Fleur Beale
Encyclopedia
Fleur Beale (born 22 February 1945) is a New Zealand
teenage fiction writer
, best known for her novel I Am Not Esther, which has been published worldwide.
, Taranaki, New Zealand, on the farm where her father was born. Beale grew up in the town and attended Inglewood High School From 1958,before attending Victoria University, Wellington
and Christchurch Teachers' Training College, where she met her husband. She taught at Melville High School from the mid 80s to late 90s in Hamilton
, Waikato
and in Wellington. Beale's first stories were written for the children's radio programme Grandpa's Place. Her first book was a small reader and picture book
for young children and she started to write for teenagers in 1993. Her stories often involve troubled adolescents engaged in outdoor activities.
Beale was a finalist in the Aim Children's Book Awards (junior fiction) and her 1998 novel I Am Not Esther was shortlisted for the senior fiction section of the 1999 New Zealand Post
Children's Awards. In 1999 she was awarded the Children's Writing Fellowship at Dunedin College of Education
and quit teaching to write full time. Her 2001 novel Ambushed was a finalist for the Junior Fiction section of the 2002 New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards. Her 2004 account of how an indigenous girl discovers how her education can save her tribal lands (My Story A New Song in the Land. The Writings of Atapo, Pahia, c.1840) received a Notable Book award in 2005 as did Walking Lightly.
(literally). They go to Wellington, and find Kirby's mother in a psychiatric hospital
and help her to recover. Meanwhile Kirby has been having nightmares about becoming Esther again; it is only when she sees a documentary about the faith that she realises "Esther is dead".
The title I Am Not Esther comes from Kirby's catchphrase "I am not Esther", as this is what her aunt, uncle and other people in the faith insist on calling her. She is worried that she is turning into Esther particularly when it is pointed out to her that Kirby would have said "I'm not Esther" — the faith did not use abbreviated words.
Beale was inspired to write this by "a boy I heard about who had been thrown out of his family because he wanted to be a doctor". She describes the cultists with respect; she is hostile to the behaviour and not the people. Despite this, the cultists are depicted as brutal opponents of the brave doubters, largely as a consequence of using Kirby's perspective.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
teenage fiction writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, best known for her novel I Am Not Esther, which has been published worldwide.
Biography
Beale was one of six children of a dairy farmer Cedric Corney and of a teacher and author Estelle Corney (née Cook). She was born in InglewoodInglewood, New Zealand
Inglewood is a town in the Taranaki Region of New Zealand's North Island. The population was 3,090 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 144 from 2001. Inglewood lies 200m above sea level....
, Taranaki, New Zealand, on the farm where her father was born. Beale grew up in the town and attended Inglewood High School From 1958,before attending Victoria University, Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
and Christchurch Teachers' Training College, where she met her husband. She taught at Melville High School from the mid 80s to late 90s in Hamilton
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
, Waikato
Waikato
The Waikato Region is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato, Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Taupo District, and parts of Rotorua District...
and in Wellington. Beale's first stories were written for the children's radio programme Grandpa's Place. Her first book was a small reader and picture book
Picture book
A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. The images in picture books use a range of media such as oil paints, acrylics, watercolor and pencil.Two of the earliest books with something like the format picture books still retain now...
for young children and she started to write for teenagers in 1993. Her stories often involve troubled adolescents engaged in outdoor activities.
Beale was a finalist in the Aim Children's Book Awards (junior fiction) and her 1998 novel I Am Not Esther was shortlisted for the senior fiction section of the 1999 New Zealand Post
New Zealand Post
New Zealand Post, commonly referred by its acronym, NZPost is a State owned enterprise responsible for providing postal service in New Zealand.-History:...
Children's Awards. In 1999 she was awarded the Children's Writing Fellowship at Dunedin College of Education
Dunedin College of Education
The University of Otago College of Education is a teacher-training facility in Dunedin, New Zealand, run as part of the University of Otago since 2007. Formerly called Dunedin College of Education , the college was founded in 1876, and has the longest continuous history of teacher education in New...
and quit teaching to write full time. Her 2001 novel Ambushed was a finalist for the Junior Fiction section of the 2002 New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards. Her 2004 account of how an indigenous girl discovers how her education can save her tribal lands (My Story A New Song in the Land. The Writings of Atapo, Pahia, c.1840) received a Notable Book award in 2005 as did Walking Lightly.
