author
Edith Howes
1872–1954
A New Zealand teacher turned beloved children’s writer, she brought together wonder, nature, and clear-eyed curiosity in stories that aimed to delight and teach at the same time. Her books are remembered for blending fantasy with an interest in how the natural world works.
2 Audiobooks
Wonderwings and other Fairy Stories
by Edith Howes
The Sun's Babies
by Edith Howes
About the author
Born in London on 29 August 1872, she moved to New Zealand as a child and grew up to become a teacher, educational thinker, and writer for young readers. She taught in several places before leading the junior department at Gore School, and her experience in classrooms shaped the way she wrote for children.
Her fiction became known for mixing imagination with science and observation. Rather than treating fantasy and learning as opposites, she used both together, inviting children to be curious about the world around them while enjoying lively stories.
She was widely respected for her contribution to literature in New Zealand, receiving an MBE and the King George VI Coronation Medal. She died in Dunedin on 9 July 1954, leaving behind a body of work that reflects both her love of children’s reading and her faith in education.