Jack Lasenby Award results

The WCBA is delighted to announce the results of the 2013 Jack Lasenby Award.


Winner: 'A choice to make' by Ben Espiner

Highly commended:

'Bird flyers' by Emma-Kate Coleman

'The old man' by Eva Albiston

'In the garden' by Ella Underhill

'Luna' by Niamh Vaughan and 'Rocky' by Mia Yule


We thank judge Eirlys Hunter. Her judge's report is here.

Calling For Entries for 2013 Jack Lasenby Award

Every year The Wellington Children's Book Association sponsors THE JACK LASENBY WRITING AWARD.
In Even years for Adult writers of children's stories and in Odd years for Junior (Year 7and 8 ) children to write a  500 word story.

This year is Junior year and so we are calling for stories from Year 7 and 8 children.

This writing competition is open to children residing in the Wellington region and must be clearly set in the Wellington region.
Entries close November 29th 2013

Check out the Jack Lasenby Award details on the above tab.

Good Luck

Help save the School Journal

New on the Save Our School Journal facebook page:

We can now confirm that Government is acting with irresponsible haste in privatising the School Journal with no public scrutiny. Business cases from bidders for the contract are due today and the new arrangements to be confirmed by mid-October. We need to take urgent action to halt this process now. Share our petition on your page today and let's get over 5000 signatures. Email your local National MP (firsname.lastname@parliament.govt.nz) telling them you want the School Journal kept in public hands.

Please share the word and try to get as many signatures as possible on the online petition. Thanks to those who have already signed our press release, blogged about this or written to their MP.  

Save the School Journal

Thanks to those WCBA members who signed the recent press release written by a group of children's authors and illustrators who are concerned about the closure of Learning Media and the uncertain future of the School Journal. 

The Save Our School Journal campaign (organised by NZEI) is up and running today, with a facebook page and an online petition. Once you 'like' the facebook page, you're in the system and will be kept up-to-date with events and actions as they unfold.

  

Please circulate the links through your networks and encourage people to post their thoughts and stories on the facebook page. The more noise, traffic and action - the more energy - we can generate, the more successful this campaign is likely to be.

Reminder: panel discussion this Wednesday evening!

For children: after-school creative writing classses

Brainbunny has been running fun and friendly creative writing classes for children since 2011. Tutors Helen Fletcher (a WCBA member) and Mary Dennis are writers who are passionate about their craft, and about sharing it with kids.

If you have a budding writer in your life, visit Brainbunny at http://www.brainbunny.co.nz/ for information about their term 3 classes.

BOOK LAUNCHES...ILLUSTRATORS...MAL PEET...

It is all happening in MAY for the Wellington Children's Book Association!

Members...Information about the Mal Peet event is in your email inbox. 

Johanna Knox (children's author and committee member) has a book launch coming up but not for a children's book. If you have heard Johanna on National Radio talking about foraging edible plants...

Congratulations - The Shortlists Are Out!

We were thrilled to see our Patron, Jack Lasenby, once again make the short list for The New Zealand Children’s Post Book Awards along with other members of the Wellington Children’s Book Association. Congratulations to everyone on the shortlist. 

The Storylines Notable Book List is out and you will see members names scattered amongst the list. This is often called the unofficial Longlist of the NZ Post Children’s Book Awards.

Well Done Everyone!

Reminder of book launches in April

This month at The Children's Bookshop, Kilbirnie:

Thursday April 4, 6:00pm:

Anzac Day: The New Zealand Story 

by Philippa Werry

Wednesday April 10, 6:00pm:

Mysterious Traveller 

by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham

Saturday April 13, 3:00pm:

A Winter’s Day 

by Melinda Szymanik

RSVP THE CHILDREN’S BOOKSHOP (PH. 387 3905) 

FOR ALL BOOK LAUNCH EVENTS.

Book Launches in April

Next month sees three diverse book launches at the Children’s Bookshop in Kilbirnie:

Thursday April 4, 6:00pm

Anzac Day: The New Zealand Story 

by Philippa Werry

Useful for the whole family, this fascinating new book exposes the rich history behind Anzac Day, seeking to answer the many questions children often ask their parents around the 25th.

Wednesday April 10, 6:00pm

Mysterious Traveller 

by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham

Many of you will know that renowned author Mal Peet is in Wellington teaching at IIML. Mal and Elspeth are from over the ditch and don’t know too many people here yet, so this is your chance to welcome them and celebrate the launch of their picture book. As John McIntyre says, “Bring your friends ... we need to make this a big Wellington event.”

Saturday April 13, 3:00pm

A Winter’s Day by Melinda Szymanik

Melinda is thrilled to be invited to come down to Wellington and launch her new book. Come along and be part of the welcome and join us for dinner afterwards. Here is a snippet from Barbara Murison’s review: “This book, which is based on the experiences of Melinda's father and his family, is hard to put down and even harder to forget.”

PLEASE RSVP THE CHILDREN’S BOOKSHOP 

(PH. 387 3905) FOR ALL BOOK LAUNCH EVENTS.

Fundraising book fair

A book fair will be held in the Ngaio Town Hall from 9:00am to 1:00pm on Saturday 13th April, as a fundraiser for the Blue Dragon Children's Foundation in Hanoi, Vietnam. All proceeds will be donated to Blue Dragon to support its work in providing education and training for kids in crisis in Vietnam. Trustees of the Blue Dragon Children’s Trust (NZ) are organising the fair.

There are several ways you can help:

• Donate any unwanted books, DVDs or CDs. If possible, please contact a trustee and arrange to deliver the donations to a trustee’s house. If necessary, one of us can pick up the books.
• Please tell friends, neighbours and work colleagues about the call for book donations and the date of the book fair.
• Contact one of the trustees if you would like to help set up the fair on Friday night, 12th April, or help on the day.
• Come to the book fair and buy some books, DVDs or CDS. As always, there will be some great bargains.

 If you’re interested in donating to this worthy cause, send us an email (the.wcba@gmail.com) and we'll forward the relevant contact details.

Wellington Storytellers’ Café

The next event of the Wellington Storytellers’ Café is at 7:30pm on Tuesday 2nd April 2013, at Toi Ponēke, 61-69 Abel Smith Street, Te Aro. It will be hosted by Moira Wairama, and guest tellers will be Judy Frost-Evans and Linda.

Judy Frost-Evans lives by the sea in Pukerua Bay, where she inhales the salt laden breezes, listens to the sounds of the sea, is inspired by the graceful flight of the sea birds riding on the updraughts, and keeps a lookout for whales in the Kapiti Channel. She will bring us tales from the Belly of the Whale.

Linda writes regularly on controversial social issues for adults and young people, and as a storyteller, generally tells World stories, myths and legends. At this month’s Storytellers’ Café, she’ll be combining the two, in tales that entertain, startle and surprise.

Entry $5.

For more information about events at Toi Poneke:

Email: artscentre@wcc.govt.nz


Facebook: Facebook.com/toiponeke.artscentre

Congratulations Sabrina!

In WCBA-member-success news ... Sabrina Malcolm has been shortlisted not once, but twice for the Storylines Joy Cowley Award.

Full shortlists for Storylines Awards are available at the Storylines website.

Hometime by Holly Gooch

Congratulations to WCBA member and highly regarded storyteller Holly Gooch!

She has released a new book, Hometime. It contains some of her most popular stories, along with beautiful artwork by Alice Moore.

Find out more here.