Word Cafe Raglan: Blog

Only two days to go! Plan your Word Café Raglan weekend now

June 28, 2017

Word Café Raglan readers and writers festival kicks off at 7pm on Friday 30 June at the Raglan Town Hall.

It’s going to be a great weekend, chock full of stimulating ideas, fabulous writers, gorgeous books, and opportunities for conviviality and chat.

Thank you to everyone who’s bought a ticket so far. We’ve already sold far more than in previous years, and we’re all super excited about the festival.

So come along.

There are sessions and events to suit everyone’s taste and budget, including several free community events, and a weekend pass for those who want to immerse themselves in the inspiration, joy and power of words.

Go to our website – www.wordcaferaglan.co.nz – for more information and to book tickets.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

The Word Café Committee

Word Café Raglan writing competition deadline extended

June 8, 2017

Thanks for your feedback.

In response to requests from some of our festival attendees, we’ve extended the deadline for the Word Café Raglan writing competition to Friday 23 June 2017.

That’s an extra two weeks to get your entry in. So get writing!

Full details of the competition, including categories and how to enter are on our website: www.wordcaferaglan.co.nz

Word Café Raglan writing competition closes this week

May 28, 2017

Summons your muse! The Word Café Raglan writing competition closes on Friday 2 June.

The competition is open to all school students from year 0 to 13, and any adult who has purchased a ticket to a Word Café session.

Poems, short stories, and illustrated pieces of writing are all eligible, and there are great prizes up for grabs.

For full details of the categories, prizes, and how to enter go to: www.wordcaferaglan.co.nz/word-cafe-2017-writing-competition/

The winners will be announced on Sunday 2 July at 2:30pm, before the official closing of the Word Café festival.

Word Cafe Raglan 2017 writers and readers festival will be held at the Raglan Town Hall from 7pm on Saturday 30 June to 4pm on Sunday 2 July 2017. The crammed programme includes a spoken poetry showcase, an evening extravaganza and open mic night, book launches, author Q&As, a writing workshop and, of course, the writing competition.

And as any established writer will tell you, you don’t need to wait for your muse to show up to begin. Just sit down, ready your laptop or pick up your pen, and write. We look forward to reading the results!

Tickets to Word Café Raglan are $100 for a weekend pass. Door sales to individual sessions will be available as space allows. To book your ticket or find out more go to www.wordcaferaglan.co.nz

Limited tickets available for the Word Café Raglan Sit Down and Write Workshop

May 17, 2017

Tickets to the Sit Down and Write Workshop to be run by Jacquie McRae on the Sunday of the Word Café weekend are selling fast.

If you are planning to attend this popular workshop, you may like to reserve your place now, as tickets are selling fast.

Jacquie describes the workshop as giving participants – whether they are potential writers, or well-established ones, already fully immersed in their craft – tools, encouragement and exercises to get on with their work.

“My aim is to encourage people to sit down and write,” says Jacquie. “I have myself received so much valuable tuition and mentoring towards being a writer over the years, that I want to give some of this back.”

The techniques explored in the workshop will apply to all genres and styles of writing, and participants will take away links to websites, books and writing competitions, to keep them motivated after the workshop finishes.

Jacquie McRae (Tainui) is herself an award-winning writer, whose short stories and novel are published by Huia Publishers. She holds a Masters in Creative Writing with first class honours, and is currently working on a second novel, which she hopes to have ready for publication later this year.

The Sit Down and Write Workshop will be held from 9am to 11am, on Sunday 2 July at the Raglan Town Hall. Tickets cost $25 and are available from the Word Café Raglan website: www.wordcaferaglan.co.nz

Or you can email us on hello@wordcaferaglan.co.nz

Sisters doing it for themselves (110 years ago)

May 7, 2017

Our Word Cafe committee member, Jane, has been reading (and loving) Karyn Hay’s new novel, The March of the Foxgloves, in the lead-up to her appearance at the festival. It got her so fired up, she wrote this review…

Remember that dance anthem of the 1980s? Annie Lennox threatened ‘we’re coming out of the kitchen…and we’re doing it for ourselves’ thirty years ago but little do we know about the women ‘doing it for themselves’ in NZ 110 years ago.

