My Story
I’ve created stories for as long as I can remember. Some never made it to paper and have quietly taken up residency somewhere in my brain. I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and with three young kids, I decided to follow my dreams of being a published writer. I wanted to show them what it meant to live a life that brought joy and happiness. It started with simply writing. It became serious when I chose to invest in my work; I hired a brilliant editor and commissioned a local artist to help me put my first book together: Loopy Lucy: Flying with Hubble.
What inspired me to write for middle-grade readers?
My love of reading started at ten years old with a torch and an R.L. Stine Goosebumps book. I’d hide under my covers and read in secret late into the night. When I finally fell asleep, I’d often startle awake and be a little scared of strange silhouettes in the corners of my room. Sounds terrifying, right? I loved it! From fantasy to horror, I loved being transported to a new world. Now I write stories that take kids on their own grand adventures.
News!
Storylines Trust Te Whare Waituhi Tamariki o Aotearoa
The Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award for a junior fiction manuscript (in association with Scholastic NZ) was awarded to Claire Aramakutu.
The manuscript 'Koro’s Star' spoke to her tight-knit community in Burnham where, over a mere few blocks, kids of differing ethnicities, nationalities, and family structures come together to play, learn, and create memories.
Congratulations Claire!