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NZSA TOP OF THE SOUTH NEWS
20 May 2016
Send Top of the South news to Chrissie Ward at or phone 03-546-9818. Let me know about meetings, coming events, book launches, new publications, literary successes, etc. Don’t forget to tell me if you change your email address. Past newsletters are archived for a month on our website www.topwriters.co.nz.
Follow us on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/topwritersNZSA
TOP WRITERS RADIO SHOW
The third programme in the Top Writers Radio Show on Fresh FM will be broadcast tomorrow, Saturday 21 May, and features an interview with Geoffrey Waring on his novel Deer Keeper. It will be repeated on Monday at 12.30am and then on Tuesday at 1 pm. The first two shows, which featured interviews with Panni Palásti and Sue Perkins, are now available as podcasts on the branch website at http://www.topwriters.co.nz/radio-show.html
The shows are presented by Dana Wensley and run fortnightly. Each 25-minute programme features an interview with a local published writer, covering their influences, style, writing tips, future projects, and some music that has inspired or influenced them. There is a PEN section from Dana, who is the PEN (NZ) representative for freedom of speech, as well as the latest news.
Future programmes feature the following writers talking about their books and writing:
4 June: Annika Ohlson-Smith – Ripples: an anthology by Nelson Romance Writers
18 June: Jean Gorman – The Lionheart Chronicles
2 July: Christine Leunens – A Can of Sunshine
Fresh FM is a Community Access radio station which can be heard on 104.8 in Nelson-Tasman, 95.0 in Takaka and 88.9 in Blenheim. It also operates in the inner Nelson City area on 107.2. To find out more about the station, see www.freshfm.net
JOIN IN BOOK NIGHT ON 24 MAY
Join in New Zealand’s first ever Book Night on Tuesday 24 May – a Book Discussion Scheme (BDS) event open to everyone.
Book Night is about connecting readers all over the country and highlighting the benefits of regular reading. Wherever you are and whoever you are with, grab a book, an e-book, a magazine or newspaper and read for at least 15 minutes during the evening of 24 May. Register your participation on the webpage www.bds.org.nz/booknight between 5 pm and midnight on 24 May and go into the prize draw to win great prizes.
Nelson’s Elma Turner Library invites you to join them between 6 – 7 pm on book night and register on the spot. The Library provides the books, mulled juice and nibbles, music, warmth, comfy chairs and good company.
BOB DYLAN TO BE CELEBRATED BY NELSON AND GOLDEN BAY
LIVE POETS
The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2008 awarded Bob Dylan a special citation for ‘his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power.’
This poetic power will be on show at the Nelson and Golden Bay Live Poets gatherings in May, the month of Dylan’s 75th birthday.
Nelson Live Poets meet on Wednesday 25 May at The Royal Hotel, Cnr Bridge & Collingwood Streets. The evening starts at 6.45 pm with live music from Hone Simpson, and the first open mic session runs from 6.45 – 7 pm. After a break, the second open mic session starts at 8.15 pm.
Golden Bay Live Poets meet on Thursday 26 May at the Mussel Inn, Onekaka. Live music is provided by Clayton Taylor and Nathan Torvik, who as The Early Bobs present an extensive songbook of Dylan’s compositions from the 60s and 70s. Music starts at 7.30 pm, with the first open mic session at 7.45 pm. After a break, the second open mic session runs from 9 pm.
The call is for poets and singes of every ilk to offer their own interpretations of Dylan’s songs and poems, or to present original work inspired by Dylan. Open mic participants can either register on the night or book a spot by contacting Mark Raffills at or 027 2154 969, or Carol Ercolano on 03-545 0162 for the Nelson event; or Mark Raffils (as previously) or Rose von Dreger at for the Golden Bay event. Koha entry.
NEWS FROM NELSON ROMANCE WRTERS
Convenor Annika Olhson-Smith sends this report:
At our May meeting we started as usual with some catch-up on our writing status. It seemed that all of us have had a period of ‘life’ interfering with our writing, but everyone is back on track now. Annika reported the latest sales of the anthology Ripples and also told about her being interviewed on Fresh FM local community radio about Ripples and her writing. We’ve also pinned down a speaker for September, Dr Kyle Neeley, so now we have speakers for the whole year.
