Vanda Symon
Encyclopedia
Vanda Symon is a crime writer and radio host from Dunedin
, New Zealand
, and the Chair of the Otago Southland
Branch of the New Zealand Society of Authors.
, she grew up there and then in Hawke's Bay
. Symon calls herself “the product of a life-long love affair with books”, having developed a strong love of reading at an early age. She has said her first books obsession was with the Berenstain Bears
series of children’s books – before she moved on to “camping out at the library” and a steady diet of Rosemary Sutcliffe and TH White. The latter’s THE SWORD IN THE STONE led her to a love of all things Camelot, a fascination with medieval times, and even choosing fencing as her sport.
After high school, Symon headed south to study pharmacy at the University of Otago
in Dunedin. She practiced as a pharmacist
in the community and at the local hospice
until 1999. She started a family in 2000, and began writing full-time while looking after her children in Hawke's Bay.
She returned to Dunedin in 2005 before her first novel was published.
Symon is a fulltime mother and writer, and also produces and hosts a monthly books-focused radio show 'Write On' on Toroa Radio (It airs live on the second Wednesday of each month on Hills AM Community Radio 1575 kHz from noon to 1:00pm), serves as the Chair of the Otago Southland Branch of the New Zealand Society of Authors, and does monthly book reviews for Dunedin Diary on Channel 9 Television.
. It introduces series heroine Sam Shephard, and centres on the looks-like suicide death of a young mother in a small rural town in New Zealand. Symon told the Otago Daily Times that: “OVERKILL was 4 ½ years from go to whoa. This was very part time fitting in snippets of writing around babies and the associated demands of feeding, play, dealing with messes of all origins, household running and eyeballs-falling-out-of-head tiredness.”
Symon followed with the publication of her second novel The Ringmaster in August 2008. She has had some international success, with the German translation of Overkill, Ein Harmloser Mord, being published by Blanvalet in October 2008. Symon's third novel featuring Detective Sam Shephard, CONTAINMENT, was published in November 2009, appeared on the New Zealand Adult Fiction Bestsellers List, and is in consideration for the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel.
Symon's fourth in the series, BOUND, is due for release in Feb 2011.
You can read the first chapter of all her novels at her website http://www.vandasymon.com/
, international bestselling author.
"For a fair few years, it wasn’t New Zealand literary fiction
that made readers wince; it was the popular stuff. Our sparse scatter of romance
, thriller, adventure
writers were amateur night at best. Okay, Bob Jones still is, but in most genres, we’ve now got a decent list of achievers. Here’s another." David Hall, NZ Listener
"A rollicking good read." Kim Knight, Sunday Star-Times
"One of the best in this genre that I've read in years." Trena Marshall, Waikato Times
"...nicely balances action, character and story in a rural New Zealand setting, and speckles the book with light-hearted moments and humour..." Craig Sisterson, Good Reading
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and the Chair of the Otago Southland
Southland Region
Southland is New Zealand's southernmost region and is also a district within that region. It consists mainly of the southwestern portion of the South Island and Stewart Island / Rakiura...
Branch of the New Zealand Society of Authors.
Life
Born in TaurangaTauranga
Tauranga is the most populous city in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand.It was settled by Europeans in the early 19th century and was constituted as a city in 1963...
, she grew up there and then in Hawke's Bay
Hawke's Bay
Hawke's Bay is a region of New Zealand. Hawke's Bay is recognised on the world stage for its award-winning wines. The regional council sits in both the cities of Napier and Hastings.-Geography:...
. Symon calls herself “the product of a life-long love affair with books”, having developed a strong love of reading at an early age. She has said her first books obsession was with the Berenstain Bears
Berenstain Bears
The Berenstain Bears is a series of children's books created by Stan and Jan Berenstain. The books feature a family of anthropomorphic bears who generally learn a moral or safety-related lesson in the course of each story...
series of children’s books – before she moved on to “camping out at the library” and a steady diet of Rosemary Sutcliffe and TH White. The latter’s THE SWORD IN THE STONE led her to a love of all things Camelot, a fascination with medieval times, and even choosing fencing as her sport.
