New Zealand Writers

JANSEN, Adrienne

I have a particular interest in working alongside migrant communities, to ensure that their stories are heard.

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JANSEN, Adrienne (1947 - ) is a novelist, poet, non-fiction writer and teacher. She has worked for many years with immigrants to New Zealand, teaching English and publishing two books documenting immigrant womens' experiences.

"I have a particular interest in working alongside migrant communities, to ensure that their stories are heard," she writes.

Reflecting her interest in providing practical assistance to immigrant women, Jansen's first book, Having a Baby in New Zealand (1985) is published in Samoan, Cantonese, Vietnamese and Khmer as well as English. She has co-authored a second book with a practical focus, Neighbourhood Groups (1986).

Borany's Story (1991) is an account of the life of Borany Kanal, a Cambodian immigrant and co-author of the book, which was originally a radio programme broadcast by Radio New Zealand in 1989. It is a simply-written and moving first person account of a woman's escape from the Khmer Rouge, and eventual resettling in New Zealand. The book was shortlisted for the New Zealand Library Association Non Fiction Award, and is widely used in schools.

Ten immigrant women tell their stories to Adrienne Jansen in I have in my arms both ways (1990). The title comes from one of the women, Tongan immigrant Valeti Finau: "I have in my arms both ways. I can see my Tokelau way, it's good. I can see the palagi way, it's good. I don't want to put one down and lift the other up... I can carry them both." The book is one of the few accounts of immigrant women's experiences in New Zealand.

From 1993 - 1999 Adrienne Jansen was coordinator of the Whitireia Community Polytechnic Writing Programme. Having written fiction and poetry "on the side" for many years her first novel, Spirit Writing (1999), appeared after a long gestation period.

"[C]aptivating, powerful and beautifully written," writes Michael Larsen in The Evening Post.

"The book deals in part with the themes of cultural identity and cultural difference which recur in Jansen's non-fiction."

In the Waikato Times Beryl Fletcher writes that "it's great to read a New Zealand novel that explores the fraught relationships that can occur between refugees and locals."

Adrienne Jansen was one of four poets in the collection How Things Are (1996), where her work appeared with that of Meg Campbell, Harry Ricketts, and J.C. Sturm. Her first solo collection of poetry is a stone seat and a shadow tree (2001).

(KC.)