We discussed the plans to launch another short story competition next year. The theme will be ‘Holiday Romance’ and will be open for three different categories – college students, unpublished & non-commercial self-published writers, and published & commercially self-published writers.
Last but not least, Lorna Croft talked to us about her work at a funeral home and the procedure from the moment they get a call that someone has died. Most interesting questions were raised, for instance about cultural differences. Cuppas, crackers and cookies followed. At our next meeting on Saturday 11 June we’ll have Donna Capil talking to us about Maori protocol. Anyone interested in finding out more about Nelson romance Writers is welcome to come along to a meeting. For more information contact Annika on 03-5485561 or email
NEWS FROM MARLBOROUGH WRITERS
Dot Scott sends this report:
‘We met on Tuesday 17 May at the Argosy Café for our usual monthly lunch, a whole twelve of us, which was great. Our 200 word challenge was ‘Absent Friends’. What a variety of responses – from a now scuttled and much loved boat, the Echo, which plied its trade between Wellington, to friends being absent due to becoming guests of one of Her Majesty’s prisons here in NZ – and lots of ideas in between.
‘People are keen to have a speaker at the lunches, so I will look into that. There were plenty of suggestions on who to get, which is most encouraging. Also, we’re thinking of changing our venue for the winter.’
Marlborough Writers meet on the third Tuesday of the month. Their next meeting will be on 21 June, venue to be confirmed. For more information contact Dot on 03-578 8029, email or June Bowen on 03- 577 9035, email
WRITERS AT LUNCHTIME
The next Writers at Lunchtime on Wednesday 1 June features West Coast writer Wendy Scott as guest speaker. Read her profile here.
Wendy will be speaking about the evolution of her YA novel Hieroglyph, which won the Gold Medal in The Wishing Shelf Independent Book Awards 2015 for the 9-12 year category. Hieroglyph asks the intriguing question – did ancient Egyptians visit Australia?
‘Earbuds and cartouches, Egyptians and eucalyptus, mystery and magic – how an idea developed into an award-winning book.’
Writers at Lunchtime takes place at The Prince Albert, 113 Nile Street, Nelson (car parking is accessed from Tasman Street). Come any time from 11.30 am, but make sure to be there at 12.30 pm to hear Wendy’s talk. Everyone is welcome, entry is free.
NEW BOOK FOR BRIGID LOWRY
Many people in Nelson will remember Brigid Lowry, who was a founder member of NZSA Top of the South branch and judged the 2013 Page & Blackmore Short Story Competition. Brigid now lives in Western Australia, where she teaches creative writing. She has just launched her latest book Still Life With Teapot, published by Fremantle Press. The reviewer in NZ Listener of 21-27 May says: ‘Lowry’s writing has a distinctive character and charm that quickly endear themselves to the reader and raise (the book) well above philosophical whimsy’. Find out more at: https://www.fremantlepress.com.au/products/still-life-with-teapot
THE ‘MINI-MOLP’ WRITING COMPETITIONS
The Mini-MOLPs are a series of writing competitions with thought-provoking themes inspired by international environmental awareness campaigns. For every entry received, the sponsors, Magic Oxygen Publishing, plant a tree in their forest in Kenya and support a school there. There are monthly competitions until August, with entries opening on the first of the month and closing on the last. They are open to writers from around the world. Entries must be written in English and be previously unpublished. The entry fee is £3.50 per entry via PayPal; electronic submissions only. Upcoming competitions are:
· May (closing 31st): Eco-Flash Fiction, 250 words
· June: Sonnet for the Solstice, 14 lines
· July: Postcard from the Park, 200 words
· August: Last Words Monologue, 400 words.
