Allan’s family are very sad to be letting you, his readers, know that their much admired and cherished husband, brother, uncle, great uncle, cousin and good friend died in Auckland on Christmas Day 2016 as a result of a brain tumour. He died gently in the arms of Gay, his deeply loved wife and life’s partner of 45 years, supported by his treasured family and friends.

He was a primary teacher, community development worker, adult educator, counsellor, athlete and rugby player, as well as a 5 times published author and most recently the Independent Chair of the Rural Canterbury Primary Health Organisation. He was still writing only days before he slipped away from us.

Ruth Todd of Bookenz, broadcast on the Plains FM access radio station in Christchurch, interviewed Jenny Haworth of Wily Publications, the publisher of his latest book The Witzke Woman, about his life as a writer. The interview was broadcast on 28 February 2017, the day before his 73rd birthday.

The broadcast can be listened to here.