New Zealand’s school librarians are passionate, engaged professionals who know how to get students of all ages and reading levels into reading. Kirsty Adam is the Library Manager at James Hargest College, and also shares the role of President of…
Earlier this month, we treated you to an excerpt from Gareth Ward’s award-winning debut steampunk adventure novel, The Traitor and the Thief. Here’s an interview with the fascinating, hardworking author himself. Your bio notes read like an adventure novel of…
As part of our coverage of this year’s NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, we asked the Elsie Locke Award for Non-fiction finalist authors five quick questions about their books and how they wrote them, and asked for some…
Australian author Zana Fraillon is an observer of the unseen: ‘As an author, I am drawn to the absences and the silences in our world.’ She is drawn in by those voices that aren’t being listened to, the stories that…
David Riley is a Reading Warrior. The biographical niche-cramming South Auckland teacher-turned-author’s mission: to get books into the hands of those for whom reading hasn’t come easily. A sense of urgency regarding his students’ needs compelled David to pursue a…
Cat Chapman is an Auckland freelance illustrator, having discovered her skills whilst doing a course in picture-book illustration with Sandra Morris. Her illustrations have a relaxed, friendly feel, with welcoming characters you might recognise, places you might go. She has…
As part of our coverage of this year’s NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, we asked the five finalists of the Russell Clark Award for Illustration to interview each other. Here’s Kieran Rynhart, David Elliot, Toby Morris, Jenny…
Kitty Brown and Kirsten Parkinson (both Ngāi Tahu, Waitaha, Kāti Mamoe) are two wahine who’ve done everything right when it comes to self-publishing their Reo Pēpi boardbooks, which teach babies and families basic te reo. They write, illustrate, publish and…
Holly Walker is a parent, activist, reviewer and former Green MP, whose first book, The Whole Intimate Mess: Motherhood, Politics and Women’s Writing, is newly released with BWB Books. What does ‘story time’ look like at your house? Story time…
Writing children’s books may seem romantic at remove, but — as with many things — it’s less glossy up close. As Kiwi writers Juliet Jacka and Sally Sutton can attest to, for every passionate line they write, only a lucky…