The winner will receive books and other unique prizes. For more information and how to enter, see: http://www.magicoxygen.co.uk/minimolps/
CASELBERG INTERNATIONAL POETRY PRIZE
Entries open on 1 June for the 2016 Caselberg International Poetry Prize, judged by Vincent O’Sullivan. Poems must be no more than 40 lines in length. They must be previously unpublished and not submitted elsewhere. The first prize is $500, second prize $250, and there are up to five highly-commended awards. The first and second-placed poems will be published in the May 2017 issue of Landfall, and all winning and highly-commended entries will appear on the Caselberg Trust website.
The entry fee is $20 for up to four poems from any one entrant. Entries may be submitted by email to (preferably typed in the body of the email) or by post to: Caselberg Poetry Prize, PO Box 71, Portobello, Dunedin 9048. Entries close on 31 July. For more information, see http://www.caselbergtrust.org/caselberg-trust-international-poetry-prize-2016-call-for-entries/
WORKSHOP ON SELF-PUBLISHING
As part of Motueka Arts Council programme of winter workshops, Emma Stevens and Ro Cambridge are holding a workshop on self-publishing.
If you love to write, this course is for you. Tutors Emma and Ro will walk you through the steps of publishing your own book. Between them, they have experience in writing, editing, book marketing and promotion. By the end of this workshop you’ll be better prepared to face the challenges of self-publication and more likely to enjoy the benefits (not to mention the thrill!) of transforming your manuscript into a published book.
Emma Stevens has self-published two volumes of her memoirs about living in bush Alaska: Walking On Ice (2014) and Nesting on the Nushagak (2015). Read her profile here http://www.topwriters.co.nz/emma-stevens.html
The workshop takes place on Saturday 11 June, 9 am – 4.30 pm (BYO lunch) at Motueka Community House, Decks Reserve, and costs $55.00.
To enrol, contact Sarah Douglas on 027 7213991 or giving your name and the courses you wish to attend. Please make online payments to Westpac Bank, 03 0693 0139987 00, cheques payable to Motueka Arts Council. Drop off at Westrupps Jewellers or post tothe Workshop Co-ordinator, Sarah Douglas, P.O. Box 121, Motueka. (There may be an unwaged discount.)
NORTH STREET BOOK PRIZE FOR SELF-PUBLISHED BOOKS
Submissions close on 30 June for the second annual North Street Book Prize for self-published books. Submit a book up 150,000 words in length in one of the following categories:
· Mainstream/Literary Fiction
· Genre Fiction
· Creative Nonfiction & Memoir
This is an international prize, but all entries must be written in English. The winner of each category will receive US$1500 and other benefits; two honourable mentions in each category will receive US$250. The entry fee is US$50 per book. For more information and submission guidelines, see:
https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/north-street-book-prize
MARLBOROUGH BOOK FESTIVAL TICKETS NOW ON SALE
This year’s Marlborough Book Festival runs from Friday 29 – Sunday 31 July. The wonderful line up consists of Witi Ihimaera, Bill Manhire, Charlotte Grimshaw, Rachael King, Greg McGee, Kate De Goldi, Bruce Ansley, Jane Ussher, Steve Braunias, Peter Jerram and Peter Anderson. Tickets only cost $20 for the sessions at the Blenheim Club and $30 for those at the Spy Valley and Cloudy Bay Wineries.
There is a Pre-Festival Event of ‘True Stories Told Live’ on Wednesday 27 July at the Boathouse Theatre with Kate De Goldi, Donavan Bixley, Gavin Bishop, Charlotte Grimshaw, and Greg McGee (tickets $20). The glamour event on Friday 29 July is a five hour cruise on the Marlborough Tour Company boat MV Odyssea with author Bruce Ansley and photographer Jane Ussher, creators of the gorgeous Coast, published in 2013, talking about the places featured in their new book. Guests will enjoy morning tea and lunch, which includes salmon from NZ King Salmon and wine from Dog Point Vineyard. Tickets are limited and cost $125.
It is expected that some events will sell out fast, so don’t delay. To see the full programme and to book tickets, go to:
http://marlboroughbookfest.co.nz/Our_Programme.html