Born in Auckland in 1973 Jo moved to Wellington in 1977, attended Clifton Terrace School and then to Wellington Girls College where she was Head Girl.
After choosing Theatre and Film as her major at Victoria University, Wellington, she was involved as a writer, director and performer in revues and theatre productions for VUWSA Drama Club. She also performed at BATS and appeared doing stand-up comedy on A Bit After Ten.

Jo spent a year in Australia as a youth worker and nurse at an old people's home, and upon her return formed the theatre group Trouble with Andrew Foster, Jo Smith and Jason Whyte. 
In 1995 Fold was written and presented at the Young and Hungry Festival of Youth Theatre at BATS, and later returned to Downstage.
In 1996 Jo participated in the prestigious creative writing course at Victoria University with Bill Manhire, and has since published two books of short stories: The Spit Children and The Keys To Hell. Jo formed Barbarian Productions in 2001 and has been touring and performing in her own shows since then - playing in France, Norway, Edinburgh, Belgium, Australia as well as around New Zealand.

Jo was the 2001 Burns Fellow at Otago University, Dunedin and has recently been nominated for the IIML Prize in Modern Letters.

www.joranderson.com
www. barbarian.co.nz