After high school, Symon headed south to study pharmacy at the University of Otago
University of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...
in Dunedin. She practiced as a pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
in the community and at the local hospice
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
until 1999. She started a family in 2000, and began writing full-time while looking after her children in Hawke's Bay.
She returned to Dunedin in 2005 before her first novel was published.
Symon is a fulltime mother and writer, and also produces and hosts a monthly books-focused radio show 'Write On' on Toroa Radio (It airs live on the second Wednesday of each month on Hills AM Community Radio 1575 kHz from noon to 1:00pm), serves as the Chair of the Otago Southland Branch of the New Zealand Society of Authors, and does monthly book reviews for Dunedin Diary on Channel 9 Television.
Writing
Symon's first novel, Overkill, was published in March 2007 in New Zealand by Penguin BooksPenguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
. It introduces series heroine Sam Shephard, and centres on the looks-like suicide death of a young mother in a small rural town in New Zealand. Symon told the Otago Daily Times that: “OVERKILL was 4 ½ years from go to whoa. This was very part time fitting in snippets of writing around babies and the associated demands of feeding, play, dealing with messes of all origins, household running and eyeballs-falling-out-of-head tiredness.”
Symon followed with the publication of her second novel The Ringmaster in August 2008. She has had some international success, with the German translation of Overkill, Ein Harmloser Mord, being published by Blanvalet in October 2008. Symon's third novel featuring Detective Sam Shephard, CONTAINMENT, was published in November 2009, appeared on the New Zealand Adult Fiction Bestsellers List, and is in consideration for the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel.
Symon's fourth in the series, BOUND, is due for release in Feb 2011.
You can read the first chapter of all her novels at her website http://www.vandasymon.com/
Reviews
"Vanda Symon's fast paced crime novels are as good as anything the US has to offer - a sassy heroine, fabulous sense of place, and rip roaring stories with a twist. Perfect curl-up on the sofa reading." Kate MosseKate Mosse
Kate Mosse is an English author and broadcaster. She is best known for her 2005 novel Labyrinth, which has been translated into more than 37 languages.- Private life :...
, international bestselling author.
"For a fair few years, it wasn’t New Zealand literary fiction
Literary fiction
Literary fiction is a term that came into common usage during the early 1960s. The term is principally used to distinguish "serious fiction" which is a work that claims to hold literary merit, in comparison from genre fiction and popular fiction . In broad terms, literary fiction focuses more upon...
that made readers wince; it was the popular stuff. Our sparse scatter of romance
Romance novel
The romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
, thriller, adventure
Adventure
An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...
writers were amateur night at best. Okay, Bob Jones still is, but in most genres, we’ve now got a decent list of achievers. Here’s another." David Hall, NZ Listener
"A rollicking good read." Kim Knight, Sunday Star-Times
"One of the best in this genre that I've read in years." Trena Marshall, Waikato Times
Waikato Times
The Waikato Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Hamilton, New Zealand, with a circulation to the greater Waikato region.The Waikato Times started out as the tri-weekly Waikato Times and Thames Valley Gazette, first published on 2 May 1872...
"...nicely balances action, character and story in a rural New Zealand setting, and speckles the book with light-hearted moments and humour..." Craig Sisterson, Good Reading
Good Reading
Good Reading is a popular monthly print magazine, focused on books and reading, based in Australia. The magazine was launched in July 2001. The popular magazine is devoted to books, and includes profiles of authors, extracts and independent reviews of the latest Australian and international...
Radio
Symon's hosts Write On, the radio show of the Otago Southland branch of the New Zealand Society of Authors, broadcast on Toroa Radio 1575 kHz AMCrime Novels
- 2007: Overkill
- 2008: The Ringmaster
- 2009: Containment
- 2011: Bound