NEWSLETTER - 17 March 2023
2023 Te Tahihu Awards Entries Open March 31
Entry forms are currently under development with full terms and conditions. These will be published on our website 2023 Te Tauihu Awards next week.
Entries in two categories: Te Reo Māori and English
From Trish Palmer, former Treasurer
Published by Trish, Knock Knock is a unique collection of stories from weird and wacky households tucked away in New Zealand communties. She is now working on a new project.
I would recommend to anyone working on a book to get the manuscript assessed... it seems like a lot of money, but absolutely worth it for the focus and fresh eyes that the process offers. The person I chose was direct, honest, and gave very balanced feedback which has given me the confidence to trust and reconsider some aspects of the book. It is certainly looking 'sharper.'
More about Trish's stories here.
Trish’s radio play, Truth Serum, is a comedy involving a mother getting her own back on her two lay-about lads who think they've got their Mother sorted. It will be broadcast on Thursday 23rd March in Australia on Keppel FM 91.3 at 9 pm Australian time (11 pm NZ time).
The play will be available to hear in New Zealand. Google it!
Watch Trish's plays performed by the English Theater Company on You Tube:
Housewifely Duties
Where There's a Will
Tasman Writers
We have been unable to find a coordinator for this group, so Tasman Writers will no longer operate as a regular monthly get-together.
The Top of the South Committee will coordinate occasional workshops which will be available to all writers. Many will be free of charge. The first of these will be a group viewing of one of the workshops on the NZSA website. Details of the first workshop below.
Group Workshop on Point Of View
Tuesday, 28 March,
Motueka Library Te Noninga Kumu
5.30-7.00.
Paula Morris is an award-winning writer and teacher. She will guide you through the demands, contradictions and limitations of point of view as it relates to fiction, although the topics discussed are relevant to creative non-fiction as well.
This workshop is a recorded tutorial from Paula, delivered via Zoom. We will set up a Zoom meeting room in the library so everyone can join in. Note that participants can’t ask Paula questions but we will facilitate discussion amongst ourselves during and after the session.
The session if free, but a koha is always welcome.
Tui Tui Whakaaro! Rock-Up & Write!It's happening again this Saturday, March 18 at 9.45 am. Due to a clash with another event at the Richmond Library, we were unable to book the last Saturday of the month. Come along and write! All writers of all genres are welcome. The format is simple: sessions of silent, focused writing, split by a break for coffee and a chat. There's no reading out loud and no pressure, just a supportive bunch of people trying to get some words on the page.
Nelson Live Poets New VenueMeets on the 2nd Tuesday each month at YAZA! Cafe, 105 Montgomery Square, Nelson, at 7 pm.
All listeners, watchers, speakers, ponderers, wonderers, in-betweens and all welcome. Koha entry ($ optional - your presence is a gift).
Writers at LunchtimeAt this month's get-together, Jessica Le Bas entertained us with her usual standard of enlightening and inspirational material. She recommends this article from The Guardian: Don’t write what you know, write what you feel. Read it to discover how terrible books can be more inspiring than good books.
Next gathering is at Nelson Golf Club, 38 Bolt Road, Tahunanui, Wednesday April 5. Come any time between 11.30 am and 1.30 pm. Gest speaker (starting at 12.30 pm). Fantasy and children's author Robyn Prokop will be joining us in April to talk about audiobooks.
Robyn will outline some of the features of this exciting new market, highlighting the reasons why you might consider releasing a book in this format. She will share her own experience of creating an audiobook in the New Zealand context and offer a few tips and approaches.
Check out her website https://www.robynprokop.com/
Gold coin donation.
New book from Marion Day
Roa, fifteen, lives close to Whakaari/White Island. She tells her story in days, weeks and months. Meanwhile, she and her mother Huia both flash-back into the past. Huia reveals how her choice of men has affected her daughter. Roa knows right from wrong, loves to write, but is crumbling beneath her two secrets. Finally, she confides in her brother, and later her mother. Whakaari’s always there, deep inside Roa – beautiful, threatening. Guilt for what she has done, forces her back into darkness and she must find her way out.
