Sue McCauley

Sue McCauley QSM (born 1 December 1941 in Dannevirke) is a New Zealand novelist, short story writer, playwright, journalist and screenwriter.

Her first novel was the semi-autobiographical Other Halves (1982), which won both the Wattie Book of the Year Award and the New Zealand Book Award for Fiction. It was adapted into a film, released in 1984 with McCauley credited as screenwriter.

Her manuscript "Landed" was shortlisted for the 2021 Michael Gifkins Prize and was published in March 2023 by Bateman.

Novels

 * Other Halves (1982) (Hodder & Stoughton)
 * Then Again (1986) (Hodder & Stoughton)
 * Bad Music (1990) (Hodder & Stoughton)
 * A Fancy Man (1996) (Vintage)
 * Tropic of Guile (2013) (Xlibris) a commissioned/sponsored novel
 * Landed (2023) (Bateman Books)

Short story collections

 * It Could be You (1997)
 * Life on Earth (2003)

These short stories and others have also appeared in numerous publications and anthologies including:
 * The Best of New Zealand Fiction - vol.3 (2006) and vol.4 (2007)
 * .. Graminees Review (2020) A French translation.

Drama (Television Drama, Theatre Radio & Television Plays)
Television Drama
 * The Shadow Trader (series) (1989)
 * Shark in the Park (1991) Contributing writer
 * Marlin Bay (1993) Contributing writer
 * Mel’s Amazing Movies (1990s) Contributing writer- children’s series
 * Posy Narkers (1990s) Contributing writer - children’s series
 *  Family Law Series  (1990s) Educational dramatised videos.

Stage Plays
 * Waiting for Heathcliff (1988) (Court Theatre)
 * Hitting Fifty (2002) (Court Theatre)

Radio Plays
 * The Obituary (1967)
 * The Evening Out (1968)
 * ABC (1970)
 * Robbie (1972)
 * Crutch (1975)
 * Minor Adjustment (1975)
 * Letters to May (1977)
 * The Ordinary Girl (1978)
 * When Did He Last Buy You Flowers? (1980)
 * The Missionaries (1981)
 * Isobel, God and the Cowboy (1981)
 * The Ezra File (1982)
 * Thank You Buzz Aldrin (1982)
 * The Man Who Sleeps With his Mother (1983)
 * The Ezra File (1982)
 * Family Ties (1986)
 * Waiting for Heathcliff (1989) - note: this is an adaption of stage play
 * ..The Voice Despised (1989
 * Rescue Remedy (1990)
 * The Upward Mobility of Gordon Reddy (1998) (shortlisted for the Mobil Radio Awards)

Television Plays
 * As Old As The World (1968)
 * Friends and Neighbours (1974)

Film Scripts
Feature Films
 * Other Halves (1986) note: this is an adaption of the novel "Other Halves", which was written by Sue McCauley

Short Films
 * Married (1993)
 * Matrons of Honour (1994)
 * "Food for Thought" (2015) Adaption of short story "The Assassin Bug".

Journalism/ Non-Fiction
Non-Fiction
 * Escape from Bosnia; Aza’s Story (1966) (Shoal Bay Press) as told to Sue McCauley by Aza Mehmedovic

Columns
 * Hers (late 1960s) (NZ Listener)
 * Sue McCauley On... (1970s) (Thursday Magazine)
 * Lives  (1988-9) (NZ Listener)

Autobiographical Essays (anthologised)
 * My Father and Me (1993) (Tandem Press)
 * Cherries on a Plate (1996) (Vintage)

Other
 * contributor to New Zealand Heritage (1971) (historical periodical)
 * contributor and TV reviewer (1970-80) (NZ Listener)
 * Book reviewer (1990s) (New Zealand Books - a literary magazine)
 * Reporter for - and part owner of - Waiheke Island's Gulf News (1974 -79)

Awards
Thursday, 9 January 1986
 * Wattie Book Award (1982)
 * Mobil Radio Award (1982)
 * New Zealand Book Award (1983)
 * Queen’s Service Medal (1986) as published in the Supplement to the New Zealand Gazette of

Fellowships

 * Auckland University writer-in-residence (1986)
 * Canterbury University writer-in-residence (1993)
 * Hagley College writer-in-residence (2000)
 * The Foxton Fellowship (2005)

Book Editing (anthologies)

 * Erotic Writing - (1992) (Penguin) co-authored by Richard McLachlan
 * Mind & Mirror - (1994) (Orca Publishing Service) writing by women imprisoned
 * Totally Devoted - (2002) (Harper Collins) true stories by readers of The Women's Weekly.
 * A Magpie Stole My Heart (2003) (Whitireia Publishing) writing contributed by Whitireia students.

Journalism Employment

 * Copywriter, New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation (1958 - 1960) note: Sue was based in Napier then Wellington
 * Journalist for the New Zealand Listener weekly magazine (1960 - 61 )
 * Taranaki Herald (1963-64)
 * Christchurch Press (1964 -65)

Education
Sue attended Waitahora Primary School near Dannevirke; and then Nelson Girls’ College in the South Island