Sonya is a former TV reporter who became a writer, charity founder, and author. After more than 20 years in broadcast journalism — reporting and presenting for programmes such as One News, Breakfast, 20/20, and Sunday — she completed a Master of Creative Writing at the University of Auckland. There she wrote Spark Hunter, an adventure-fantasy novel for readers aged ten and up, set in Fiordland National Park. The book became a bestseller and won the NZSA Best First Book Award at the 2022 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, as well as a Storylines Notable Book Award. Its sequel, The Secret Green, was published in July 2025 by Allen & Unwin.She also writes creative non-fiction, essays, and reviews, and regularly gives talks, workshops, and chairs sessions at writers’ festivals — blending her love of journalism and literature. Passionate about the power of books to build empathy and wonder, she founded Kiwi Christmas Books, a charity that gifts brand new books to children who might otherwise go without. Originally from the Deep South, she now lives in Auckland with her husband Pete, their two sons, a cat named Graham and a dog named Dusky.

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<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">Sonya is a former TV reporter who became a writer, charity founder, and author. After more than 20 years in broadcast journalism — reporting and presenting for programmes such as One News, Breakfast, 20/20, and Sunday — she completed a Master of Creative Writing at the University of Auckland. There she wrote Spark Hunter, an adventure-fantasy novel for readers aged ten and up, set in Fiordland National Park. The book became a bestseller and won the NZSA Best First Book Award at the 2022 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, as well as a Storylines Notable Book Award. Its sequel, The Secret Green, was published in July 2025 by Allen &amp; Unwin.</div>
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<div class="x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-inline: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-family: 'Segoe UI Historic', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">She also writes creative non-fiction, essays, and reviews, and regularly gives talks, workshops, and chairs sessions at writers’ festivals — blending her love of journalism and literature. Passionate about the power of books to build empathy and wonder, she founded Kiwi Christmas Books, a charity that gifts brand new books to children who might otherwise go without. Originally from the Deep South, she now lives in Auckland with her husband Pete, their two sons, a cat named Graham and a dog named Dusky.</div>
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John Cowan hosts ‘Real Life’, a weekly nationwide chat show on Newstalk ZB featuring a different high-profile guest every week. John talks with them about their life, their upbringing, their passions and their view of the world.

Real Life With John Cowan

Sonya Wilson - Author and ex-TVNZ presenter

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/fce8a0c1-6dcb-45cf-b75e-b3900073dd85/transcript