Yes we do know NZ was the first to allow woman the vote in 1893, but now we have some fiction to enrich that bare bald historical fact; Karyn Hay’s new book The March of the Foxgloves.

Hay’s character “…” is an inspiration for women today; an intelligent creative resourceful independent woman who understands and plays the game of sexual politics to advantage; she’s a professional photographer who strikes out for NZ from London without a chaperone. This 19^th century modern thinker helps us understand and value our own history. This novel indirectly helps explain why the men and women of our glorious young nation sometimes just ‘do stuff’ without the pageantry and ceremony of the old-fashioned English.

And yes this is ‘Radio With Pictures’ cool hipster Karyn Hay. Who knew that she could write such fresh historical fiction with crisp detail and cleverly enrich our understanding of ourselves?

Hear Karyn Hay live when she presents at the Word Café Raglan Evening Extravaganza on Saturday 1 July – buy tickets here.

Already read the book? We’d love to hear your thoughts.

Spoken Poetry Showcase – our 2017 festival opening event

April 14, 2017

Tickets to Word Café Raglan 2017 are now on sale, and we’re kicking off the weekend with a Spoken Poetry Showcase.

American poetry slam champion Carrie Rudzinski (pictured), is joined by fellow award-winning poetry slammer, Michael Moore, local poet Wanda Barker and sometimes local Maris O’Rourke for an evening of emotion, wonder, laughter, and linguistic and syntactical mastery. This is a free community event, so we hope you’ll join us – the more the merrier when it comes to shared enjoyment of the spoken word.

We think the showcase is a fitting start to a weekend that we hope will be remembered for its inspiration and diversity. There are plenty of big writers and readers festivals. Word Café Raglan isn’t like that. Previous attendees have commented on how much they enjoyed the festival’s intimacy, its community feel, its inclusiveness and opportunities to chat and make connections, and the breadth of the presenters who entertained them.

This year’s festival will be the same. We’ve got international bestselling authors appearing next to locals who are launching their first books. We’ve got poets, novelists, memoirists, and non-fiction, children’s and short story writers. We’ve got readings, workshops, book launches, panel sessions, and of course a book stall (thanks Browsers).

We hope you’ll join us. Friday night will be a showcase, but it will be the first of many on offer throughout the weekend. New Zealand, and within that the Waikato, has extraordinary writing talent. We’re proud to be bringing that to our communities. And, as with the history of human stories, it will all start with the spoken word.

See our website for the full programme and to reserve tickets: www.wordcaferaglan.co.nz

And The Winners Are…

August 18, 2015

We had a huge response to our writing competition. Thank you to everyone who entered – it was fun reading through your entries. And also thanks to everyone who donated prizes: Raglan Area School, Scholastic Books, Sarah Johnson, Deborah Hinde, Kat Merewether, Bizworx and Pascoes Jewellers.

Years 0-3
Winner: ‘Poppies’ by Shanti Heaton-McKoy from Waitetuna Primary School.
Highly Commended: ‘Angus’ by Toby Pepper from Waitetuna Primary School.
Highly Commended: ‘My Mum’ by Jhianni from Waitetuna Primary School.
Highly Commended: ‘My Cousin Stacey’ by Seren Otton from Waitetuna Primary School.
Highly Commended: ‘Maui Slowed the Sun’ by Shanti Heaton-McKoy from Waitetuna Primary School.
Special Congratulations for the youngest entrant: ‘ My name is…’ by Woody from Waitetuna Primary School.

Year 4
Winner: ‘The Adrenaline Rush’ by Iemaja Hassell from Raglan Area School.
Highly Commended: ‘Anzac Day’ by Hazel Cranfield from Waitetuna Primary School.
Highly Commended: ‘The Hunger Games’ by Sevahna Waitere from Raglan Area School.

