Joyce Tarlton West (1908-1985) was a New Zealand novelist and children’s writer. She was born in Auckland, travelling with her parents through much of the North Island as they taught in remote Māori schools. Joyce described her father as a terrific story-teller and avid reader. Books were precious in the backblocks, where the only contact with the outside world was through rural mail delivery. Joyce’s parents encouraged a love of books within the family, and more important, a love of words.
The books in the Joyce West collection were donated to Tauranga City library after her death in Tauranga in 1985.
This collection is regularly updated. New titles include winners of the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults and worthy New Zealand and Bay of Plenty authors that are out of print.