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THE NEWS In the words of author Angela Griffin, “writing has become my passion, and I wouldn’t want to be without it”. The Oamaru woman, who lives with Cerebral Palsy (CP) – Hōkai Nukurangi has written more than 600 short stories in the past 40 years. Her first book, My Life on Wheels , was an autobiography published in 1995. Her latest book, My Independent Wheels , features 64 biographical short stories and will be launched in October. Angela, 62, writes about all kinds of everyday experiences – from her craft group and going 10 pin bowling to her weekly shopping trips, Ruby the therapy dog and monarch butterflies hatching in her lounge. She started writing when she was 24 years old and attended a writing group for almost a decade. Over the years Angela has benefited from the support of volunteers and multiple reader-writers, who have gone on to become friends, to help her produce her stories. These friends taught her about punctuation and sentence structure. In her upcoming book, Angela recalls a friend who helped her: “She started off teaching me how to put full stops and then how to use shorter sentences. I had no idea how to do this before then. I just thought writing was like talking and you just go on and on with what you want to say.” Everyday experiences form collection of short stories Angela currently gets support from John Dustin. “The stories are based on where she goes, who she meets, new experiences,” he says. “There’s a story in the book about her first horseback ride. There’s a story of her getting on a trampoline for the first time and just giggling because it was uncontrollable bouncing all over the place. They are amusing stories. “There are all kinds of everyday experiences and all of it is meaningful and significant in Angela’s life,” John says. “It’s a series of delightful stories, and howmuch she enjoys learning and discovering, and even a simple thing like going to the grocery store and seeing new things.” Cerebral Palsy impacts Angela’s eyesight and she says, “not being able to see would be a downside for me”. CP also affects her left-hand side, and she says typing and using the mouse are good for her hand skills. Angela says writing means a lot to her, and she is always on the lookout for story opportunities. “My life is full of writing just because I like it so much. I get despondent if I can’t do any work on it. Sometimes I’m awake all hours of the night thinking about the next story. “There is a third book in my head. But not for now, we have to get this one out first.” Angela Griffin My Independent Wheels Angela’s journey towards independence Top: Angela’s latest book is a collection of biographical short stories. Book design: Julia Larkin . Above: Angela has been writing for almost 40 years. Photo: Ollie Larkin 8 | THE REVIEW SEPTEMBER 2026