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When Lauren Keenan (Te Āti Awa ki Taranaki) first started writing, she was told to set her stories overseas otherwise they wouldn't get published.
So she did, writing historical fiction set during The Blitz.
She has since goin against that advice - writing a children's book which explores invasion of Parihaka and the eruption of Mount Taranaki.
Her new novel, The Space Between, is her first for adult readers, and is set during the New Zealand Wars.
Lauren joins Jesse on Afternoons to talk about the importance of highlighting Aotearoa New Zealand history.
The Space Between by Lauren Keenan is in stores now.
Photo: Supplied