WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) 鈥� Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Friday she is writing a book, with the focus more on leadership than on politics.
In an Instagram post, Ardern said she is often asked whether she will write about her five years as New Zealand's leader.
"At first, my answer was no. I didn鈥檛 want to write a book that hauled over the internal politics of the last five years, and then someone convinced me that I didn鈥檛 have to," Ardern wrote.
鈥淭hat maybe it might be worth expanding on some of things I talked about in my valedictory instead 鈥� like the idea you can be your own kind of leader and still make a difference. And so that鈥檚 what I鈥檓 planning to do.鈥�
Ardern said she had no date for when the book will be published.
鈥淏ut I hope when it鈥檚 done, it鈥檚 the kind of book that would have made a difference to my 14-year-old self,鈥� Ardern wrote.
Just 37 when she became prime minister in 2017, Ardern was seen as a of the left. She shocked New Zealanders in January when she said she was stepping down because she no longer had 鈥渆nough in the tank鈥� to do the job justice in an election year.
Since then, Arden has announced she will this year after being appointed to dual fellowships at the Harvard Kennedy School. She has also taken on an unpaid role .
This month, Ardern received one of New Zealand's for her service leading the country through a mass shooting and pandemic. She was made a Dame Grand Companion, meaning people will now call her Dame Jacinda.
Ardern said she was working with a team of publishers 鈥� Penguin in New Zealand and Australia, Macmillan in Britain and Crown in the United States. The publishers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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Nick Perry, The Associated Press
