We’re excited to be giving away two copies of Hush by Anne Scaife to our GrownUps members!
To be in the draw, simply make sure you’re a GrownUps member, signed up to our newsletter, and fill in your details at the bottom of the page.
A stunning debut short story collection from a new voice in New Zealand literature
We turned and sprinted until our lungs stung in our chests. I kept my eyes on the road. Headlights circled in the distance as we crossed the paddocks. I tasted acid, like the candied ginger Nan served at Christmas that burned your throat. If she knew we were out there with a knife getting mixed up with the Mitchells, she’d have killed us.
Anna Scaife, in eleven short stories, describes the sudden fear, the macabre, the middle-age feminist rage, and the unexpected tragedies, which can befall everyday New Zealanders. Scaife’s deceptively effortless style and keen observation combine humour with a fine intelligence, making this fiction a joy to read.
Pammy was the youngest of the [knitting] club members at sixty-eight. She dyed her shoulder-length hair blonde, and her cheeks were crosshatched with deep creases from years of smoking.
‘She’s a climber,’ Helen said, ‘It’ll come in handy.’
‘What does she climb?’
‘Anything. She shot up my apricot tree like a ferret the time my sun umbrella got away on us.’
Author Note
I started writing fiction at 44, completed the Master’s in Creative Writing at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University a few years later, and this is my first book at 50. A little later than child-me hoped, but a huge moment personally.
Hush happened under academic pressure, honestly. I wrote most of the stories in the book as the thesis for my master’s degree. I’d been given a temporary leave pass from my life and family to commute to Wellington to write, so failure wasn’t an option. It was pride, not the muse, keeping me pinned to my office chair.
I had no grand plan to begin with. Any links or themes emerged without my say-so, and only became visible to me well into the process. As it developed, I noticed much of the book was preoccupied with concealment; the things people keep hidden, cannot say, or even admit to themselves.
But showing what is unsaid on the page was trickier than I imagined. If my character is withholding something, how do I make that visible to the reader? That became the puzzle. I wanted to know how much I could leave out and still tell the story. At the same time, I wanted the stories to entertain. People are baffling. We behave in absurd ways, and I find that very funny.
One of the best things about publishing Hush has been the family collaboration. Artworks by my middle child, Elliott Collins, an Ilam Fine Arts student, appear throughout the collection, which doubles the joy of publication for me.
About the Author
Anna Scaife is a graduate of the Masters in Creative Writing at the International Institute of Modern Letters, Te Herenga Waka University. Her short fiction has appeared in ReadingRoom, Landfall, takahē, Turbine, Flash Frontier and At the Bay | Te Kokuru. Anna lives in Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand.
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Terms and conditions
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You must be a GrownUps member and subscribed to our newsletter to be eligible to enter.
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The competition closes on 30th September 2026. Winners will be notified via email by 1st October 2026.
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It is your responsibility to provide a correct New Zealand postal address for prize delivery. GrownUps is not responsible for prizes sent to incorrect addresses.
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Winners will be drawn at random by the GrownUps administration team.
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GrownUps employees and their immediate families are not eligible to enter.
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By entering, you agree to GrownUps using your name on social media as a winner of the competition.
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One entry per household.
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The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash or other items.
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You must reside in New Zealand, as the prize can only be delivered within New Zealand.
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You must be over 50 years of age to enter. Please ensure your membership details are up to date in your dashboard.
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