Young writer finds end of rainbow

INSPIRED SCRIBE: Young Whangarei writer Naomi Moore has finished and published a story started by her late grandfather, Anthony Hodges.

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A young Whangarei writer has honoured her dead grandfather by completing his unfinished novel.

Naomi Moore, 13, has always loved to write and has penned several unpublished books.

When a half-finished manuscript by her grandfather, Anthony Hodges, was uncovered shortly after his death, she decided to finish the work.

"I thought it was a really good story and it would be great if it was finished," she says.

"Everyone said I should finish it."

The 100-page children’s fantasy book, Chasing the Rainbow, is now being sold to schools and libraries across the country.

The story is based in Sussex, England, where two boys Gyp and Jeff climb up a magic rainbow and discover a new world where a war is being waged over Earth’s weather.

The two have to find a wizard to get back to Earth.

Naomi says despite having no clues from her grandfather about how the tale might end, she didn’t find it hard to finish.

One of the hardest things was changing her writing style to suit his.

Naomi, who was born in England and immigrated to New Zealand four years ago, says she has always loved writing.

She has had no formal training but has been encouraged by teachers including Whangarei Primary School’s Children With Special Abilities programme.

She is now a member of the Whangarei Girls’ High School writing club.

Her grandfather also liked to write, and when he died last year from lewy body disease – a form of alzheimer’s – several manuscripts were found on his desk.

Naomi’s mum, Alison, says Chasing the Rainbow was self-published so family members could have a copy.

But the project snowballed and the novel is now being marketed here and in England where he lived.

Naomi says she would now like to publish some of her other novels, which are about her favourite subject – animals.

Chasing the Rainbow can be ordered online at www.naomi-moore.co.uk.

- © Fairfax NZ News