Olivia Scott
I am a proud teacher living in the beautiful Kirikiriroa, although I am originally from New Plymouth. Being a teacher gives me the opportunity to interact with a variety of students on a daily basis, and some of these students have inspired characters in my book.
I am deeply committed to my community and strive to be present and make a difference. I have been an ambassador for the Heart Foundation, fundraised for both Starship Hospital and the Mental Health Aotearoa Push-Up Challenge, and sewn hats for Hamlin Fistula.
I am a keen hockey player, Irish dancer, and I love travelling. My family is the most important thing to me; their love and support are boundless. My book, Those Little Suitcases, was inspired by a conversation I had with my father while travelling in Ireland in 2024. We were talking about how students bring so much ‘baggage’ into the classroom, and it sparked an idea in me. From that conversation, Those Little Suitcases was born.
What authors did you dislike at first, but grew into?
As a child, I hated reading! This really disappointed my parents, who are both teachers!
It wasn’t until my sixth birthday that a family friend changed my life. She gave me a copy of Little House in the Big Woods, written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I was hooked! My mother read it aloud to me, and I remember snuggling up on the couch in her lap, wondering what life Laura must have had if she was excited to have a corncob wrapped in a handkerchief instead of a real doll.
Do you try more to be original, or to deliver to readers what they want?
My book is very original to me because it came from a conversation I had with my father in Ireland in 2024. We were staying at a bed and breakfast in Kerry, discussing our students and classrooms, when he said, “There is no student who doesn’t come to the classroom without baggage anymore,” meaning that everyone has something holding them back. That night, I started writing my book on my phone. My book is about showing children that they are not alone and that the ‘baggage’ they carry is something that many others experience too. I really want it to be a resource for teachers to help support children in their classrooms.
How do you select the names of your characters?
For my book, there was no rhyme or reason to it. I simply selected names that I liked. Sometimes the names just stuck, and other times something would not feel right about it. This meant that I would just have to keep trying different names until it felt more natural.
If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?
I would read more. I would read properly – books, novels, and stories. We become so caught up in the digital world that we forget that books don’t need charging, they are always readily on hand, and they can take you anywhere. I am the Lit Quiz teacher at my school, and I can see how much reading can broaden students’ knowledge and imagination.
Are there any secrets in your books that only a few people will find? Can you tell us one? Or give us any hints?
There is a secret in the pictures, the illustrator made the teacher wear a different outfit each day. However, they are all based on things I actually wear. The teacher wears her hair in a bun with big black sunglasses, which is a trademark of me. My students love it when I wear something into school that they can then go and find in the book.
How did publishing your first book change your writing process?
It has made me realise how much work it takes to go from an initial idea through to a final product. Whenever I read a book now, I realise how much of a labour of love it is for the author. It has also made me realise that inspiration can come from the simplest conversation and then become something meaningful.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
Currently, Those Little Suitcases is my only book. I do not have any unpublished at this stage, but I never say never!