Kinsa Hays is a self-directed author, freelance journalist and artist. After years of teaching primary school children, she changed direction and started a smoked food processing business in Auckland, introducing smoked chicken to New Zealand while bringing up a family.

 

​Moving to Opotiki as a facilitator for the Lange Labour government, Kinsa helped unemployed people into self-employment through feasibility study grants. Later she began a floriculture business, growing bulbs and flowers for export and gaining her third diploma through long distance learning, coming top in New Zealand. When freak weather put her out of business, she left her surf-side home and travelled the country for nine years, woofing, working and house sitting.

 

​Settling in the western Bay of Plenty, Kinsa self-published three children’s books and many short stories and poems. She joined the Seasons Magazine team for the 50+ market and writes monthly for them. She occasionally writes for BoatingNZ and Focus magazines. Currently, as a visiting author, she is touring primary schools to promote her books.

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All this provided a rich trove of ideas and experiences to write about and paint. She shares stories with children through her books and the public via a range of magazines. She recently held an art exhibition in Tauranga of her work painted during the years travelling. In 2019 she created her website. Kinsa likes to read, garden, cook and wishes she had more time to sleep.