Year 5
Winner: ‘Our Family Picnic’ by Aria McLachlan from Raglan Area School .
Highly Commended: ‘Autumn Leaves’ by Jack McCoy from Aberdeen Primary School.
Highly Commended: ‘The Blooming of Spring’ by Aria McLachlan from Raglan Area School.
Highly Commended: ‘Anzac Day’ by Hazel Cranfield from Waitetuna Primary School.
Highly Commended: ‘Paikea the rider and the Whales’ by Kahu Brunton from Waitetuna Primary School.

Years 6 and 7
Winner: ‘Anzac Poem’ by Abby Cranfield from Waitetuna Primary School.
Highly Commended: ‘How Pingao Got On New Zealand Beaches’ by Ewan McCartie from Waitetuna Primary School
Highly Commended: ‘Patrol #38463’ by Connor Marquand from Waitetuna Primary School

Years 8 and 9
Winner: ‘River on the Horizon’ by Sequoia Gavin-McCabe from Raglan Area School.
Highly Commended: ‘Wanderer’s Road’ by Charlie Irwin from Raglan Area School.

Open Poem
Winner: ‘Telling the Story’ by Jenny Argante.
Runner-up: Bev Wood.

Open Short Story
‘Pink’ by Jenny Argante.

Flash Fiction
Winner: Jeff Taylor.
Runner-up: Bev Wood.

Best Open Entry and Most Promising Writer
Kani Te Manukura

An Illustrator’s Life: Deborah Hinde

August 12, 2015

Can you briefly describe for us the type of illustration work you do?
Just about all my illustration work these days is related to the publishing industry. While I’ve always had a passion for books, illustrating children’s picture books is a dream come true. Up until 2012 I used to illustrate traditionally (with paint and brushes) but as clients started to ask for work supplied digitally I decided it was time for me to teach myself how to illustrate on the computer. I still do all the concept roughs and storyboarding on paper, which are then scanned and worked up in Photoshop using a Wacom Cintiq.

How did you embark on your career as an illustrator? Is this what you have always done for a job?
My background is graphic design, with most of my experience gained from working in small design studios and print houses. Ironically, I fell into illustration as a way of avoiding working on the computer. While I began providing a commercial illustration service to advertising agencies, souvenir manufacturers, small business and publishing houses in the late 1990’s it wasn’t until 2002 that I received a contract from Scholastic to illustrate my first children’s picture book A Kiwi Night Before Christmas, by Yvonne Morrison. Of course now with the departure of the bigger publishing companies from New Zealand, there’s a lot more opportunity to not only illustrate but also to provide a full book design service for authors wanting to independently publish their books.

How would you describe your illustration style?
I always struggle to define my illustration style, I think I actually have two styles; the realistic style which is shown in the Te Reo Singalong series by Sharon Holt and Counting in the South Pacific by Jill Jaques; and then there’s the more fun, quirky style depicted in 10 Kooky Kiwi and 10 Goofy Geckos, both published by Scholastic. I’d like to think that even though I’m still developing my ‘style’ underneath it all there’s something about my work that people recognise as being done by me.

You have illustrated lots of books: do you have a favourite?
I think all up I’ve illustrated around sixty books; fiction and non-fiction; around twenty-six of these (I’ve lost track a bit this year!) are children’s picture books. I think The Hoppleplop is still a strong favourite although I’m really excited about the next book coming out in February 2016 for Scholastic – it has ten rather cute penguins in it…

Did you draw as a child?
Constantly – I also remember loving colouring in books; I was excellent at keeping within the lines. Of course these days I want to break out more! Art was the only subject I ever came top of the class in.

What other illustrators inspire you? Do you have a favourite book by another illustrator?
There’s so many illustrators that inspire me; Oliver Jeffers, his quirky style; David Wiesner, his stunning watercolours; Helen Cooper for her use of colour and then of course there’s our home grown illustrators like Ruth Paul, Donovan Bixley and David Elliott. I don’t think I have a favourite book – there are just so many good illustrators out there, all with something different or special.

