Annette Lees is the acclaimed author of After Dark: Walking into the Nights of Aotearoa, a captivating exploration of New Zealand’s nocturnal world. Through her evocative storytelling, Annette invites audiences to experience the night in a new light-guided by the sounds of bats, owls, moths, and seabirds, and enriched by tales of war stealth, ghostly encounters, and traditional night-time activities like fishing, surfing, and waka navigation. Her work blends memoir, social history, and natural science to reveal the magic and mystery of Aotearoa’s nights.
Annette is also the owner and director of Alternative Endings, a consultancy specialising in landscape-scale conservation and environmental programmes. With a background in ecology and protected landscape management, Annette supports communities, iwi, hapū, and organisations across New Zealand and the Pacific, using collaborative design and collective impact approaches to solve complex environmental challenges and foster resilient partnerships