Ruby Porter (24) and Roger Hall (80) will run workshops on our Thirty Week Fiction Course this month.
Ruby’s workshop is on minting fresh language and avoiding clichés in your writing. She is the winner of the recent $10,000 Michael Gifkins Prize for an unpublished manuscript and has secured a publishing contract for her first novel ‘Attraction’ with Australia’s Text Publishing. Her twin passions are literature – and fashion.
Roger has been presenting his dialogue writing for novelists workshop for nine years, and is NZ’s best-known playwright. His latest play ‘Easy Money’ opened at the Court Theatre in Christchurch last year … in time for his 80th birthday. His twin passions are writing … and writing. ‘I sit down to write every day of the year except Xmas,’ he says. ‘And if I’m totally honest with you, I write Xmas Day as well.’
Three New Graduate Novels
A bumper month for Hub graduates of our Thirty Week Fiction course and their novels.
Perhaps Auckland’s most prolific author, Eileen Merriman, published her third, ‘Invisibly Breathing’ and has a fourth and fifth due for release in late 2019 and 2020. All this and she manages to hold down a job as a consultant haematologist at Auckland’s North Shore hospital and bring up a family. Superwoman? Perhaps. But Big Ups to her house husband and mega-support system Grant.
Eileen Merriman and Hub director John Cranna at her launch.
Invisibly Breathing (Penguin Random House) - Eileen Merriman
Sixteen year old Felix finds it easier to relate to numbers than people. Bailey is good at making friends and judo, but has a troubled home life. The boys are drawn to each other when Bailey moves to Felix's school. In a world where they can't trust anyone, is it possible they can trust each other with their secrets, their differences, themselves?
Available: All good book shops, Amazon, Fishpond, Book Depository, Mighty Ape ISBN 978 014 377 2859 RRP $19.99
Author Bio: Eileen Merriman is a novelist, short story and flash fiction writer; her YA books, Pieces of You and Catch Me When You Fall, were both finalists in the 2018 New Zealand Children's and Young Adult Book Awards. Eileen Merriman
All About Kate - Josie Laird
When you hate your body, how can you love yourself - or anyone else?
Life is nearly perfect for Kate; the perfect boyfriend and the perfect job.
But whatever Luke says, she knows she is too fat.
And now, her birth mother has decided to come looking for her.
What surprises will that bring?
Available: at bookstores, distributed by South Pacific Books. Also on Amazon as an ebook and audiobook. josielaird.com ISBN 978 0473 459345 RRP $34.99
Author Bio: Josie Laird is a self-sufficiency enthusiast who lives on a lifestyle block. She trained as a scientist and worked as a lab assistant, a drug rep and in the medical publishing world. She is devoted to books.
Jenny's Story and Other Tales - Shauna Bickley
A story can transport you to another place and time and lets you view the world through someone else’s eyes.
These stories take you from London to New Zealand and from footprints made twenty thousand years ago to the current day. They span bombings in the city and a small town murder while exploring themes of jealousy, regret and loss.
Author Bio: Shauna loves baking, walking in the sunshine, and reading, but not necessarily in that order. Between these activities she writes short stories and murderous novels. Shauna Bickley
With thanks to Claire Hill from the NZ Society of Authors.
Upcoming Courses
Introduction to Creative Writing
6-8.30pm, Thursday 14 March 2019, six weeks (or any time online)
Have a go! This course is intended to introduce you to some of the basic skills and techniques that can make writing so enjoyable. You might already keep a journal, or have written some poetry or short stories, but would like to find out about some of the tools professional writers use to make their work publishable. If so, this course is for you. Graduates receive a 10% discount on our 30 Week Fiction Course. Taught by Creative Hub director John Cranna. More detail ...
Thirty Week Fiction / Memoir Writing Course
6-9.00pm, Tuesday 17th Sept 2019, thirty weeks (or any time online)
This course is for those who want to write a novel, short stories, or a memoir / autobiography. We provide a fun and stimulating environment in which you can discover your authentic writing voice. Many graduates of this course have published books, some in London and New York.
The 30 week, two semester course starts in Sept 2019 and runs until May 2020 with a break for one-on-one mentoring over the summer. More detail ...