You are also an artist: what types of art do you make? Do you find there are opportunities to directly use your art in your work?
Prior to 2009, when I graduated from The Learning Connexion with an Advanced Diploma in Art and Creativity, my art was very much about landscape or still life. Taking part in the course gave me permission to experiment. I now work (when I get time) with encaustic wax and mixed media and produce work that is more of a response to the material rather than pure representation. I’d like to think I would find a way to bring the two together in some way – perhaps it’s something to explore in between illustrating books.

I have heard rumours that you are writing a book: can you tell us what it is about?
I’ve actually got three on the go at the moment and they’re all picture books. I’m just in the process of finalising the illustration ideas for two of them before I submit to publishers. The third one I’ll be independently publishing. This one is about a hare that has a bad day and while his friends all attempt to help him with his problem, Hare manages to resolve it himself. It’s a bit of a play on the old ‘I’ll just go back to where I remember having it last’.

Deborah will be appearing on Word Cafe’s Illustration Panel, alongside Paul Martin and Kat Merewether on Saturday 15 August, 1.45pm-3.15pm in the Raglan Town Hall. Individual session tickets cost just $20 each.

An Illustrator’s Life: Kat Merewether

August 7, 2015

Can you briefly describe type of illustration work you do?
I work on a mixture of commercial illustration and children’s book illustration. My picture book illustration work is my passion. Each spread can take between 20 and 30 hours to complete, sketched first by hand, scanned and then coloured using a Wacom Intous tablet and Photoshop.

Kuwi’s First Egg was the first book of your own that you’d written and illustrated. How did it come about?
I came up with the idea behind Kuwi’s First Egg when I was surviving the perils of life with a newborn. I felt a little like we were learning to be parents through trial and error. I made mistakes, had to ask for help, and learned so much. Kuwi is me – and any parent who feels a little like they were thrown in at the deep end (and totally clueless) when they became a parent!

I had a two-year old Willow and was pregnant with my third daughter Florence, when I actually put pen to paper to write and storyboard the book. I had been reading very basic and unstimulating books to Willow, aimed at her age group. I wanted to write something I could read to a child of that age, that the parent would enjoy, too. No pages skipped!

Was there a particular reason that you chose a kiwi to be your main character?
I am very passionate about kiwi conservation. My dad has worked at the Department of Conservation for many years and now volunteers at Maungatautari Reserve. We had talked a lot about the father/egg incubation. In the story there is a bit of background that I hope parents might pick up on – why is Kuwi alone? Maybe the father/mate has succumbed to a predator? This also explains why Kuwi doesn’t know what to do with the egg, as it is not in her nature to be the nurturer. I also liked the idea of the main character being a mum. There aren’t many books where the main character is a mother.

The book has been a huge success. Why do you think that is, and how have you coped with it?
The success of the book has taken me totally by surprise. I think that being able to write, illustrate, design and promote the book on my own terms has been a huge advantage. I didn’t have to compromise, it could be my complete vision from beginning to end. In that way, I feel the story and illustration connection is very strong, and the follow-on marketing was fluid. Marketing is very important, and often that is not planned out and executed well.

I own a busy design company with three full-time staff, and I have three daughters who keep me on my toes, so the success of the book has kept me insanely busy. I also decided to embark on the second book in the series shortly after the release of Kuwi’s First Egg, (which is being printed as we speak). I am not sure what the future holds, but I am pretty sure I won’t be slowing down.

What has been the best moment in the book’s life so far?
Kiwis for kiwi is a charity that I approached when I first dreamt up the story. I wanted to check that they would be happy with me donating a portion of each sale to them. Being able to raise enough money to help 15 kiwi birds for one whole year has been the most rewarding thing!

Kuwi’s First Egg debuting at #1 on the New Zealand Bestsellers list (Children’s and Teens) was also a pretty huge buzz.