National Distributor: David Bateman Ltd. Available from bookstores and online.
Blackball Readers and Writers Festival
The third Blackball Readers and Writers Festival will take place on King’s Birthday Weekend, 2023, running from midday Saturday, 3rd June to Sunday evening. This year’s theme is Landscapes, Political and Spiritual. It will take place once again in the beautiful and intimate setting of the local school.
Programme details and registration here.
2023 Te Tahihu Awards Entries Open March 31
Entry forms are currently under development with full terms and conditions. These will be published on our website 2023 Te Tauihu Awards next week.
Entries in two categories: Te Reo Māori and English
- 1,500 word limit
- Short story form in Adult or Young Adult categories
- Prizes valued at $4,000 will be equally divided between the two language sections.
From Trish Palmer, former Treasurer
Published by Trish, Knock Knock is a unique collection of stories from weird and wacky households tucked away in New Zealand communties. She is now working on a new project.
I would recommend to anyone working on a book to get the manuscript assessed... it seems like a lot of money, but absolutely worth it for the focus and fresh eyes that the process offers. The person I chose was direct, honest, and gave very balanced feedback which has given me the confidence to trust and reconsider some aspects of the book. It is certainly looking 'sharper.'
More about Trish's stories here.
Trish’s radio play, Truth Serum, is a comedy involving a mother getting her own back on her two lay-about lads who think they've got their Mother sorted. It will be broadcast on Thursday 23rd March in Australia on Keppel FM 91.3 at 9 pm Australian time (11 pm NZ time).
The play will be available to hear in New Zealand. Google it!
Watch Trish's plays performed by the English Theater Company on You Tube:
Housewifely Duties
Where There's a Will
Tasman Writers
We have been unable to find a coordinator for this group, so Tasman Writers will no longer operate as a regular monthly get-together.
The Top of the South Committee will coordinate occasional workshops which will be available to all writers. Many will be free of charge. The first of these will be a group viewing of one of the workshops on the NZSA website. Details of the first workshop below.
Group Workshop on Point Of View
Tuesday, 28 March,
Motueka Library Te Noninga Kumu
5.30-7.00.
Paula Morris is an award-winning writer and teacher. She will guide you through the demands, contradictions and limitations of point of view as it relates to fiction, although the topics discussed are relevant to creative non-fiction as well.
This workshop is a recorded tutorial from Paula, delivered via Zoom. We will set up a Zoom meeting room in the library so everyone can join in. Note that participants can’t ask Paula questions but we will facilitate discussion amongst ourselves during and after the session.
The session if free, but a koha is always welcome.
Tui Tui Whakaaro! Rock-Up & Write!It's happening again this Saturday, March 18 at 9.45 am. Due to a clash with another event at the Richmond Library, we were unable to book the last Saturday of the month. Come along and write! All writers of all genres are welcome. The format is simple: sessions of silent, focused writing, split by a break for coffee and a chat. There's no reading out loud and no pressure, just a supportive bunch of people trying to get some words on the page.
Nelson Live Poets New VenueMeets on the 2nd Tuesday each month at YAZA! Cafe, 105 Montgomery Square, Nelson, at 7 pm.
All listeners, watchers, speakers, ponderers, wonderers, in-betweens and all welcome. Koha entry ($ optional - your presence is a gift).
Writers at LunchtimeAt this month's get-together, Jessica Le Bas entertained us with her usual standard of enlightening and inspirational material. She recommends this article from The Guardian: Don’t write what you know, write what you feel. Read it to discover how terrible books can be more inspiring than good books.
Next gathering is at Nelson Golf Club, 38 Bolt Road, Tahunanui, Wednesday April 5. Come any time between 11.30 am and 1.30 pm. Gest speaker (starting at 12.30 pm). Fantasy and children's author Robyn Prokop will be joining us in April to talk about audiobooks.
