SCBWI New Zealand Five Questions : Samantha Montogmerie

Samantha is a children’s author and poet from Ōtepoti, and is the 2025 Otago University College of Education Children’s Writer in Residence. She has written numerous titles for Wendy Pye Publishing NZ, Harper Collins UK, Hodder & Stoughton UK, Red Rocket Readers and the Ministry of Education. Her poetry has appeared in numerous literary journals and publications. 


What is your writing day like? When and how do you create?

It always starts with words on the page. Sometimes that’s meeting a target for a work in progress, other times it might be writing fragments of an idea for a project to come. I am most happy in my office, at home with my coffee pot, cat and favourite books around me. But I can write from anywhere - like most writers, another job and family life often means a notebook on the run works just as well. 

At the moment, I am living the dream! The writing fellowship allows me to immerse myself into my writing project in a way that feels deliciously extravagant! I start with words on the page and after 2-3 hours of writing time, I need a break.  This usually means turning to emails, editing, or doing a bit of reading and research for the next phase of writing. I love to read within the genre I am writing in, so that becomes a huge part of the creative process. Sometimes that means poring over passages of books I love in order to study their craft, or getting swept away in new stories.  Exercise also helps me to refresh my body and mind, so a quick walk around the block or a bike ride will energise me for the late afternoon to get a few more words down.

Where do your best ideas come from? How do you develop them further?

Good ideas come from a range of places. Reading something interesting, wandering around an art gallery, hearing a snippet of conversation, learning a new fact, hearing a great podcast or interview, or just people watching.  I am a voracious reader, and immersing myself in other engaging stories or fictional worlds sparks my own imagination. 

Creativity is infectious! I love immersing myself into stories and art - and usually find my own creativity can flow as a result.  I also love talking to young people about the stories they love. What better way to feel inspired than to hear what makes young readers want to keep turning pages? 

The best ideas are then the ones which take seed and sit there for a while germinating. I will then usually immerse myself in the ‘What ifs’, letting the idea roam freely for a while until it blossoms into something to work with. In this early stage, I like to be as open as I can in seeing where a story may take me. 


What is the work you are most proud of so far? Why?

I have just completed a non-fiction chapter book on Ada Lovelace for Hachette Learning UK, due out later this year.  Writing about one of your heroes feels pretty special! I also really love Swallowing the Sun (HarperCollins, UK).  As a poet, I feel proud that I could write a lovely collection of poems for young readers which still adheres to the restrictions of phonics! 



What is something you dream of achieving with your work?


My dream is to find some way of being able to write for the rest of my life. It is such a joy to create stories and to put something out into the world that other people enjoy. Multiply the joy a million times more when it is young readers embarking on their independent reading journey!




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