Child's Play: Performing the School Journal

Sarah Delahunty's First Gear Productions performs a set of stories adapted from the book "A Nest of Singing Birds: 100 Years of the School Journal", written by Greg O'Brien. More than a dozen stories have been shaped into a performance by leading children’s playwright and director Sarah Delahunty and a cast of talented teenagers. The stories to be performed include: “The Summit” by Sir Edmund Hillary, “The Lion in the Meadow” by Margaret Mahy and “Wobbling” by Witi Ihimaera.

Together, the performances are called “Child’s Play: Performing the School Journal”. The show will be introduced by Gregory O’Brien and Learning Media are kindly donating sets of ten postcards, featuring School Journal covers from the past 100 years, as a gift for each audience member.

Entry is koha but bookings are advised. To book, please email reception@bookcouncil.org.nz with the words “Child’s Play” in the subject line. Be sure to include your full name, contact details and the number of tickets you want.

When: Wednesday 4 June, 7 – 8pm (Café L’Affare coffee available from 6.30pm)
Where: National Library Auditorium, Aitken Street, Thorndon

Many thanks to Pelorus Trust, the National Library of New Zealand and Learning Media for supporting this event.

ANZAC Day Bookcrossing

To commemorate ANZAC day, the WBCA have distributed 5 specially marked copies of the children's book Papa's Island by Nelson author Melanie Drewery, illustrated by Wellington based artist, Fifi Colston.

Somes/Matiu Island in Wellington Harbour was used as a prisoner of war camp for 'Alien Enemies' during the 1st and 2nd World Wars. Papa's Island tells the story of a girl whose Italian father was taken away- and she struggles with understanding 'why?'

We left one on the Dom Post ferry that travels between Wellington and Eastbourne; and stops at Somes/Matiu Island, one in Lower Hutt, one at Island Bay Park in the War Memorial that is dedicated to U.S Submariners, one at the War Memorial in Buckle St and the last at Johnsonville Mall by the Coke machine. We hoped to cover 4 points of the compass this way.

You can check out their progress and perhaps release books into the wild yourself by going to http://www.bookcrossing.com/ . Its a fun thing to do and everyone benefits from the giving away of a book that might otherwise just linger on your bookshelf. Share it with the world at large!

Panel Speakers

Next Tuesday's event is promising to be a very interesting evening and you can expect some forthright views, so come armed with questions!
Our panel is comprised of:

A Bookseller: John McIntyre- The Childrens Bookshop Kilbirnie, and childrens book reviewer on Nine to Noon

An Editor (well two in fact): Katie Haworth from Mallinson Rendel Publishing who are of course the home of Hairy Maclary by Lynley Dodd and many award winning childrens books by David Hill, Fleur Beale and other wonderful New Zealand authors.
Plus Margaret Cahill from Learning Media, the educational book publishers so many New Zealand writers and illustrators have been launched from.

A Creative Writing Teacher: Fleur Beale, a Finalist in the NZ Post Childrens Book Awards this year (and many previously). Highly respected for her literary work, Fleur teaches and mentors aspiring writers.

Chair: Fifi Colston, writer, illustrator, Convenor of the WCBA and a judge in this years NZ Post Book Awards.

Next Event! Click on the image to enlarge it.