Renée Death – The writer passed away peacefully in Wellington tonight, her publisher and family said in a media release. “Until shortly before her death, Renée continued to be an active force in the literary world, writing and publishing work; teaching and mentoring other writers; and presenting at literary events in New Zealand, and overseas via videocall,” they wrote. “Renée lived in Ōtaki until October 2023, moving to a Wellington retirement home.
“She is survived by two of her three sons, Christopher and Timothy, and her mokopuna. Details of the funeral have yet to be announced.” Over her career which began in the late-1970s, Renée wrote over twenty plays, ten books of fiction, numerous short stories, essays, and a memoir. The writer described herself as “a lesbian feminist with socialist working-class ideals” and she was a pioneer in writing about working-class women, takatāpui, and Māori.
She was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2006, for services to literature and drama. In 2018 she received the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement in Fiction, from then-prime minister Jacinda Ardern. Her best-known work is Wednesday To Come, a play about a woman in a working-class family coping with depression. It was performed for the first time at Downstage in Wellington in 1984.