Writing All Weekend

 The Wellington Children's Book Association is running a writing weekend.... Spaces will fill fast.

Join Us to Celebrate The New Zealand Book Awards for Children's and Young Adults 2020

The Book Awards will be virtual this year... However, we will be gathering together in person at The Children's Bookshop in Kilbirnie. We will have a short AGM where we just need to vote to remove our incorporation tag. (We incorporated to make things easier for the conferences.)

THEN IT"S PARTY TIME!

Please RSVP to us at 

the.wcba at gmail.com

or 

The Children's Bookshop in Kilbirnie

 Congratulations to all the finalists!

  

Rest In Peace Jack

It is with profound sadness that we farewell our beloved patron, Jack Lasenby 1931- 27.09.2019
Jack's memorial service will be at the Mana Crusing Club, Paremata Thursday 3rd October at 11am.

There have been many tributes to Jack. The Spinoff has collected them for a memorial page, including one from the Wellington Children's Book Association.

I ask that if you are reading this you find time to raise a glass and toast the master storyteller, Jack Lasenby.

Spinoff Memorial Page- Dear Jack we love you

Radio New Zealand announcement

2016 Radio Interview with Kim Hill

The workshop... after

We had a full house yesterday for The Skinny workshop. It was a packed day with huge amounts of information... ideas... pizza... more ideas... laughter...
We got to play with our nifty new toy... the projector. Thank you Suzanne for projector wrangling.
We love CORE education because they lent us a screen.
We LOVE LOVE LOVE The Children's Bookshop in Kilbirnie for the venue.
(Our wallets can confirm this.)
It was lovely to see familiar friends and make a whole load of new ones on the day.
And we gained some new members for the membership list. (hehehehehe)

Our warmest thanks to our amazing presenters.
Mandy Hager
Marie Hodgkinson
Eileen Mueller
Juliette MacIver
Adele Jackson
Ruth McIntyre

We all know what we are going to be working on in the future don't we... a collaborative graphic novel about a paranormal rugby player with a high stakes emotional ending, killer cover, and branded rainbow content.

Emails are going out soon to participants with extra reference material.

The Skinny on Children's Book Publishing.

The Wellington Children’s Book Association in conjunction with The Children’s Bookshop are hosting a one day workshop in children’s writing and publishing.

July 21st 10-4pm at The Children's Bookshop Kilbirnie.

The day consists of intensive aspects in writing craft, understanding the children’s book marketplace and what it takes to be successful.

The craft of Writing the Ending with Mandy Hager 
Mandy Hager, a multi-award-winning writer of Young Adult novels, will turn her laser eyes to the business of endings. How can you wrap up a story leaving the reader fully satisfied?

Writing in Tandem.
Marie Hodgkinson is a publishing tutor at Whitireia and an author of many novels. Marie will look at the pros and cons of collaborative writing.

Novice Graphic Noveling with Adele Jackson. 
Adele is a visual communicator who works across the publishing industry in illustration who works across the children’s publishing industry in illustration, comic strips, infographics, and design. Adele will explore what it takes to present a story visually.

Online marketing with Eileen Mueller
Eileen has her finger on the pulse of online marketing books for children. This is a specialist area and it helps that Eileen has had great success with her own children’s novels.

Gaps in the market with Ruth McIntyre
Ruth McIntyre lives children’s books. As the owner of the award-winning Children’s Bookshop, she is able to say what readers are looking for, what works and what doesn’t in the realm of children’s books.

The Judge's Eye with Maureen Crisp and Ruth McIntyre.
As past judges of the New Zealand Children’s Book Awards, Maureen and Ruth bring their expertise on what makes an award winner stand out from the crowd.

Juliette’s Junket- What overseas opportunities really mean with Juliette MacIver 
Juliette was recently a guest of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival. This meant flying there and then presenting workshops to children. What is expected of you at such an event? What do you need to prepare for? Is the ability to ride a camel a pre-requisite?

Lunch is provided along with afternoon tea.

Numbers are capped at 30 people and we expect this workshop day to fill up fast.

Email the Wellington Children’s Book Association Inc  (the.wcba at gmail dot com) to register your interest. Payment will confirm your place.
$50 Early Bird rate until June 30th 
$70 full rate.

The WCBA is a not for profit organisation dedicated to raising the profile of children’s books in New Zealand.

