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Welcome to the Literary Bulletin
We're thrilled to see the names of so many NZSA members amongst writers featuring at the March 2016 NZ Festival Writers Week - Joy Cowley, Jo Randerson, Witi Ihimaera, Catherine Robertson, Paula Morris and Anthony McCarten - to name a few!
Plenty of new writing competitions added to website opportunities this week. You can find these in calendar or list form (together with events). NB: You have to be logged in to see opportunities as these are for the eyes of members only. For tips about logging in read the how to guide for members or contact the office if you want to speak to a real person.
All the best
Jackie Dennis and Claire Hill |
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Philip Temple to deliver Janet Frame Memorial Lecture 2016
Date: Sat 12 March
Time: 12 noon
Location: City Gallery Wellington auditorium
Free Entry
WHERE WE WERE, WHERE WE ARE NOW.
by NZSA President of Honour Dr Philip Temple
How much has changed for New Zealand writers over the last 50 years, and what has remained constant. For the 9th Janet Frame Memorial Lecture, which coincides with the release of his book, The Sea and the Snow, in a 50th anniversary edition, Philip Temple shares both his own experience and his work on a biography of Maurice Shadbolt to illuminate what has shaped the professional life of the New Zealand writer over the past half century.
Thanks to our venue and partner City Gallery Wellington and to Wellington Writers Week. Photo by Maja Moritz
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CompleteMS - Opens for Applications 4 March
Do you have a completed draft of your manuscript that is ready to take to that next level?
Apply now for the NZSA CompleteMS Manuscript Assessment Programme - a programme that provides writers with essential critical feedback on an advanced work, moving it closer to publication.
CompleteMS suits writers who have completed a manuscript through a number of drafts and require the objective view of an experienced assessor to provide a constructive critique. More
Here’s what writers had to say about their 2015 CompleteMS assessment.
"An assessment can pick up a manuscript, give it a shake-up and a new eye and give a writer a different direction and a boost for their work."
"If any writer is harbouring doubts about where to take his/her manuscript, the CompleteMS programme provides a handy compass.”
Applications open 4 March. Deadline for applications 27 May
For more information and application forms
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Interested in the history of the literary fund?
There is a new book called The Deepening Stream: A History of the New Zealand Literary Fund by Elizabeth Caffin and Andrew Mason.
Here is a link to a RNZ podcast (7:47) of the review by Harry Ricketts, co-editor of the quarterly review, New Zealand Books.
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Finlay Macdonald leaving publishing
From Beattie's Book Blog. New Zealand Publisher Finlay Macdonald will be leaving HarperCollins Publishers in early April for a role outside publishing.
Finlay has been with HarperCollins New Zealand for almost three years and, in that time, has made a significant impact on our local list, specialising in memoir and serious non-fiction.
Working with a small and focused New Zealand team, Finlay has developed a strong base on which to build our future publishing. HarperCollins remains committed to publishing great local books for the New Zealand market, and the search for a new publisher will begin shortly.
As James Kellow, CEO HarperCollins ANZ says, ‘We are extremely sad to see Finlay leave us after three very successful years. He has been an inspirational publisher and a wonderful colleague. His adherence to quality and exceptional writing is well-known, part of his legacy, and something we will look to continue with his successor.’
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2016 Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Literary Awards
Writers working in the mind, body and spirit genre have until 31 March to enter the 2016 Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Literary Awards.
There are two award’s categories: Books and Unpublished Manuscripts. The winner in each category receives a $10,000 prize.
Spokesperson for The Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust, Adonia Wylie says the judging panel is looking for fiction or non-fiction works that have the potential to uplift and enhance people, relationships and society. “We enjoy reading works that extend our knowledge of the genre and we would like to encourage all writers interested in the growing mind, body, spirit to enter. Authorship and editing, and in the case of published books, quality of production such as design and typography will be important considerations.”
The awards are unique in the country for their encouragement of writing in the mind, body, spirit field.
For the published category books must be published between 1 April 2015 -31 March 2016.
Shortlisted writers will be announced mid-July and the award winners will be announced at a ceremony in Auckland on 19 August, 2015.
Submission forms and entry details are available here.
Paid Advertisement
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UK Society of Authors Survey of Literary Festival Conditions
The UK Society of Authors recently surveyed Literary Festivals in an attempt to ascertain working conditions for writers. The discussion around writers payments and conditions has been fuelled by Philip Pullman’s resignation as Patron of Oxford Literary Festival,
Authors on Twitter there have been using the hashtag #litfestshoutout to highlight those festivals who treat their speakers well. Many festivals have now taken the time to contact Society of Authors (UK) to discuss the terms they offer authors. Read more
For an authors experience of festivals in the UK read why Joanne Harris (author of Chocolat) dropped out of a Book Festival.
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National Library is part of the Department of Internal Affairs
Public Lending Right for New Zealand Authors 2016
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Creative New Zealand seeks views on draft strategy
Your chance to have a say on Creative New Zealand’s four-year plan
The Arts Council has agreed a draft strategic direction which will help prioritise how Creative New Zealand uses its funding and resources for the next four years.
This is your chance to comment on whether you agree with the council’s strategy. This includes the vision, purpose, values, goals and the outcomes that Creative New Zealand will embrace and aim to achieve.