I Am Not Esther
Fourteen-year-old Kirby Greenland's mother leaves her with unfamiliar relatives in a strange city, supposedly leaving New Zealand for two years to help refugees. Kirby's new guardians and their six children belong to a strict fundamentalist Christian sect called the Children of the Faith. They abhor all recreation and any immodesty, devoting themselves to industry and bible study. They insist that Kirby must leave her old self behind and emphasise that Kirby dissent, her uncle insists that the entire family prays over her until she repents. Concern for her youngest cousin prompts her to relent but she soon becomes aware that she is losing her identity and determines to escape although she feels responsible for the cousins that she has grown to love. She is also concerned about the fate of her cousin, Miriam, who disappeared shortly before her arrival, but is barely mentioned by the family, other than her being "dead". She knows that not all the children of the cult members are completely indoctrinated: her cousin Daniel wants to be a doctor, despite the proscription on higher education, and her schoolfriends misbehave when they are away from home. Kirby and Daniel are thrown out of the sect at the end of the book because he reveals his wish to be a doctor "so I can help you all". A mass brawl/fight scene ensues as the Elders (leaders of the faith) beat Daniel black and blueBlack and Blue
Black and Blue is the 13th British and 15th American studio album by The Rolling Stones, released in 1976. It was the band's first studio album released with Ronnie Wood as the replacement for Mick Taylor...
(literally). They go to Wellington, and find Kirby's mother in a psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
and help her to recover. Meanwhile Kirby has been having nightmares about becoming Esther again; it is only when she sees a documentary about the faith that she realises "Esther is dead".
The title I Am Not Esther comes from Kirby's catchphrase "I am not Esther", as this is what her aunt, uncle and other people in the faith insist on calling her. She is worried that she is turning into Esther particularly when it is pointed out to her that Kirby would have said "I'm not Esther" — the faith did not use abbreviated words.
Beale was inspired to write this by "a boy I heard about who had been thrown out of his family because he wanted to be a doctor". She describes the cultists with respect; she is hostile to the behaviour and not the people. Despite this, the cultists are depicted as brutal opponents of the brave doubters, largely as a consequence of using Kirby's perspective.
Printed Works
- The Great Pumpkin Battle (Shortland, 1988)
- A Surprise for Anna (Cocky's Circle, 1990)
- Slide the Corner (Scholastic, 1992)
- Against the Tide (HarperCollins, 1993)
- Driving a Bargain (HarperCollins, 1993)
- Over the Edge (Scholastic, 1994)
- The Fortune Teller (HarperCollins, 1995)
- Dear Pop (Lands End, 1995)
- The Rich and Famous Body and the Empty Chequebook (Land's End, 1995)
- Fifteen and Screaming (HarperCollins, 1996)
- Rockman (HarperCollins, 1996)
- I Am Not Esther (Long Acre Press/Hyland House, 1998) ISBN 0-7868-0845-4
- Further Back than Zero (Scholastic, 1998)
- Keep Out (Learning Media, 1999)
- Destination Disaster (Shortland, 1999)
- Playing to Win (Scholastic, 2000)
- Trucker (Learning Media, 2000)
- Deadly Prospect (Scholastic, 2000)
- Ambushed (Scholastic, 2000)
- Seven readers for Pearson Education, Singapore (2001)
- Lucky for Some (Scholastic, 2002)
- Red Dog in Bandit Country (Longacre, 2003) [non-fiction]
- Lacey and the Drama Queens (Scholastic, 2004)
- My Story A New Song in the Land. The Writings of Atapo, Pahia, c.1840 (Scholastic 2004)
- Walking Lightly (Mallinson Rendel, 2004)
- A Respectable Girl (Random House, 2006)
- The Transformation of Minna Hargreaves (Random House, 2007)
- My Life of Crime (Mallinson Rendel, 2007)
- Slide the Corner (Scholastic, 2007)
- Juno of Taris (Random House, 2008)
- End of the Alphabet (Random House, 2009)
- Fierce September
- Heart of Danger