A special gift to kids - ANNA'S VERY KIWI CHRISTMAS

Anna Coddington is an award winning musician, mum of two, has a Masters in linguistics, is studying law full-time – and with the release of her debut children’s book Blue, Blue Christmas, she can now also add author to the list.

- Kasia Jillings

“It’s a lot of very different hats to wear but most are word-based, so I kind of see it as one skill set I apply in very different ways,” says the 2022 Best Album in Te Reo Māori award winner.

With so many things on her plate, there’s little free time, but Anna describes this as an exploratory season of life and she’s determined to enjoy the journey.

“I’m throwing heaps of mud at the wall and seeing what sticks, trying to find the place where I can be the most helpful, useful and happy,” tells Anna, 42, who is mum to sons, Arlo, 10, and Eddie Ray, seven, with her DJ and producer partner Dick Johnson, 52.

“For me, having kids was the big catalyst to explore again. Once you have kids, all your priorities change, so it was the perfect time to reassess what’s important – what are my values and what do I want my life to look like?

“It’s been a long process. I had been thinking about retraining for years. When I finally decided to study law, I told myself, ‘Four years is going to go by like that,’ and sure enough, I’m halfway through already.”

Her ambitious approach to life is matched by her partner, with the pair always supporting each other and sharing responsibilities to meet everyone’s needs. Yet although they thrive on being busy, Anna concedes she is very much looking forward to a summer break.