Events July August 2018

We were very sad to hear of the passing of Island Bay bookseller (and lovely person) Fay Far.

You can read about Fay here.

The Island Bay community is proposing an annual “Fay Day” in Fay’s honour, when people are encouraged to down their devices and pick up a book. This will be on the anniversary of her death each year so look out for it next 1 July (or don’t wait until then, buy a book to remember Fay anyway)

The NZ Book Council AGM is at 6pm on Wednesday 1 August at Meow, followed by an evening of True Stories Told Live – storytelling from the heart, featuring Sharon Lam, Gem Wilder, Annaleese Jochems, Hana Pera Aoake, Freya Daly Sadgrove, Curti Icon and Eamonn Marra as MC. This will be a great evening (and free! and the AGM won’t take long!) so RSVP now!

The NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults are in full swing and it’s great to see a number of Wellington authors and illustrators short-listed, congratulations to them all.

There are also lots of interesting posts and competitions on their Facebook page. 

The award ceremony is on Wednesday 8 August at Te Papa, and tickets may still be available here. 

The 2^nd National Writers Forum, run by the NZ Society of Authors, is being held in Auckland on 21-23 September. Anyone who went to the first one will tell you how amazing it was, and several WCBA members have signed up already.  Have a look at the programme and see if you can find any cheap fares, it will be another great weekend. (Just for starters: the programme includes an Opening address by Philip Pullman, beamed in by videolink!)

The NWF is aimed solely at writers: “a 2.5 day intensive where writers talk, learn and share information about the craft of writing, the business of writing and the world of words”, and also a chance to meet other writers from around the country.  

Have a look at Best books I never wrote, a regular column in the Saturday Dominion Post, compiled on 14 July (you might have to scroll down) by Fleur Beale, and on 7 July by Ruth Paul. Lots of wonderful NZ titles quoted, which is great to see!

We've received a request from a local high school, as follows:

The learning support department at Wellington East Girls’ College are looking for a pool of reader/writers to support our learning support students with their NCEA assessments. These students have learning differences such as dyslexia and qualify for special assessment conditions. This will be for internal assessments on an as needed basis. The tasks may involve reading the questions to them and recording their answers. They would appreciate a calm and reassuring temperament.

We would love your support to help these students achieve their full potential. As you will be working in a school environment police vetting will be required.

(Reimbursement of expenses or modest pay is available)

If you are interested, please email Deborah Marshall: Deborah.Marshall@wegc.school.nz

And lastly, a plug for The Sapling. I’m sure you all know about this wonderful website by now, and the fantastic job it is doing in supporting NZ children’s literature,  but the editors would appreciate your support too in spreading the word and liking and sharing articles.  

Storylines Betty Gilderdale Award 2017

We are delighted to announce that the winner of the 2017 Storylines Betty Gilderdale award for outstanding service to children’s literature is our very own Maureen Crisp!!

From the Storylines press release issued today: 

STORYLINES BETTY GILDERDALE AWARD 2017 

Wellington teacher, author and literary blogger Maureen Crisp has been announced as the winner of the 2017 Storylines Betty Gilderdale award for outstanding service to children’s literature. 

“Storylines is delighted to honour Maureen as one of the unsung heroes of children’s literature in this country,” says Storylines chair Dr Libby Limbrick. “She was convenor of two national conferences for children’s writers and illustrators, in 2009 and 2015, and also serves as president of the Wellington Children’s Book Association.

Her weekly blog on news and views on children’s publishing is followed by many published and aspiring writers. She also began and continues to contribute to the online children’s writing competition Fabo Story, an opportunity enjoyed by many hundreds of children around the country.” 

Maureen Crisp is also a published author of junior fiction. 

The Storylines Betty Gilderdale Award honours Betty Gilderdale, a lifelong advocate and supporter of children’s literature, through her academic research, work as a reviewer and 30 years' committee service to Auckland’s Children’s Literature Association. Prior to 2000, the award was known as the Children’s Literature Association’s Award for Services to Children’s Literature.

The Award is given for outstanding service to children’s literature and literacy and carries a monetary prize of $2000. As part of the award presentation, to be held in Wellington on Monday 27 November, Maureen Crisp will deliver a 40 minute address known as the Storylines Spring Lecture.

Congratulations Maureen from all of us in the WCBA!!
and please put Monday 27 November in your diaries for the award ceremony. 

Keep an eye on the Storylines website for more details. 

