Elinor Teele is a screenwriter, director, and HarperCollins author with family roots in Arrowtown. Her parents, David & Rita Teele, are the co-authors with Val McMillan of FADING FAST: IMAGES OF NEW ZEALAND’S RURAL SOUTH (ODT article).

Elinor earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Otago and holds a Ph.D. in Old English Literature from the University of Cambridge.

Her first book, THE MECHANICAL MIND OF JOHN COGGIN, received a Kirkus Star. Her second, THE TREASURE OF MAD DOC MAGEE, was based on Arrowtown in the aftermath of the Otago Gold Rush and was a Junior Library Guild Pick.

In the role of screenwriter, Elinor is currently working on 2 optioned projects: LONDON SPARROW, a UK TV Series with New Colony Film, and DILL, a US period feature with TCGT Entertainment.

In the role of actor & director, she created STUDS TERKEL’S AMERICAN CENTURY, an interactive theatre production that dramatized verbatim interviews of 20th century Americans. To learn more about her work, visit her website: elinorteele.com.