Take a peek Between the Lines

Something very exciting is happening in Hamilton during April. Garden Place Library is hosting the Between the Lines Exhibition, providing local children and book lovers with a rare opportunity to get inside the heads of some of the Waikato’s best known children’s authors and illustrators.
Between the Lines runs from 1 to 30 April 2014 and will reveal the inspiration and creative process behind a range of contemporary children’s books.

Wharepapa South illustrator and designer Deborah Hinde is coordinating the exhibition, which is supported by the Waikato Children’s Literature Association. Displays on 19 writers and illustrators from across the Waikato will focus on the inspiration, research and process that lies behind one of each of their books.

Deborah says, “We wanted to show that there is as much book-related talent and creativity here in the Waikato as in some of the larger urban areas. The exhibition is also a celebration of all the wonderful books for children that are being generated here.”

I am taking part in the exhibition (with my picture book Wooden Arms, illustrated by Scott Tulloch), as is fellow Raglan writer Andre Ngapo and Raglan illustrator Margery Fern. Other featured writers and illustrators include Deborah, Dawn McMillan, Alison Robertson, Des Hunt, Sharon Holt, Ann Neville, Claire Ashmore, Doug Wilson, Judi Billcliff, Kat Merewether, Michael Oehley, Paul Martin, Scott Pearson, Talia Evered, Tamsyn Rose, Fiona Williams and Yvonne Milroy. Together they represent writers and illustrators from across the children’s literature genres and age groups.

The exhibition’s official opening is at 5:30pm on Tuesday 1 April 2014 in the exhibition space on Level 2 of Garden Place Library, Hamilton. Everyone is welcome so please come along and bring your friends and whanau.

 

A fun night for children's book lovers

The Waikato Children’s Literature Association’s AGM is on this Thursday 13 February.

If you live in the Waikato and you don’t already know about this great organisation, it’s worth checking out their web page, then joining. Its purpose is to “work in the community to generate a love of literature and reading amongst children”. What could be better than that?

The association organises regular seminars and other opportunities to meet children’s writers and illustrators, and hosts the annual Waikato Kids’ Lit Quiz and an annual NZ Post Children’s Book Award review night.

I am giving a talk at the AGM about my work, alongside the talented Yvonne Milroy (Jimothy) and Tamara James (The World is Your Oyster). It should be a fun night, and I am looking forward to hearing more about their work. See you there.

I didn’t win, but…

I found out just before Christmas that my manuscript, The Bold Ship Phenomenal, didn’t win the Kobo Prize.

But…thank you to all you lovely people who voted for me. I appreciate it. I was so pleased even to be shortlisted and am now feeling very excited about what I may do with the manuscript in 2014. 

Big congratulations to Fiona Sussman who did win with her novel Sentenced. I will have to buy an e-reader, so I can enjoy her book when it’s published.

I’m feeling very excited in general about 2014. There are lots of wonderful creative projects on the horizon, including a new children’s novel (I finished the first draft a couple of weeks ago), a novel for adults that I’ve been working for years (about bonsai; they’re little trees), which I have also finally finished the first draft of, and an exciting collaboration with my friend, award-winning illustrator Deborah Hinde (this is her current best-seller, 10 Kooky Kiwis , isn't that cover gorgeous!). I can’t wait to get started.

Here’s wishing you a creative and story-filled 2014.

Sarah      

Podcast for Wooden Arms

I’ve just come across the podcast for Wooden Arms on Radio New Zealand’s website. It’s read (fabulously) by Matu Ngaropo, as part of their Storytime Treasure Chest. You can listen to or download it here.

Enjoy.

The next step

Voting has closed for the Kobo Prize, so thank you to everyone who voted for me (and to those who didn’t, but were nice enough to read my excerpt). I’ll let you know how I get on.

Regardless of the result, I have decided I want The Bold Ship Phenomenal to see the light of day, and that if Kobo don’t do it, I will do it myself. Part of the reason is that I studied publishing at university, and have always wanted to have go at creating a beautiful book for myself. The other part is that I am very fond of the story, and would like to release it into the world. Either way, the book, or books, need to be as good and as gorgeous as they can be.

There’s a lot to think about and learn, and I’ll keep you posted as I go, in case you decide to do the same yourself (or, like me, just find it interesting).

Fortuitously, I attended an excellent workshop at the weekend with The Storybridge crew (Jocelyn Watkin and James George) on self-publishing and marketing your books online. Their tag line is “We help you to tell your own story in your own way. The Story Bridge team offers a supported pathway to new heights for storytelling and publishing”. It’s very apt and I thoroughly recommend their courses (there are more) for anyone keen to hone their skills or get support for their writing practice.

Certainly I came away from the self-publishing weekend all fired up with ideas and expectations, and armed with great tips for how to create a quality book.

Wish me luck!

