Yvonne Fresne

Background

She was born in Takaka and grew up in a Danish-French Huguenot settlement in the Manawatu District on the North Island.

Career

She trained as a teacher in Christchurch and taught primary school. Du Fresne was first published in the 1950s. She wrote three radio plays: The Spring, The Ship and A Little Talk About Our Winter District, which were performed on New Zealand"s National Radio.

In 1999, du Fresne was writer in residence at Aarhus University in Denmark.

She died in Wellington at the age of 81.

Achievements

• In 1980, she published a collection of short stories Farvel and other stories which received the Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists and Novelists association best first book award.