Kirsteen Agnes MacKenzie
Mother. Writer. HasBeen
HasBeen Radio Host
HasBeen News Reader
HasBeen Voice Over Artist
HasBeen DJ (soundcloud here)
HasBeen Television Presenter
Continue to be;
Professional Writer
Video and Audio Producer/Presenter
Youth
Born in Whangarei NZ and raised from age 4 in Sydney Australia, at the age of 6 (1996) our young family uprooted to the UK for my fathers work.
As a family we travelled the length and breadth of the island, led by bike races which were my dad’s favourite vice. A good portion of my childhood was thereby spent camping. Somewhat isolated, I started digging and filling my bottomless well of creativity, along with a connection to alternative culture and science fiction that would serve me in years to come (but not in those years, in those years classmates thought the stylized ‘B’ on my single shoulder strapped velvet backpack was for Barbie as opposed to Buffy. Trauma).
Fun fact: I am Dutch on my Mothers side and Scottish on my Fathers side. Eligible for a passport for each, New Zealand and the United Kingdom seem quite enough…although I am currently in the process of obtaining French citizenship.
Study
At age 12 we returned to NZ where my English and French (yes really) were at least a year ahead of the pack. I carried this momentum through my curriculum until I was the youngest ever student enrolled to the New Zealand Broadcasting School (at age 16).
Leaving my hometown nest for the OTHER island and settling into Christchurch was a welcome challenge but not very healthy for my ego. Over the next three years my sense of humour was central to a bloated perception of self.
By 2009 I was holed up at a community radio station in the twee town of Oamaru, reality fully checked. From graduating with a Communications Degree I made my way up the career ladder (starting as receptionist). I surprisingly had a helping hand from a fateful broken pelvis and some sexy crutches….
Highlights
My career highlights include; Breakfast News Reader at George FM, Television Presenter and Producer for TVNZ U Live, Guest appearances reviewing music on “Goodmorning”, The voice of U by Kotex Tampons (yes really). I found another calling when Claire Sullivan and The Denizen crossed my path.
Although I had been writing radio copy and short form web content for roughly 2yrs, Claire gave me the taste for long form editorial. My hunger has done nothing but grow since. As I continued to write for the Denizen and offer such creative services to others I have also grown two daughters.
I currently live in Chamonix France with my daughters Thea and Emy; Writing and producing video content, as well as working at Globule Radio.