woa Presenters and Committee

woa Presenters and Committee

Ruth Todd - Co-ordinator:
Ruth Todd After a long career in secondary & tertiary education, Ruth had the opportunity to initiate women on air at the end of 1992 & plan a stimulating radio programme for Suffrage year in 1993. Ruth is still enjoying the challenge 17 years later. In 2000, Ruth was made a Member of the NZ Order of Merit for services to women & New Zealand writers. Ruth & Morrin are currently planning The Press Christchurch Writers' Festival

Morrin Rout
Morrin Rout has worked as a social worker and counsellor but is now fully involved with women on air. Like Ruth, Morrin is an avid reader. Highlights for Morrin include meeting her literary heroines like Jane Smiley and Margaret Atwood. Her hope for the future is that women on air remains on air and continues to attract fresh voices. Morrin was co-producer and presenter with Ruth on 'Bookmarks' on National Radio for eight years and was a judge for the 2007 Montana NZ Book Awards. As well as her work on radio and the Chch Writers' festival, Morrin is also the Director of the Hagley Writers' Institute.

Joanne Clarke
Joanne Clarke has been with women on air for over 16 years now. Well known for her cookbook "Never Trust a Skinny Cook!" and her passion for sequins and all things sparkly, Joanne works full time as a Patternmaker and Graphic Artist for an international clothing company, was one of NZ's first Civil Union celebrants and also works as an after dinner speaker, cabaret performer, compere, makeup artist, food writer, sometimes TV reporter and is Chair of Agender Christchurch Inc, Co-chair Q'topia and a trustee on the "Working OUT" the Youth Mentoring board. Her own radio programme for the transgendered community "TranSister Radio" was a finalist in the NZ Radio Awards in 2000 and after 10 years is back on air enjoyed another 18month run. In 2000 the Gay and Lesbian Community named her Female Icon, Joanne has been voted Woman of the Year and received a Lifetime Achievement Award by the same group. Joanne has finished her second book yet to be published. "Spare time, what spare time!"

Helen Lowe
Helen Lowe won the inaugural Robbie Burns Poetry Award in 2003 and the national A2O competition (Australia) in 2007. She was the recipient of a NZ Society of Authors / Creative New Zealand award for emerging writers in 2005 and has since had poetry and short stories published and anthologised in New Zealand, Australia and the United States. Helen has poetry in the current editions of Takahe and Foam:e and forthcoming in Poetry NZ and Blackmail Press. Her first novel, Thornspell, was be published by Knopf (Random House USA) in September 2008. Helen has been presenting a monthly poetry feature for Women on Air since March 2007.

woa trustees
Pat Penrose Pat Penrose
Secretary: Pat Penrose been on women on air since March 1997 and is self-employed as an Early Childhood and Parenting Educator. Pat enjoys working with groups, running courses for parents, working with early childhood services and being a grandmother. Pat is also a trustee on Fathering the Future Trust and recently written a Course for Fathers, which will be run by a man. Has written 'Take Another Look', a book about observing children used as a text in early childhood training, also written a series of 12 pamphlets 0-3 years, a regular column in the local newspaper and a booklet called 'Choices in Early Childhood'. Sarah Ayton

Sarah Ayton
Sarah Ayton has worked in community access radio since the conception of Plains FM in 1987. She was the Plains FM manager from 1991 to 1997. Since then she has been advising community access stations around the country for NZ On Air. Has co-written the Handbook for Community Access Radio in New Zealand. She is secretary of the Association of Community Access Broadcasters' (NZ/Aotearoa) - ACAB, and also of the governing body of Plains FM, the CCT. And surprise! Sarah is an avid reader, enthusiastic tramper, and would travel forever if she could.