The Writings of Leanne Warr

I write under two different names: my real name (Leanne Warr), and my pen name, E M Richmond.

 Under my real name, I write non-fiction. Under the pen name, I write fiction.

​

 I first learnt to write from a creative perspective. In my first year of secondary school, my English teacher gave us an assignment. To go out and find something to write a poem about. I would go on to write a lot of poems in that year, including a nonsense poem.

 

 The next year, we had to work in a business for a week to gain work experience. My teacher suggested the local paper. My week's experience in that local newspaper, now called the Manawatu Standard, was terrifying in many ways, but also amazing. That experience helped me decide that I wanted to pursue a career in journalism.

 

After college (high school), I went on to study for a Bachelor of Arts in English and History at Massey University in Palmerston North. I had a teacher whom I consider to be my first writing mentor. He encouraged me, telling me I had raw talent.

 

After I completed that degree, I got a job as a reporter at the Levin Chronicle. However, I struggled both personally and professionally. After a few months, I was asked to be the first reporter for a new weekly publication, then called the Kapiti-Horowhenua Weekly News. I left there in January 1998 and that year became my first annus horribilus as my father died later that year.

 

I worked briefly for the Manawatu Standard before moving to Auckland in 2003 to study a Bachelor of Communication Studies, majoring in journalism, at AUT. I graduated in 2007 and worked for a west Auckland newspaper for nearly three years.

 

In 2019, I enrolled at university once again and completed a Grad. Dip. Arts in Psychology.

 

 My heart is in journalism and that's one of the reasons I chose to use a pen name when writing fiction, to separate the two worlds. I completed my first novel in 2014.

 

 In 2021, I went back to journalism, after years of struggling and working in a variety of customer service/call centre roles. I was often criticised for my stubborn pursuit of jobs that were only within my experience and qualifications, but having had feedback from a few people, I knew I would never be happy unless I was in my chosen career. The past four years have been hard, but I am now the editor of the Kapiti News, which in many ways means I have come full circle to where I started my career.

​

 The pen name E M Richmond, has special meaning to me, because it's my grandmother's maiden name. She was one of the few who encouraged me to keep writing and I honour her by choosing that name.

 

 Writing has been cathartic for me. My life hasn't been an easy one with a lot of struggles. Losing myself in the different worlds I enter through my writing helped me deal with many personal issues, especially depression. If there was a badge for being a survivor of this horrible, but medically recognised illness, I would wear it proudly. Sadly, there is still a stigma around mental illness. I hope that one day that will change.

 

I grew up in a small city about two hours away from our capital city, near the bottom of the North Island of New Zealand. Palmerston North is the biggest centre in the province of Manawatu.

 

While there are many beautiful parts of the country to visit, I love the fact that wherever I go in the city, I can get a good view of the Ruahine and Tararua Ranges. I now live on the equally beautiful Kapiti Coast.

 

I'm an avid reader and a fan of various genres. I consider myself a homebody and am happiest curling up with a good book or working on my writing.