woa Presenters and Committee

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.

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 18 years later. In 2000, Ruth was made a Member of the NZ Order of Merit for services to women & New Zealand writers. Ruth & Morrin were the presenters of 'Bookmarks' on National Radio for eight years and are currently planning The Press Christchurch Writers' Festival

Joanne Neilson 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 worked full time as a Patternmaker and Graphic Artist for an international clothing company and recently trained to be a hairdresser winning the pre trade apprentice award at the Wella Regional Hairdressing competition, 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. Her own radio programme "TranSister Radio" was a finalist in the NZ Radio Awards in 2000 and after 10 years was back on air and enjoyed another very successful 18 month run. In 2000 the LGBT 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 this time Gluten Free yet to be published. Recently married Joanne is currently enjoying a year in Gisborne on a farm.

Helen Lowe is an award winning writer and poet whose first novel, Thornspell, is published by Knopf, USA; Thornspell won the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Novel: Young Adult in 2009. The first of Helen’s forthcoming 4-book series, The Heir of Night, will be published by HarperCollins USA and Hachette (Australia/New Zealand) in October 2010. The UK edition (Little, Brown & Co) is scheduled for March 2011. Helen’s poetry and short fiction have also been widely published and she has been presenting a monthly poetry feature for Women on Air since March 2007.

To find out more, you can visit Helen on her blog: http://helenlowe.info/blog/

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.