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Hoods Landing follows Rita, the youngest member of the matriarchal Gordon family, as she steels herself to reveal her cancer diagnosis over Christmas dinner. The novel takes readers through the twists and turns of multi-generational relationships, life in rural New Zealand, and the complexities of families and family secrets.
Author Laura Vincent is a debut novelist hailing from Waiuku (now living in Auckland) whose writing has appeared both locally and internationally.
The 39-year-old studied English literature and media studies at Victoria University of Wellington. A published poet, experienced lifestyle and travel writer, she spent five years as the Sunday Star-Times’ Wellington café reviewer. Her food blog Hungry and Frozen inspired a cookbook of the same name, and influences her book Hoods Landing, where food and whānau (family) come together.
“I’ve written my food blog for 18 years. I love writing, and I always have. I kept a lot of journals growing up, and I make time to write now as an adult. It’s never a chore – I always find a way to write.”
In 2022, Vincent went back to university to study for her masters, wanting to challenge herself and grow in her writing after the Covid-19 lockdowns.
“This book is not set in Waiuku, but I couldn’t write it without having lived here. It could almost be any rural setting outside of a city. I wanted to make a book that’s timeless yet represents a time.
“I came up with the idea in 2020, then it took about six months to actually write it. When it came to publishing, my friend Damien Levi was looking for manuscripts for his new micro-press Āporo Press.”
The micro-press was founded in 2022 by Damien Levi, focused on publishing works by minority voices, including LGBTQIA+, Māori, Pasifika, and Asian authors. <ITALICS> Hoods Landing is the publisher’s first fiction book.
Vincent has been amazed by the attention the book is receiving, given it is only stocked at independent bookshops. The Stable Light Gallery in Waiuku is one of these stockists.
‘“I also want to encourage people to get the book out of the library – you don’t have to buy it. I’m a huge supporter of our libraries and borrowing novels by New Zealand authors from the library is still a great way to support our writers. I spent some of my happiest times at the library in Waiuku and Pukekohe.”
Vincent has been shortlisted for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, and gave an author talk at Pukekohe Library on March 28.
“I’m very fortunate with the momentum the novel is getting. I’ve been giving some author talks and gave my first in-person reading at the Auckland Writers Festival.”
She encourages budding writers to join their local writer’s group or even make their own one.
“You can give feedback to each other, learn from each other, give support to each other.”