Robyn will outline some of the features of this exciting new market, highlighting the reasons why you might consider releasing a book in this format. She will share her own experience of creating an audiobook in the New Zealand context and offer a few tips and approaches.
Check out her website https://www.robynprokop.com/
Gold coin donation.
New book from Marion Day
Roa, fifteen, lives close to Whakaari/White Island. She tells her story in days, weeks and months. Meanwhile, she and her mother Huia both flash-back into the past. Huia reveals how her choice of men has affected her daughter. Roa knows right from wrong, loves to write, but is crumbling beneath her two secrets. Finally, she confides in her brother, and later her mother. Whakaari’s always there, deep inside Roa – beautiful, threatening. Guilt for what she has done, forces her back into darkness and she must find her way out.
National Distributor: David Bateman Ltd. Available from bookstores and online.
Blackball Readers and Writers Festival
The third Blackball Readers and Writers Festival will take place on King’s Birthday Weekend, 2023, running from midday Saturday, 3rd June to Sunday evening. This year’s theme is Landscapes, Political and Spiritual. It will take place once again in the beautiful and intimate setting of the local school.
Programme details and registration here.
NEWSLETTER - 17 February 2023
2023 Te Tauihu Awards finalist judges announced
Stacey Morrison
te reo Māori category
Elizabeth Knox
English category
Visit 2023 Te Tauihu Awards for more information on our Judges and the Awards.
Tasman WritersNext meeting at Mouteka Library Te Noninga Kumu is 28 February 5 – 6.30 pm. Join us for constructive discussion about your latest project. For more details contact Robyn [email protected]
Congratulations to Paul MaunderCongratulations to NZSA Top of the South member Paul Maunder for being awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the arts and the community. It is well-deserved recognition for Paul who has played a key role in supporting arts and community development projects in the Wellington and West Coast regions.
Cited from the 2023 New Year Honours List:
From the late 1960s, Dr Paul Maunder has used film, theatre and creative writing to share and record the stories of working people and underrepresented groups. His artistic practices, including award-winning films, have interrogated New Zealand’s past and collective identity. In the 1990s he established a performing arts centre in Petone, and worked on theatre projects with local schools, ethnic communities, psychiatric patients, unions and prison inmates. Following a move to Blackball around 2000, he initiated the Blackball Readers and Writers festival, a writer’s residency, mounted regular plays to explore West Coast issues and was a key organiser of the 1908 Blackball Strike centenary commemoration. In 2009 he helped establish Mahi Tupuna – Blackball Museum of Working Class History, where he continues as Secretary and Treasurer. As well as serving on arts bodies and residents’ associations, he has authored several publications and played a key role in developing community initiatives. In 2019 he helped establish Te Puawai Co-operative Society, which explores a transition economy and provides work for local residents on fixed and low incomes. Since 2003, Dr Maunder has volunteered as a First Responder with the Blackball branch of St John New Zealand.
Shakespeare in the Blackball BathhouseReview by Mary Prendergast:
Paul Maunder’s recent appointment as a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to art and the community is indeed well earnt. This was evident in the performance of Shakespeare in the Blackball Bathhouse on the West Coast in January. Paul produced an adaption of Shakespeare’s The Tempset, casting local actors from, “Kiwi/Possum Productions (Blackball) and Drama Lab (Christchurch). A mix of young and old actors brought this play to life in fine style with superb costuming and stagecraft.
I was part of the audience that was treated to a community style theatre in the crumbling remnants of the old bath house of the Blackball coalmine amidst joyous birdsong from surrounding rainforest. For a later act, we were led further into the gully, to a suitably chaired scene with impressive storm-sounding effects. Any passers-by returning from the Paparoa Track may have wondered what they beheld.
