilderness, Resurrection): Into the Wilderness was called a “sustained, gripping piece of writing” by the Listener. The trilogy concluded with Resurrection, described as “gripping, futuristic”.
• The Nature of Ash: A stand-alone thriller praised as setting “a new standard in thrilling, action-packed stories for NZ teens” and comparable to international best-selling dystopian thrillers. Reviewers noted its “exciting, explosive, action-packed” nature and lauded the authentic portrayal of its male teen protagonist. It was also seen as a “blockbuster” YA novel, a “totally gripping Wellington-set thriller”, and a political thriller with “real grit and realism”. The novel’s wider appeal was recognized, with reviewers noting its blend of coming-of-age themes, political and social warnings, and its exploration of accepting difference, standing up for beliefs, and self-acceptance, leading some to call Hager “New Zealand’s answer to Aussie writer John Marsden”.
• Singing Home the Whale: Described by judges as a novel that “should be compulsory reading in any country that still hunts whales.”

Adult Novel:

• Heloise: Longlisted for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards in 2018.

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