New Zealand Book Month - are you ready?...

So apparently the year started without me and raced off to February before I could even blink. Jeepers. Before you know it, it'll be March and New Zealand Book Month will be upon us. I will be launching my historical novel A Winter's Day in 1939 (released March 1st -  launch March 24th - details to come) published by Scholastic. I have been thinking a lot about this book and how I approached the writing of it. When March rolls around I will be ready to tell you all about it. I think I'm doing something with an Auckland based library for Book Month as well, although arrangements haven't been pinned down yet. And last but by no means least I am part of a fabulous event thought up by the amazing Maria Gill, an exhibition to be hosted by the National Library and Takapuna Library, kicking off with a gala opening on the 4th, followed by a speed date of some of the participating authors and illustrators with school students on the 5th, and then maybe some school visits as well. The exhibition 'What Lies Beneath' will run all month long, shared across the two venues. I will be exhibiting the materials  that inspired and informed my new novel. There are lots of starry, fabulous people involved.

New Zealand Book month is a wonderful opportunity to trumpet the virtues of books in general and of New Zealand books in particular. If you have not read any local product recently, make March the month you do! And if you read one you REALLY enjoyed, March is the month to tell all your friends about it.

The give way end of a one lane bridge...

I went to the Auckland launch of New Zealand Book Month last night. It was lovely. A smart and interesting crowd, superb local wines and food and a great success all round (Beth - you are a star). I counted myself lucky to go although it did mean having to talk with lots of grown ups. Held at St Matthew in the City the event included a celebliterati debate around the topic of 'should New Zealand Books be given special treatment here in NZ?' Folks this is a serious issue that has been much on my mind. Being an author in New Zealand is an exhausting business requiring writing, editing, persuading, selling, marketing, promotional and other skills and efforts. I sometimes feel like a character in a Dr Suess book, 'would you like it in a house, would you like it with a mouse, on a train, in the rain, buy my book please...' (sorry it scanned better until i took a swear word out). But I had forgotten that the debate was an 'entertainment'. Some argued passionately, 'book sales for NZ titles are a small fraction of total book sales here' vs. 'buying books should be about quality not where the author comes from.' Some took a circuitous route through their own pasts to the topic but all the speakers were excellent and we laughed, a lot. And because they were most entertaining the negatives won. But folks the question remains - Should NZ titles be given special treatment? Could someone please explain to me why it seems so few NZ titles travel to overseas markets but so many overseas titles, irrespective of their quality are sold here. The traffic is not 'both ways'. Here in New Zealand it feels as if we are on the 'give way' end of the one lane bridge. The 'quality' argument is fair enough but the playing field is not level. I haven't received Creative New Zealand funding, I don't receive special treatment, and my readers know me because I have gone out and visited schools and libraries, attended Storylines festivals and done my best to be visible. I keep writing and submitting and working on my craft. Maybe I am missing something but I don't even think its about special treatment - just equal treatment with overseas titles would be nice.

And because I love you all so much, here are some juicy links for your entertainment (Surgeon general's warning: a hot beverage should not be consumed while reading this) and your edification (this link should be filed for future reference). Have a safe and happy weekend people, go buy a book by a New Zealand author and keep the folk of Christchurch in your thoughts.

It pays to be a boy scout/girl guide...

I was horrified watching an item on the television programme 60 minutes last night. The item was looking at the spending habits of young females. One gorgeous young thing in her early twenties in particular had my blood boiling. With the global financial crisis making the lucky ones tighten their belts and the less lucky wondering where they might sleep or when they might next eat, this brainless lovely had a weekly spend on her credit cards of around $1500. It was her right as a human being to treat herself. I believe in treating myself too if things have been particularly stressful or something particularly special or exciting has happened. But she treated herself because it was another day. And her treats were high end luxury items. Her clothes had designer labels, she drank expensive wine and was considering buying a $60,000 car. On credit. Shopping made her happy. Her shopping made me unhappy. How could she not know that spending comes after earning. Her values and attitude shocked me. If she represents the next generation I feel very afraid.

Whilst net trawling this morning, I've come across a couple of interesting posts that got me thinking. NZ crime writer Vanda Symon's latest post reviews the last session at the Burns Festival in Dunedin on NZ literature. Read her review here: http://vandasymon.blogspot.com/2008/10/here-at-end-of-world.html. As did one of the pannellists (Catherine Chidgey), I've often wondered if it is only writers like ourselves who know NZ writers and books so well. If you asked Joe Public how many NZ writers and their books they could name, and how many NZ books had they read in the past 12 months what would the response be? For myself, I read book sections in magazines and papers, read reviews and regularly check out whats new at the bookshops, but does Joe Public? Ms Chidgey contrasted the NZ reality with that in Ireland, where all Irish writers are known. How did they achieve that and how can we do it here. Should it form a bigger part of a childs education to know who our greats are? To paraphrase Ms Chidgey, 'when will our writers be on cards in weetbix packets, traded with excitement in the playground at lunchtime.' The other comment that really got me thinking was the idea that NZ literature was ghettoised by having its own section in bookshops and we would truely have matured as a reading/book buying nation when NZ writers were mixed in with the rest of the world. This kind of took me by surprise and I'm not sure whether I agree or not. I like that it makes my book easier to find. But does it somehow subordinate our writing to what comes from overseas. Perhaps when all kiwis know all NZ writers then we can be mixed in or maybe being mixed in is an important part of the process of getting to that point. I'm not sure.

The other post that caught my eye this morning was by Justine Larbalestier (link over on your right listed under extremely cool people). With some of her pals having books coming out soon she was giving advice on preparing for author talks and book tours by looking at the most often asked questions at such events.

Where did you get your ideas for this book?

Where do you get your ideas?

What were/are your inspirations?

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

And Whats your favourite book/author?



Justine looks at how these questions might be approached. While these all might seem simple and predictable and straightforward it never hurts to consider your repsonse to each one before throwing yourself out there. We assume the answers to the obvious will come easy but if you have a smart and/or witty reply tucked away in your mind it will leave room free for adlibbing on the questions you never saw coming like what does your husband earn (and I have actually had this question from a seven year old - you have been warned). It probably pays to also spend a bit of time thinking of answers to questions like favourite food, colour, animal, and place to write. The more organised you are, the cleverer you will appear!