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Biography: Ashton-Warner, Sylvia Constance

Spinster

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Spinster

Sylvia Ashton-Warner’s 1958 novel, Spinster, tells the story of a primary-school teacher in remote, rural New Zealand. The novel was made into a film starring Shirley MacLaine, which appeared in 1961.

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How to cite this page

Sue Middleton. 'Ashton-Warner, Sylvia Constance', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 2011. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/ephemera/33254/spinster (accessed 4 June 2026).