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Internationally acclaimed children's author Margaret Mahy has got rid of her car to ensure no repeat of a drink-driving incident in which she drove into a parked vehicle.
The celebrated writer's "one-off lapse" - at twice the legal blood alcohol limit at 9.40am - will come as a shock to generations brought up with her books, but literary experts doubt it will have much effect on her enormous following.
Mahy, 72, was not answering the door of her home in Governor's Bay, near Christchurch, yesterday and is refusing to comment on her actions. But the Herald understands that as a result of what happened, she no longer owns a car and will permanently make other arrangements to get around.
Her spokeswoman, Lorain Day, said the incident was a one-off lapse in judgment by Mahy, who had an otherwise "clean and blameless record as a driver".
Asked if Mahy had problems with alcohol that needed attention, Ms Day said that was a private matter.
Mahy was disqualified from driving for six months and fined $600 when she appeared in the Christchurch District Court on Wednesday. She was driving in Christchurch in April when her car left the road and hit the parked car. No one was injured in the crash, but both vehicles were damaged.
She was later found to have a reading of 170mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood - more than twice the legal limit of 80mg.
Mahy has been honoured several times for her books which have become popular in many languages throughout the world.
In 2006, she was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Award. The author of more than 30 books is also a member of the Order of NZ - the country's highest royal honour.
Many in New Zealand's tight literary circles did not want to speak publicly about Mahy's drink-driving when contacted by the Weekend Herald yesterday.
One university academic on literature, who asked not to be named, said an author and their writings tended to be viewed separately.
"I don't see any bookshops not stocking Margaret Mahy or kids stopping reading her," the academic said. "She will die and her books will go on. She will live and her books will go on."
Mahy's publisher, HarperCollins, said it did not condone what she did.
But the author had its unconditional support "as a wonderful author whose work continues to bring magic and wonder into the lives of millions of children".
"Her life's work has been dedicated to children's literature and her contribution in this area is immeasurable. We would ask that she be judged on that, rather than on this most regrettable lapse in judgment."