While I didn’t stay at school long enough to experience the Shakespeare phenomenon, other members of the audience more familiar with his style were vocal in their praise when we called into the Blackball Inn for a post-performance ale and a yarn.
I look forward to Paul’s next production.
Tui Tui Whakaaro! Rock-Up & Write!Review by Ali Brown:
Rock-Up & Write is exactly that! A 2.5 hour writing session in the pleasing environs of Richmond library. I attended the inaugural session on 28th January and found that the simple format — a combination of quiet writing sessions, with a chance for coffee and a chat — was perfect for getting a decent amount of writing completed. There was more writing than chat and I completed a bit over 1,000 words. I found the atmosphere energising and creative and look forward to next month’s session.
Join the February session of Rock-Up & Write:
Richmond Library in the Constance Barnicoat on Saturday 25th Feb from 9.00am to 1.00pm
For more information, contact Robyn Prokop: [email protected]
New books from Patricia Berwick
Willow Wētā tells of the effects of bullying and shows that no matter how strong an insect looks, it is defenceless against people.
Suitable for children from 5-10 years.
Available from Kaipupu Sanctuary Shop and on Amazon.
The Kiwi Who Could Only Say Keee, Keee, Keee is the story of how a young kiwi overcomes bullying to learn how to make an adult call and start his own family. Suitable for children 5-10 years.
Available from Kaipupu Sanctuary Shop and from Amazon.
Public Lending Rights for New Zealand authorsIf you have any published books (self-published included) that might be in New Zealand Libraries, you must register every year for your share of payments to authors whose books are borrowed from libraries. Even if you have registered previously, you must register each year before 1 March.
Details here:https://natlib.govt.nz/publishers-and-authors/public-lending-right-for-new-zealand-authors
2023 Te Tauihu Awards finalist judges announced
Stacey Morrison
te reo Māori category
Elizabeth Knox
English category
Visit 2023 Te Tauihu Awards for more information on our Judges and the Awards.
Tasman WritersNext meeting at Mouteka Library Te Noninga Kumu is 28 February 5 – 6.30 pm. Join us for constructive discussion about your latest project. For more details contact Robyn [email protected]
Congratulations to Paul MaunderCongratulations to NZSA Top of the South member Paul Maunder for being awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the arts and the community. It is well-deserved recognition for Paul who has played a key role in supporting arts and community development projects in the Wellington and West Coast regions.
Cited from the 2023 New Year Honours List:
From the late 1960s, Dr Paul Maunder has used film, theatre and creative writing to share and record the stories of working people and underrepresented groups. His artistic practices, including award-winning films, have interrogated New Zealand’s past and collective identity. In the 1990s he established a performing arts centre in Petone, and worked on theatre projects with local schools, ethnic communities, psychiatric patients, unions and prison inmates. Following a move to Blackball around 2000, he initiated the Blackball Readers and Writers festival, a writer’s residency, mounted regular plays to explore West Coast issues and was a key organiser of the 1908 Blackball Strike centenary commemoration. In 2009 he helped establish Mahi Tupuna – Blackball Museum of Working Class History, where he continues as Secretary and Treasurer. As well as serving on arts bodies and residents’ associations, he has authored several publications and played a key role in developing community initiatives. In 2019 he helped establish Te Puawai Co-operative Society, which explores a transition economy and provides work for local residents on fixed and low incomes. Since 2003, Dr Maunder has volunteered as a First Responder with the Blackball branch of St John New Zealand.
Shakespeare in the Blackball BathhouseReview by Mary Prendergast:
Paul Maunder’s recent appointment as a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to art and the community is indeed well earnt. This was evident in the performance of Shakespeare in the Blackball Bathhouse on the West Coast in January. Paul produced an adaption of Shakespeare’s The Tempset, casting local actors from, “Kiwi/Possum Productions (Blackball) and Drama Lab (Christchurch). A mix of young and old actors brought this play to life in fine style with superb costuming and stagecraft.