How to provide your views
You can read more detail on our strategy and how it was developed in Creative New Zealand’s strategic direction: consultation document on our website and then complete our online questionnaire.
The deadline for submissions is 12pm on Monday 21 March.
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Clippings from the Internet
Can Open Textbooks Help Save the the Open Web?
Extract from Hugh McGuire's blog.
Kurt Vonnegut made some graphs of four archetypal stories: “Man in a hole,” “Boy meets girl,” “Kafka,” and “Cinderella.” The graphs chart the protagonist’s fortune, good and bad, over time, and define a set of recognizable narrative patterns. Here are Vonnegut’s graphs. More |
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Comic / Graphic News
Take a walk through the Louvre with this graphic novel
Extract from article by William Julesa for the Jersey Journal.
The comic book as a work of art or literature is historically a heated topic, at least on one side of the argument. Those who disregarded it as such simply did not deign to recognize it as such and left it at that.
The desire for many writers and artists to be recognized for their talents drove the industry and creators to strange semantic lengths, and birthed the creation of the term "graphic novel" in an effort to set apart such works from the typical monthly comics that were so poorly regarded. More
Taking Form - Writers Week in Wellington
12.30pm, Sat 12 March, Bats Theatre
Featuring: Three of Aotearoa’s best young multi-genre artists, Kerry Ann Lee, Sarah Laing and Courtney Sina Meredith, join Canadian guest Mariko Tamaki for a conversation about letting a story find its form. A book? An animation? A play? A song? Is it a solo project or a collaboration? Witness this rare union of powerhouses in action. More
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Digital Files
Freewrite
Powered by a $342,000 Kickstarter campaign, a “distraction-free” bit of writing technology debuts today…looking a lot like your father’s typewriter.
The Freewrite is described by its designers and manufacturers as:
“A single-purpose computer designed specifically for writing composition. It combines a thoughtfully designed interface and the best quality components to provide the 21st-century writer with an environment conducive to productivity. As the first smart typewriter, the Freewrite combines the simplicity of a traditional typewriter with the benefits of modern digital electronics, including seamless syncing to the cloud.”
Call this retro-tech. Or partial tech. In the battle to stay focused Leeb and his Astrohaus co-founder, software developer Patrick Paul, became aware that their writing friends were (and are) losing their concentration, maybe their minds. “And it turned out that everybody we talked to had some kind of distraction-free technique,” Leeb says. More
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PEN Matters
Writers and human rights experts call on India to repeal laws that threaten free expression in world’s largest democracy
Earlier this year, India’s Ministry of Home Affairs used an extensive arsenal of vague and overbroad laws to muzzle the world’s largest environmental watchdog, Greenpeace International. Using seemingly innocuous provisions in the Indian Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010, the government effectively silenced criticism of a controversial nuclear power plant by freezing the bank account of Greenpeace India. Officials justified their actions on the basis that Greenpeace was a “threat to national economic security.”
Click here to read the full report
Click here to read the executive summary
For further information on PEN or any issues or concerns raised above please contact Dana Wensley, PEN Representative for NZ at PEN@nzauthors.org.nz
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The Great NZ Book Tease Project
Andrew Gerrie is currently working on “The Great NZ Book Tease” project to help promote New Zealand Literature. The project is supporting authors and publishers to create an audio/video sample of their work to upload on YouTube. View works currently on the YouTube channel.
Andrew is looking for more authors and publishers to join his Facebook group and work with him to help create an audio/video chapter/sample of their work. This is a no cost service and he has some voice talent from the local theatre available to help. Here is the Facebook group.
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NWF - Writers, save the date!
The National Writers Forum is an exciting new event on New Zealand’s literary calendar. It is for people who write – books, graphic novels, poetry, flash-fiction and interactive forms.
It is a two day intensive where writers will talk, learn and share information about the craft of writing and the business of getting published – traditional, hybrid and indie – print and digital. It will discuss the prospects for writers in the new democracy of the digital world and the state of play in New Zealand right now.
Venue is University of Auckland.
SPONSORSHIP
If you have a business, product or service you would like to promote consider becoming a supporting partner, sponsor or exhibitor at the National Writers Forum. Find out about all the sponsorship options here.
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Opportunities / Death by Deadline
The Calendar of Opportunities is now found on our website.
- By popular request you can now find Opportunities in calendar or list form (together with events).
- Opportunities are only visible to members! To see opportunities/death by deadline you need to log in using your email address and member password.
- To find opportunities in your area, visit your branch page.
- Beware! The listing appears on the deadline date.
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Auckland Museum Grant Recipient Book Launch
3rd March 2016, 5.30-7.00 pm, International Art Centre, 272 Parnell Road, Auckland
NZSA members are invited to the launch of Jenny Haworth's new book Behind the Twisted Wire.
Jenny Haworth was the recipient of an NZSA / Auckand Museum Research Grant in 2014 and this book is the result. Congratulations Jenny! For details of the book launch.
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Events / Book Launches
Events are now be found on our website
- By popular request you can now find Events in calendar or list form (together with opportunities).
- To find all events and book launches go here.
- To find events in your area, visit your branch page.
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Writers on Radio and TV
Click here to see the lineup for upcoming Books on Radio New Zealand National.
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