Award-winning authors congregate in Waikato

Many thanks to the people at the Waikato Children’s Literature Association who hosted an inspiring seminar on new children’s writing in Hamilton last weekend. We were treated to entertaining talks by Tessa Duder Award winners Rachel Stedman (A Necklace of Souls) and Hugh Brown (Reach), and Ester Glen Award winner Rachael King (Red Rocks).

I always thoroughly enjoy listening to other writers talk, as it inevitably sparks your own creativity and provides insight into the fascinating (for authors) and multifarious process of writing.  I bought all their books (oops: so much for the budget) and will look forward to several good reading sessions over the summer.

I also attended a very good workshop with Alison Robertson, another award-winning children’s writer (Tom Fitzgibbon Award), who gave tips on adding sparkle to your writing; and was treated to a ‘conversation’ with editor Margaret Cahill (previously of Learning Media) who provided a rare perspective on the editor–author relationship from the other side of the desk. The lady in the picture, explaining the nuts and bolts of picture books, is talented illustrator Deborah Hinde of Kooky Kiwi fame.

I find this type of event invaluable, for networking, having a good blather about books and harvesting the tips of the trade. I think the Waikato needs more of them, so if you’re thinking of running one and need a hand, send me an email. I’d love to be involved.

Thankfully the Waikato Children’s Literature Association has several more planned for 2014, including their AGM in February, where I’ll be speaking alongside Hamilton writers Tamara James and Yvonne Milroy. How can I compete with an elf!  

Voting has started for the Kobo Prize

Voting has started for the Kobo NZ Authors E-Publishing Prize. My children’s novel, The Bold Ship Phenomenal, is one of the five novels shortlisted for the fiction category. Very exciting!

So please go online and vote for me. Here is the link: Kobo prize voting.

40 per cent of the judging is by reader voting, so your vote will make a difference. (Blimey, I sound like a politician.)

For anyone who wants a little taster, I've included the first chapter below. You can read a longer extract on the voting site.

Many thanks and I’ll keep you posted how I get on. 

The Bold Ship Phenomenal

Chapter one

The problem with life, thought Malachi as he trudged along the tide line, was science. It wasn’t the only problem, no way, but at this point it was certainly one of his biggest.

“Science sucks,” he said, booting at the sand, so that it rose and scattered before him in a damp fan.  “Science sucks.” Then again, louder and louder, until he was practically shouting it, “Science sucks, science sucks”. And to make matters worse, science was the first lesson of the day and he was already late. “Scien...”, he began again.

But then he saw the bottle and he stopped.

The bottle was propped, several meters below the tide mark, in a shallow pool left by the retreating sea. Further down the beach, the sea ssshh ssshhed as it slid onto the sand, but the pool that the bottle rested in was perfectly still, its blue-green surface cradling its glassy catch.

Normally this was exactly the sort of thing that interested Malachi. Stumbled upon treasures, jetsam and flotsam, he would scoop them up and squirrel them home to examine in the peace of his room. But today he couldn’t be bothered. Not with the way he was feeling, not after the way his day had kicked off.

He aimed another angry swipe at the sand and hoisted his bag up his back. He would have to hurry. But something about the bottle drew back his eye. Something about the way it reclined, as if it was struggling to stand upright, its top reflecting sunlight in smatters and sparks, like a miniature lighthouse on the shores of an inland sea.

Malachi dropped his bag and balanced on the pool’s edge to ease the bottle free. The bottle was large and surprisingly heavy. Slime-stained string coiled around its neck, below an orange wax bung. Grey barnacles clung on its belly and base, and its glass was coated in algae and a thick clouding of salt. 

Malachi stretched his sleeve over his hand and dipped his palm in the pool. He rubbed the bottle with the wet sleeve, trying to make a clear space in the glass. As he rubbed, the sound of the ocean filled his head. Gently at first – shh, shh, shh – then building, until the waves’ song thumped and thundered on the shore.

Startled, Malachi looked up, but the beach was quiet. The waves along the tide line had shrunk if anything, melting back into themselves before they finished their journey up the sand. Only the occasional sea bird, flying low, moved or called.

Malachi looked back down at the bottle but his rubbing had made no difference and the glass was still too murky to see inside. The bottle was certainly heavy though, as if it may be full, although when he shook it no liquid sloshed against the glass. He would have liked to take it home and clean it properly, see what was inside, but he was too late for that. Being late was Dad’s fault, but if he was any later Mrs Green would be back on the phone, back on his case, and that was the last thing he needed. Cleaning the bottle would just have to wait.

He took off his jersey and wrapped it carefully around the bottle, before clearing a space in the top of his pack. He placed the bottle in, did up the zip and eased the pack onto his back. Then, trying to keep as even a gait as possible, he jogged along the tide line, making up for lost time as he headed straight for school.