John McIntyre, champion of children’s books, 1951-2017

By now many of you will have heard the sad news that John McIntyre of The Children's Bookshop, bookseller extraordinaire, died on Saturday 10 June, after a brave fight with chronic illness.

When someone dies, people often ask "what can we do?" - well - there is something you can do...

We'd love it if as many people as possible could Buy a Book for John - to show what John meant to you and to the world of children's literature, and to give some practical support to Ruth McIntyre and the bookshop over the next few weeks. If you're in Wellington, pop into the bookshop (Shop 26, Kilbirnie Plaza, Kilbirnie). If you live elsewhere, you can shop online on their wonderful website. We'd like to think the bookshop staff will be swamped with orders and run off their feet. (We've checked with them first!) If so, your order might take a little while to process, but it will be forthcoming!

The Children's Bookshop stocks a fabulous selection of books for children and young adults, as well as some adult fiction and non-fiction. If you're not sure what to buy, ask one of the bookshop staff - they are all amazing and knowledgeable (after all, they were trained by John). Or check out the suggestions on their website - have a look at the latest newsletters.

Buy a book for yourself, or buy one to give away and tell the person you give it to that it's in memory of John McIntyre. John said of himself, "I'm just a bookseller" - but we know he was much more than that.

Spread the word on #buyabookforjohn

Funeral details:

John's funeral will be at 1pm on Friday 16 June at Old St Paul's, Thorndon, Wellington (and the bookshop will be closed on that day). In lieu of flowers, the family has said that donations to Kidney Health NZ would be appreciated. Messages for the McIntyre family can be left on John's tribute page or sent to: The Children's Bookshop, Shop 26, Kilbirnie Plaza, Kilbirnie, Wellington 6022

More tributes to John:

The Sapling: Farewell dear John we miss you already

Booksellers NZ: Vale John McIntyre, creator of readers

Radio NZ interview with Kathryn Ryan, 26 May 2017 - recorded just after John had decided to give up the review spot he'd held, every second Friday,  for 15 years 

[This is an initiative by the Wellington Children's Book Association Inc. We don't mean to take away business from any other of our wonderful bookshops. We'd simply like to show our appreciation for John in a  way that we hope he would have approved of. For John, it was always all about the books - not about him.] 

The Sapling

Happy New Year everyone, and here is an update about The Sapling, which many of you will already know about. (If you didn't catch it in the weekend, listen to this interview with Sarah on Standing Room Only.) 

We are Sarah Forster and Jane Arthur, and we love reading and talking about children's books, and we think that there is more to them than the conversation we are given in the main media. We think they deserve equal time, energy and passion as books for adults. 

So we have started The Sapling, an online magazine that will launch in March. We have some funding from Creative NZ to pay our contributors, but in order to commission several articles a week (mixing essays, reviews, interviews and creative crafts), we are also running a crowd-funding campaign, which we intend to do through Boosted. 

We would like to ask you to be our partners in promoting this campaign via your newsletter, social media and any other forum you can think of! We have some fabulous articles already coming through, and your promotion will make a massive difference in the size of audience we can reach with both the campaign and the website once it is launched.

We are on Twitter and Facebook, and we will be launching the website in the first week of March. 

If you would like a graphic, press release and promotional link sent to you once it is prepared, please let us know - it would be great also to have an idea of how you are able to promote it. The campaign is scheduled to launch on 24 January. 

We will gladly acknowledge you on our campaign page as soon as it launches, as our first supporters.

kind regards,

Sarah Forster and Jane Arthur
Founding Editors

Birthday greetings

A very happy birthday from everyone in the WCBA to an unnamed Someone at the Children's Bookshop, Kilbirnie who is having a Special Birthday.

Happy birthday J___ M_______ and enjoy using your magic golden card.

We appreciate all that you do for children's literature and to support children's and YA writers in New Zealand.

What Lies Beneath

The What Lies Beneath exhibition has been travelling all around New Zealand and has reached Wellington at last!

Authors Melinda Szymanik, Philippa Werry, Glyn Harper, Anna Mackenzie and Maria Gill, as well as illustrators Fifi Colston and Marco Ivanic, are giving a panel talk at Wellington Central Library on Tuesday 18 October from 6pm-8pm. 

There will be book giveaways, light supper, posters and bookmarks to take home, as well as a very interesting panel discussion about children's war books. 

See poster below for more details. We would love to see lots of you there!

