Lee Murray (1965- )

SummaryLee Murray lived in Tauranga from 1997 until 2014, and still considers it her hometown. A five-time winner of the Sir Julius Vogel Award, Lee writes fiction for children and adults. Her first four novels are set in Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty.

Note: This articles was originally part of Tauranga City Library's 'Tauranga Memories' website. To your right, the 'Archived Kete Link', if present, will take you to a snapshot of the original record. Tauranga Memories was made up of several focus areas, called 'baskets'. This article was part of the Tauranga Writers Group basket. It was first published under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 New Zealand License. There are, possibily, further details at the conclusion of the biography. Please note that articles on Tauranga Memories were often uploaded on behalf of a member of the public, meaning sometimes the author is misattributed to a library staff member. Please contact us if you this is the case for an article you authored. Biography

At varsity in the late 80s, Lee dreamed of a career in science management. Instead, she was carried along in the wake of her husband's career, enjoying clotted cream teas in Hertfordshire, pumpkin pie in America's mid-west, and seven years of salade de chèvre in France.

Over the years, she tried a number of jobs: diplomat, safety officer, research scientist, and massage therapist before becoming a full-time Mum and wearing her pyjamas until lunchtime. These days, back home in Tauranga, Lee still likes to slouch around in her pyjamas, making writing her ideal profession.

Early on, Lee's writing consisted of scientific articles and technical reports. For two years, she wrote Mails from Madison, a monthly column for a Wisconsin amateur publishing (APA) magazine, the forerunner of the blog. Mostly though, she wrote school PTA and BoT reports, running club newsletters and travelogues for friends and family.

In 2007, she studied creative writing online at Northtec, obtaining distinction, and drafting the plan for her first novel. Since joining Tauranga Writers in 2009, Lee has had stories and articles published in newspapers, magazines, literary journals.

In 2011, Lee's short fiction Consumed (in A Foreign Country) was shortlisted for a Vogel Award, and she was the recipient of a NZSA mentorship to work on a young adult novel with writer Graeme Lay. Lee's first novel Battle of the Birds is a children's adventure story set in New Zealand's bush-clad past, where Annie (11) finds herself in a battle between the flying birds, led by fearsome Te Hōkioi and the flightless, including Moa. Released in September 2011, Battle of the Birds is published by Taramea Publishing.

BSc, MSc(Tech) Hons, MMS (Dist),Waikato

Diplomée de Langue et de Civilisation Française, Niveau Supérieur, Sorbonne, Paris.

National Certificate in Massage Therapy and Bodywork (USA)

The original Tauranga Memories website also collected the following information:

Article first created: 2011-08-30 01:33:33
Article last updated: 2015-11-10 23:01:00

Year relevant to this record: 2012
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Photographs

Lee Murray

Lee Murray (2011)

Lee Murray

Stories - Events

Battle of the Minden by Lee Murray

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First Name(s)LeeSurnameMurrayDate of Birth18 May 1905

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PeopleTauranga Memories (2011-2021) - PeopleKeywordsNew Zealand writerAuthorChildren's AuthorBattle of the BirdsLee Murray (1965- )

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Lee Murray (1965- )