Stephen Coates comes from Christchurch, although he has been living in Japan for many years. His stories have appeared in Landfall, takahē, Reading Room and Headland, as well as various overseas journals. His story ‘Brendon Varney Opens the Door’ took third place in the 2022 Sargeson Prize. He is a firm believer in Terry Pratchett’s maxim, ‘Writing is the most fun you can have by yourself.’