Please pass on news of this event to anyone you think might be interested. 

Barbara Else to give her Margaret Mahy Award speech in Wellington

Barbara Else gives her Margaret Mahy speech for a Wellington audience. (photo is of Barbara with her illustrator of the Fontania series - Sam Broad)
Award-winning Wellington writer and literary agent Barbara Else was named the 2016 winner of New Zealand’s top award for children’s writers and illustrators in March. The Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal is awarded annually for lifetime achievement and an outstanding contribution to New Zealand children’s literature.
As part of the award Barbara was invited to present a public lecture in Auckland in April.
The Children's Bookshop are delighted to host Barbara on Monday the 19th of September at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. Finger food and drinks provided.
This is an open invitation - no charge but please RSVP to books@thechildrensbookshop.co.nz for catering numbers.

The Wellington Children's Book Association 

Annual General Meeting 

will be held on

3rd September 2016 at 2pm 

at The Mediterranean Food Warehouse 

Newtown

Come and meet up for a coffee and chat. 

(We have short meetings too.)

Please R.S.V.P. to 

the.wcba@gmail.com

By 30th August 2016

NZ Writers Week

Great to see so many fascinating sessions on offer at this year's NZ Writers Week (8-13 March); in fact, there's a whole section titled For the young and youthful (and that's all of us, right??) Pick up a programme if you haven't seen it yet, or look online.

Here are some sessions that should be of special interest to anyone who follows children's and young adult writing:

Thursday 10 March

9.45am Anna Smaill talking to Kate de Goldi

11am Jamie Curry and Mallory Ortberg talking about Life Online

12.30pm (Don’t miss this one!) Anna McKenzie talking about the story behind Evie's War

Also on 10 March, the launch of Hooked on NZ Books, a new online review website for young adults.

Saturday 12 March

2pm (another don’t miss session) The Kids Are All Right: Mandy Hager chairing a session on YA books and the issues today's kids face, with Sally Gardner, Cornelia Funke and Ted Dawe.

7pm (but at the Dowse in Lower Hutt) Robert Dessaix on Enid Blyton and "the lasting influences of a childhood reading".

Sunday 13 March

9.30am Live storytelling session with Paul Beavis (I've seen Paul in action and kids always love his sessions)

11am Sally Gardner in conversation with Anna McKenzie

12.30pm Mariko Tamaki, graphic novelist, in conversation with Kate de Goldi

2pm Cornelia Funke in conversation with Jo Randerson

3.30pm How Weta Digital translated James Dashner's YA series The maze runner to film

5pm Joy Cowley : A Joyful Life (a celebration of Joy's 80th year)

Plenty of other great sessions as well; it's going to be hard to choose. 

Blue Dragon movie fundraiser

Blue Dragon Children’s Trust New Zealand is holding its annual movie fundraiser on Monday 12 October, starting at 6.30pm at the Penthouse Cinema in Brooklyn, Wellington. The movie is “Umrika”, an Indian comedy-drama written and directed by Prashant Nair.

A small village in India is invigorated when one of their own travels to America (aka Umrika) and details his adventures through letters home, sparking community debate and inspiring hope. But when the letters mysteriously stop coming, the letter writer’s younger brother Rama (Suraj Sharma) sets out on a journey to find him with the help of his best friend Lalu (Tony Revolori). 

Set in the mid-1980s, "Umrika" won the World Cinema Dramatic Audience Award when it premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.

Tickets cost $25 and as in previous years, there will be a brief introduction and auction with some great items up for grabs. The movie itself will begin at 6.50pm and we ask you to be seated by 6.30pm.

You can either pay directly into the bank account of Iona McNaughton, Blue Dragon NZ trustee (to be transferred as a lump sum into Blue Dragon's account) or you can pay in cash on the night. Please let Iona know what you would like to do. If you want to pay her online, let her know and she'll send you the bank account details (iona.mcnaughton@gmail.com).

Also, if you could spread the word and let your family, friends and workmate know, that would be really great. 

Here's the link to the trailer, and thanks so much for your support of Blue Dragon. It's a great cause and you can read more about the New Zealand Trust here.

Storylines Free Family Day, Sunday 23 August 2015

Storylines Free Family Day

Wellington, Sunday 23 August 2015

Are you passionate about helping kids read?

Would you like to make a difference to children’s literacy?

Do you enjoy having fun?

