Award-Winning New Zealand Author & Storyteller

Welcome to the literary world of Marion Day...

Marion lives in the outer Pelorus Sound, an area of outstanding natural beauty within the Marlborough Sounds, Aotearoa/New Zealand. She is an award-winning Kiwi author who works in a variety of genres and likes to write on subjects she is familiar with, especially those that have to do with adventure and the outdoors.

Iya - New Release: March 2026

Get out! Go Wild!
Middle Grade

Latest News

News from 2026

Marion was awarded the Rural Women New Zealand Service Simply Given Award at Marlborough Provincial centennial celebrations in March. The citation covered her services as a writer and dedicated judge.

Marion's short story was accepted for the analogy liminal gathering 2 – another meaningful contribution to the literary scene in Aotearoa and internationally.

Marion enjoyed carrying out three writing workshops for children at Seddon School, part of the Pelorus Cluster.

Iya, the story of an energetic puppy who grows up to be her master's hunting dog, was released in March 2026. Richard Hoit uniquely illustrates Iya from Marion's photographs, carefully crafting it for ages 4-6.

News from 2025

Marion's latest book, Get Out! Go Wild!, was released in March and accepted by Scholastic Publishers for their school programme. It has also made its way onto the NZ bestseller list. The Poetry Project, a national anthology, includes her poem Climate Change. A national short story anthology due later in the year will showcase Marion’s winning short story, Plonked. Her most recent picture book, Iya, a story about a hunting dog that blends art and photography, is in its initial stages. Due March 2026. Marion is also diligently working on her debut novel, Let the Lies Begin.

News from 2024

Marion won the Rural Women's New Zealand National Short Story Competition - Present category. Her story will appear in the 2025 RWZZ Centennial Book, available in bookshops when published. Wellington City Libraries has chosen Pakupaku Pīwakawaka to have its pages transformed into billboards for a nature trail in one of Wellington's central parks. WCL works with the city's Parks, Sports, and Recreation staff on a project called Te Ara Pukapuka (Book Pathways). The billboards will be placed throughout nature trails and reserve pathways in Wellington for tamariki and their whānau to discover while exploring the region.

News from 2023

Marion is thrilled her story Belladonna has been accepted for Flash Frontier (an adventure in short fiction) July edition Moana/Ocean. Pakupaku Pīwakawaka, a new book in Marion’s popular nature series was released in October 2023, and her debut young adult novel, Whakaari, was released in March.

News from 2022

Marion is delighted to be working with Kiwi and International Illustrator Richard Hoit on Elton the Flying Crane - a children’s picture book series beginning with four titles. Elton, the third biggest helicopter in the world, fights wildfires and carries heavy-lift jobs and rescues. It’s a super-exciting series and children are sure to fall in love with Elton and his friends, Connie the helicopter and Flaps the aeroplane bomber.

News from 2021

Marion is thrilled to have her Young Adult manuscript Pipi accepted by The Cuba Press. This will be released in the first quarter of 2022. (On Hold)

Marion’s project for 2021 is the reprint of the sort-after Injun Joe - The Legend of Smoking Joe Collins. Injun Joe will be a limited edition, collectable. Each book will be printer stamped as such. The print run is very small. New excerpts, bigger size, hardcover book in elegant slipcase. Over 160 new photos, larger and enhanced. From 263 to 320 pages. Email early to secure your copy.

News from 2020

Love and Loss, one of four beautiful anthologies published by Exisle Publishing (NZ), includes Marion’s short story Small Things. Her story beat hundreds of other entries from around the world. Love and Loss, Human Kindness, Fear and Courage, Struggle and Success can be found on Amazon as well as bookstores throughout New Zealand, United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Direct Link: https://exislepublishing.com/product-category/emotional-inheritance/timeless-wisdom/

Marion is delighted to announce that every book she has written is eligible for the Public Lending Right for New Zealand Authors Royalty Scheme 2020. To meet this criteria, there must be more than 50 books (each title) in National Libraries in New Zealand. Every book taken out, receives a 3 cent royalty paid yearly. A great help to authors.

News from 2019

If you missed watching National TV Programme Country Calendar (Nov 2019) that included a sneak peak of Marion’s books as part of Katy and Jason’s (son) sheep milking operation in Taupo, watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPBN4S-HfI8

Marion has been enrolled at the National Office of Rural Women New Zealand as a Branch Member of Honour - a honour conferred on her by the Kenepuru Branch in consideration of long and outstanding service to Rural Women New Zealand. 16/Jul/2019

Marion is a member of:

New Zealand Society of Authors (NZSA)
Storylines
Rural Women New Zealand
NZSA Top of the South
Writers of Marlborough
Writers in Schools Programme

Award-Winning New Zealand Author & Storyteller

Welcome to the literary world of Marion Day...

Iya - New Release: March 2026

Get out! Go Wild! Middle Grade

Get out! Go Wild!
Middle Grade