And the most nerve-wracking?
Waiting for the first copy to arrive back from the printers. I had heard a horror story about a shipment of books arriving and when the author opened the front cover, the entire book had been printed upside down. My heart was in my shoes opening the first book. But they were perfect – phew!

Also, just seeing the sheer volume of books – three huge pallets, and knowing I had to store them! I ordered 5700 books to start with, which was rather presumptuous of me. Thank goodness I did though, as we had to reprint a few short months later.

I understand there is a sequel on the way: can you tell us anything about it?
Another with a bit of a ‘hat tip’ to parents. Think fussy eaters and huhu hummus. Kuwi’s Huhu Hunt is due for release this October.

What will you be talking about at Word Café Raglan?
Illustration – the perils and joy of perfectionism, marketing, and the importance of professionalism and quality in self-publishing.

Kat will be appearing on Word Cafe’s Illustration Panel, alongside Paul Martin and Deborah Hinde on Saturday 15 August 2015, 1.45pm-3.15pm in the Raglan Town Hall, as well as the Self-Publishing Panel vs. Publishing Panel, Sunday 16 August 2015, 11am-12.30pm.

A Publisher’s Life: Sally Greer of Beatnik Publishing

August 4, 2015

You have set up and run your own boutique publishing company: how did this come about?
Through lots of hard work! My background is in design and photography, but I also have experience setting up businesses, so I combined all my skills and pulled in help where needed. We have slowly built up the company to where it is now, but we still have a long way to go!

What sort of books have you published so far? Do you specialise in a particular area?
Because of my design background, most of the books we publish are illustrated coffee-table style books. We are active in the area of cookbooks, art and lifestyle books, and we also have a small but growing children’s picture book list, as well as some poetry. We decided these were our areas of expertise, which aren’t affected by e-books. We set up Beat Books to help those that want to publish novels or books that don’t quite fit the Beatnik list.

Do you have a favourite book you have worked on?
I don’t have favourites – that would be like being asked to name your favourite child! But the best projects are where everyone trusts each other to do what they’re good at. This year has been fun. I’ve loved working with Jordan Rondel (The Caker) and The Game Chef crew because they completely trusted me in terms of the creative direction for the books. Other standout books are Who You Are is What You Do by Heather McAllister, the Ripe Recipe books and Brown Girls in Bright Red Lipstick by Courtney Sina Meredith. Sometimes books come to us all ready to go. For instance, I Am Doodle Cat is the complete creation of Lauren Marriott and Kat Patrick, but I loved the process of spotting a good idea, publishing it and taking it the Frankfurt Book Fair. It has recently won the best children’s book award at the PANZ Book Design Awards.

The publishing industry is in a state of flux at the moment, both here and in New Zealand. What opportunities does that create for publishers? And challenges?
As we grow, we’ll be able to fund more exciting book projects that would normally have been scooped up by the bigger publishers. I think the fact that we’re approachable and still here can only mean good things for Beatnik moving forward. I don’t actually think things are in such a state of flux as people interpret. Recent Book Scan figures show that book sales have increased, and e-book sales have plateaued. I think there is a place for e-books (wonderful for travelling) and a place for printed books. Personally I love having a break from screens, and I don’t want to read a book to my son at night from a screen when he should be in wind down mode. And the other thing to remember is that there is a natural cycle of growth and fall in any area of business, so the ups and downs of the publishing world are no different from any other business. We set up in 2007 and published our first book in 2009, so I’ve only ever known ‘challenging’ times. I’m not in a position to hanker for the ‘good ole days’.

Where is Beatnik Publishing heading: do you have a vision for the company over the next ten years?
We will keep building our publishing list and taking local talent to the world via the Frankfurt Book Fair and selling rights around the world. And I am very keen to continue building a creative community around us. This is a core value of our business that we foster creative collaboration with the talented people we are fortunate to work with.

Are you also a writer or illustrator?
I’m an illustrator, photographer, designer, artist, mother and a business owner!

Sally will be appearing on the Publishing vs. Self Publishing Panel on Sunday 16 August, 11am-12.30pm in the Raglan Town Hall.