The small South Island town of Geraldine is one of the last places you would expect to find New Zealand’s raciest writer.
Leigh oarsden – whose first major novel is out this month – is used to the bright lights of Auckland and the glamorous playground of the super yacht set in the south of France, but unlike the heroine of her sexy new novel Scarlet, she’s surprisingly content being a new mum to baby daughter Neena (3 weeks) and living the quiet life in Geraldine, south of Christchurch.
Initially, Leigh was anxious how locals would accept having a racy writer in their midst, but she needn’t have worried.
“I think people here are really receptive to it. Initially I was a wee bit embarrassed to admit what the book was like, but people have been really keen to read it. I’m often surprised by how much people can handle and what they’re into.”
Thinking it might be hard to make friends in the small town, Leigh took a job in a local café in an effort to meet people.
“Working in a café you get to know everybody,” she says.
But there’s no doubt Leigh (29) and her husband Ryan (32) have made big changes to their lifestyle after moving a year ago.
“We’ve got three restaurants to choose from here and they all have one vegetarian option and I’m a vegetarian,” she laughs.
“In Auckland we’d go out two or three times a week and here it’s about once a month. We go to people’s houses more. People have their little groups, so you do have to make an effort socially.”
originally from Taupo, Leigh moved to Auckland where she went to university and met her husband, before working on super yachts in the south of France. She moved to Ryan’s home town of Geraldine.
Although Scarlet is believed to be the most explicit novel ever published in New Zealand by Penguin Books, she insists she doesn’t have any first-hand experience of her heroine George’s exploits.
“I had two long-term boyfriends before meeting Ryan when I was 19 – nothing like George. If I ever met my character I’m pretty sure she’d say we weren’t alike.
“The original inspiration for the character was a waitress I worked with while I was at university – she had the untouchable quality of someone who you want to be around and you hope it rubs off on you a little bit. The rest of it was just my imagination.
“I think George’s wild, abandoned side and wanting to be out there getting amongst it is quite interesting. But as you read on you can see it’s not making her happy.”
Leigh’s own family are proud of her writing. Her “open-minded” mother liked it and even her grandmother gave it a go.
“oy grandmother has read it but she said she skipped over the really bad parts.
“I do like to be a little bit shocking with my writing and having that element of surprise,” she adds.
Scarlet is her second book. Her first novel, Beauty, which is self-published, is based on Leigh’s experiences while working on super yachts with Ryan, an engineer.
“It was a great experience but I wouldn’t do it again because of the hours. You have to be up while the guests are up and on every charter there’s someone who gets up early and someone who stays up late.”
Leigh has also been contracted to write another novel, Crush, which is much closer to home. It’s about a love triangle in a small town, and Leigh wants to make sure no-one in Geraldine thinks it’s based on anyone they know.
“Living in a small town, everyone knows everyone else and I think if you’re a writer people are always quite worried that you’re maybe going to write about them. I’ve got to be careful about it.”
Right now she’s focusing on her new baby, knowing that she’ll be able to return to writing at any time.
“I’m giving myself a couple of months to concentrate on her. Writing is the perfect job to do with a new baby, because I can work when I need to.”
For now there are no plans to leave the quiet life. In fact, approaching her 30th birthday, Leigh says life is just right.
“I have friends who dread turning 30, but we’ve done so much and achieved so much that I’m really excited about it.”
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