Biography
Born in Christchurch, 1965, Tania Roxborogh spent the first 25 years of her life travelling around the country. As a result of her nomadic childhood, she experienced much of what it meant to grow up in New Zealand in the sixties, seventies and eighties from tobogganing on the hills around the Port Hills, to scuba diving in the Bay of Islands, from working in North Canterbury shearing sheds, to painting houses and warehouses in Whangarei. Though her growing up years were fraught with difficulties, some self-inflicted, most not, she persisted with her love of language and literature and graduated from Massey University and Auckland College of Education.
Tania Roxborogh, an award winning writer and teacher, is the author of over thirty published works across a range of genres: novels for teenagers and children, plays for the classroom, Shakespearean texts, English grammar books, and adult non-fiction. She has been the recipient of two Teach NZ study awards (2014 and 2022). She graduated with a BA in Humanities from Massey University in 1988, a BA in Māori from Otago University (2015), was awarded first class honours in Māori Knowledge (Massey University, 2022) and is currently working toward a doctorate (Massey University) looking at strategies to help teachers imbue their teaching of Shakespeare with mātauranga Māori.. Tania and her husband live in Lincoln, Canterbury where she studies and tries to fit in writing and reading and taking care of her animals.
List of Books Written By Tania Roxborogh
Novels for children and young adults:
- If I Could Tell You... Harper Collins Publishers, 1997
- Runaway New House Publishers, 1998; reprinted by TK Roxborogh
- Grit New House Publishers, 1998; reprinted by TK Roxborogh
- Compulsion Scholastic New Zealand 1999; reprinted by TK Roxborogh
- Whispers Scholastic New Zealand 2001
- Limelight Scholastic New Zealand 2002
- The Ring New House Publishers, 2002; reprinted by TK Roxborogh
- Third Degree Longacre Press 2005
- Space Gum Longacre Press 2008
- Banquo’s Son Penguin NZ, 2009; republished by Thomas & Mercer (UK) 2015
- Bloodlines Penguin NZ, 2010; republished by Thomas & Mercer (UK) 2016
- Birthright, Penguin NZ, 2013
- Bastion Point, Scholastic NZ, 2017
- Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea, Huia Publishers, 2020
- Charlie Tangaroa and the God of War, Huia Publishers, 2024
Non-Fiction:
- Fat Like Me - Penguin Books August 2005
- No, it’s not okay: strategies to help parents, teachers and kids stop the bullying cycle - Penguin, 2007 - republished as an ebook by Bay Road Media as 'Stop Bullying'
- Kids Behaving Bravely: building a resilient child. - Penguin Books 2008
Plays:
- Fifteen Minute Shakespeare - Longman Paul 1997
- Twenty Minute Shakespeare - Longman Paul 1998
- Three Funny Plays - New House Publishers, (now Cengage), 1998
- Three Spooky Plays - New House Publishers, (now Cengage), 1999
Text Books:
- Performing With Purpose - Longman Paul 1995
- English Basics - New House Publishers, (now Cengage), 1999
- More English Basics - New House Publishers, (now Cengage), 2000
- The Essential Shakespeare Series: The Merchant of Venice - New House Publishers, (now Cengage) 2001
- The Essential Shakespeare Series: Macbeth - New House Publishers, (now Cengage), 2003
- The Essential Shakespeare Series: The Tempest - New House Publishers , (now Cengage), 2003
- Getting Familiar With The Unfamiliar, NCEA English L1, Cengage 2017
- Getting Familiar With The Unfamiliar, NCEA English L2, Cengage 2018
- Serious Fun in English, Book 1, Cengage 2019
- Getting Familiar With The Unfamiliar, NCEA English L3, Cengage 2020
Poetry:
- 'The First Signs', The Otago Daily Times, 2011
- 'At 17', The Otago Daily Times, 2013; The NZ Listener 2014
- 'On Leaving,' The Otago Daily Times, 2016
- 'Rapurapu Weaving', in Ko Aotearoa Tātou - We Are New Zealand, edited by Michelle Elvy, Paula Morris, James Norcliffe, David Eggleton (Art Editor), Otago University Press, 2020
Picture books
- Sammy's Koha, The Ministry of Education, 2023
Awards and Achievements:
- Pūrehuroa Award and Te Rau Angitū Mentoring Scholarship, 2023
- 2023 IBBY Selection of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities: Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea.
- Storylines Notable Book Award: Tiare Tangaroa me te Tāipo Moana, 2022
- 2022 IBBY Certificate of Honour for Writing: Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea.
- TeachNZ Study Award Scholarship for 2022.
- Pūrehuroa Award and Te Rau Angitū Mentoring Scholarship, 2022
- Storylines Notable Book Award: Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea, 2021
- Supreme Winner: The Margaret Mahy Book of the year and winner of The Esther Glen Award, Junior Fiction for Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea, 2021, NZCYA Book Awards
- Nominated for the Sir Julius Vogel (SJV) Award for: Best Youth Novel: Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea (2021)
- Michael King Writers Centre 2020 Winter Residency
- Storylines Notable Book Award: Bastion Point, 2017
- Winner, Esther Glen Award, Junior Fiction for Bastion Point, 2017, NZCYA Book Awards
- Excellence Scholarship in Arts, The University of Otago, 2015
- TeachNZ Study Award Scholarship for 2014.
- Storylines Notable Book Award: Birthright, 2014
- Storylines Notable Book Award: Bloodlines, 2011
- LIANZA Young Adult Award: Bloodlines shortlisted, 2010
- LIANZA Young Adult Award winner; Banquo’s Son 2010
- NZ Post Children’s Book Awards: Banquo’s Son shortlisted, 2010
- Storylines Notable Book Award: Banquo’s Son, 2010
- Children Writer in Residence Dunedin College of Education. 2006