Claire Mabey is writer, founder of Verb Wellington, LitCrawl Wellington and books editor at The Spinoff. Her first novel, The Raven's Eye Runaways, published by Allen & Unwin, is a middle grade adventure novel about the magic of books, the importance of friendship and the secrets buried deep in families. The sequel, The Raven's Eye Rebellion came out in April 2026. 

Claire is also a book reviewer on RNZ and on The Bookshelf podcast on the ABC. When she has a spare few minutes she writes a sporadic Substack newsletter called Domestic Animals. Claire is mum to Charlie and lives by the wild South Coast in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. Her first picture book, Cass and the Beast, is due for release in August 2026. 

Panel Statement: ”Claire Mabey is a resplendent flare in Aotearoa children’s fiction. Her work bristles with the qualities of great children’s literature: spirited storytelling, imaginative invention, characters who speak to childhood yearnings and ideals. Her writing is rich and musical; she writes up to her readers, respecting their capacity. In the tradition of enduring fantasy, she explores with subtlety real word questions – greed and the misuse of authority – and the power of dedicated resistance. Above all, at every level, Claire’s work demonstrates the deep history of her own reading, and her fierce belief in the radical sustenance of story and language.”