Claire Mabey

Claire Mabey is a New Zealand children's writer and books editor for The Spinoff . ^[1] She is the founder of literary festival Verb Wellington. ^[2]

In 2020 Mabey received a Ghost Light Award at the Wellington Theatre Awards, and was described in the citation as "a force of nature in the Wellington arts community". ^[3]

In 2024 her first book The Raven's Eye Runaways was published by Allen & Unwin. ^{[4] [5]} She had received the 2022 Creative New Zealand Louis Johnson New Writer's Bursary to support her work on the novel. ^[6] Hera Lindsay Bird described it as "powerfully atmospheric", and said Mabey "pays her young readers the highest compliment, by respecting their intelligence, compassion and capacity for language". ^[7] The book won the NZSA Best First Book Award at the 2025 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. ^[8]

References

1. Mabey, Claire (12 July 2024). "Claire Mabey". The Spinoff. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
2. "Writer: Claire Mabey – Writers • Auckland Writers Festival". www.writersfestival.co.nz. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
3. "Ngā Whakarākei O Whātaitai // Wellington Theatre Awards". Theatreview. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
4. Chumko, André (1 July 2024). "Children's book first in series for Verb festival founder". The Post. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
5. Booklovers, N. Z. (10 July 2024). "The Raven's Eye Runaways by Claire Mabey". nzbooklovers. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
6. "Mabey awarded Creative NZ Louis Johnson New Writer's Bursary". Books+Publishing. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
7. Bird, Hera Lindsay (13 July 2024). "'Powerfully atmospheric': The Raven's Eye Runaways, reviewed". The Spinoff. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
8. "2025 Awards Winners | New Zealand Book Awards Trust". www.nzbookawards.nz. Retrieved 26 August 2025.