We have 6 weeks until Family Day and need your help!

Storylines Free Family Days help kids meet New Zealand authors and illustrators and have fun with their books. Crafts, live performances, face-painting, competitions, and activities help kiwi books come  to life for kiwi kids. Join us as a volunteer - we need you.

Unlock the child within! 

Encounter weird and wild creatures!

Run amok with aliens and astronauts!

Fling a medieval insult and help kids create medieval stories!

Meet 'Monkey Boy' and help kids cook creatively!

Fish up something from beneath the surface in the underwater corner.

Dare to dress up! Shape-shifters welcome! Cool costumes rewarded!

Over 4,000 Wellingtonians  attended  Family Day in 2014! This year we are at Shed 6, on Wellington waterfront, next to the TSB Arena. Don't miss the opportunity to be a part of this special rewarding day.     

                           

If you’re interested in helping as a volunteer on the day, please contact, Nikki Geeson, the volunteer coordinator for the Wellington Free Family Day. Email nikkigeeson@xtra.co.nz and let her know how you are able to help, or for more information phone her on 022 0104373.

Or click on this link for a contact form. 

We look forward to hearing from you and having fun planning Family Day together!

Kind Regards,

Eileen Mueller

Storylines Wellington Regional Coordinator

P:+64 4 389 8550|M:+64 27 4799 731|nzmueller@clear.net.nz

Skype: nzmueller |Twitter @nzmueller

www..eileenmuellerauthor.com

www.storylines.org.nz

https://www.facebook.com/WellingtonStorylinesFamilyDay --please like our Facebook page

Storylines Festival of New Zealand Children's Writers and Illustrators 2015 | 22-30 August 2015 | Wellington Family Day Sunday 23 August 2015

How to Catch a Grim Reaper

Big congrats to WCBA member Helen Vivienne Fletcher, featured on Radio NZ's Standing Room on Sunday 5 July:

"Having gathered a stack of awards for her poetry and a book of hers translated into French, German and Spanish, Helen Vivienne Fletcher has now set her sights on writing for the stage. Her poetry has appeared in print and on line, and she's also got several e-picture books to her name, including Jenny No-Knickers and Do Fruit Worry About Getting Fat? She's about to attend the opening night of her first play, How to Catch a Grim Reaper, which is part of the 2015 Young and Hungry Festival of New Theatre."

You can read more about How to Catch a Grim Reaper on the Bats website here. Great title and great poster! It's on from Friday 10 July to Saturday 25 July. 

Susan Price: the sedulous recorder

I've only read this lovely article online, but apparently it makes the front cover of Salient, the Victoria Uni student newspaper.



If the link doesn't work, try going to the Salient page  and clicking on the latest issue for June 2015.

A wonderful tribute to Susan and her amazing work. (That delicious description, "sedulous recorder", is apparently a quote from Kate De Goldi.)

Congratulations, Fleur!

Biggest and best congratulations to WCBA member Fleur Beale, who was awarded the ONZM (Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to literature) in the New Year's Honours and will be presented with her honour at Government House tomorrow. 

We are very proud of Fleur and the amazing books she has written, and we were very happy to present her with some flowers on behalf of all of you in the WCBA. Feel free to send her your own congratulations by phone, email, letter or whatever format you prefer!



Read an interview with Fleur here. I especially like her (typically modest) reply to this question:

What is the best thing a teenager has ever said to you about your work?
Cool book, miss. I finished it.

Julia Donaldson in conversation - a life in writing

Writers, illustrators, publishers, librarians, teachers and anyone interested in children's literature:

Julia Donaldson, the popular best-selling author of The Gruffalo, A Squash and a Squeeze, Room on the Broom and many other children's favourites will be in conversation with top New Zealand author/illustrator Ruth Paul.

This is a fantastic opportunity to hear Julia speak about her life as a writer and an outspoken children's literature advocate, and her time as the Children's Laureate 2011 -2013.

Place: St Peter's on Willis St., Wellington.

Date: Thursday 12 February

Time: 6.30-8.00pm. 

Tickets $10 each - bookings essential.

Book on Eventfinda here.

The event is organised by The Children's Bookshop, Kilbirnie in conjunction with Macmillan Publishers and Scholastic NZ. Any profits from the evening will go towards the organisation of Tinderbox, the professional development conference for children's book authors and illustrators to be held in Wellington in 2015.

Hope to see lots of you there!