I was part of the audience that was treated to a community style theatre in the crumbling remnants of the old bath house of the Blackball coalmine amidst joyous birdsong from surrounding rainforest. For a later act, we were led further into the gully, to a suitably chaired scene with impressive storm-sounding effects. Any passers-by returning from the Paparoa Track may have wondered what they beheld.
While I didn’t stay at school long enough to experience the Shakespeare phenomenon, other members of the audience more familiar with his style were vocal in their praise when we called into the Blackball Inn for a post-performance ale and a yarn.
I look forward to Paul’s next production.
Tui Tui Whakaaro! Rock-Up & Write!Review by Ali Brown:
Rock-Up & Write is exactly that! A 2.5 hour writing session in the pleasing environs of Richmond library. I attended the inaugural session on 28th January and found that the simple format — a combination of quiet writing sessions, with a chance for coffee and a chat — was perfect for getting a decent amount of writing completed. There was more writing than chat and I completed a bit over 1,000 words. I found the atmosphere energising and creative and look forward to next month’s session.
Join the February session of Rock-Up & Write:
Richmond Library in the Constance Barnicoat on Saturday 25th Feb from 9.00am to 1.00pm
For more information, contact Robyn Prokop: [email protected]
New books from Patricia Berwick
Willow Wētā tells of the effects of bullying and shows that no matter how strong an insect looks, it is defenceless against people.
Suitable for children from 5-10 years.
Available from Kaipupu Sanctuary Shop and on Amazon.
The Kiwi Who Could Only Say Keee, Keee, Keee is the story of how a young kiwi overcomes bullying to learn how to make an adult call and start his own family. Suitable for children 5-10 years.
Available from Kaipupu Sanctuary Shop and from Amazon.
Public Lending Rights for New Zealand authorsIf you have any published books (self-published included) that might be in New Zealand Libraries, you must register every year for your share of payments to authors whose books are borrowed from libraries. Even if you have registered previously, you must register each year before 1 March.
Details here:https://natlib.govt.nz/publishers-and-authors/public-lending-right-for-new-zealand-authors
NEWSLETTER - 20 January 2023
MAKE THIS YOUR NEWSETTERIt's wonderful to see so many writing groups thriving and evolving in our region. NZ Society of Authors membership is not required for these networking opportunities, but we do encourage you to join the main national body. This helps to give a voice to all writers in the ever-changing arena of writing, publishing and copyright law in the digital age.
Ideas for 2023We are a small editorial committee, so will rely on readers' contributions to keep it interesting. Here are some ideas:
- Question and answer sessions with local writers
- Book reviews
- Discussion topics
Monthly Newsletter ScheduleWebsites and Facebook Pages provide immediate news and can be updated at any time. With more in-depth issues, our newsletter will move from a fortnightly issue to be published on the third Friday of each month.
Do You Have Something To Say? Perhaps you know of a writer with an interesting background story to tell. Have you read a book written by a local writer and would like to review it? Let us know of any issues that should be discussed in an open forum.
Here is an item to get you started:
Review of Julia Panfylova's Talk at Richmond Library
What fascinating writers we have hidden in our midst! Julia Panfylova could have written volumes about the journey from her home in the Ukraine to finally settling in Nelson. After a chance encounter with a fortune-teller, Julia decided she had a different story to tell.
On the surface, Lada Between Two Worlds is a modern fairy tale about a young girl and a fox but Julia's purpose is to teach children about tolerance and the acceptance of differences.
The details of how Julia managed to publish her book were not new, but illustrated how determination and a belief in yourself are the essential starting blocks for self-publishing.
Read Julia's Full Profile Here.
Rock-Up & Write!
Tui Tui Whakaaro!Calling all writers!
Come along Saturday 28 January to Richmond library to get some of that writing done!
The format is simple: a combination of quiet writing sessions, with a chance for coffee and a chat. Any questions, email [email protected]
Shakespeare in the Blackball BathhouseDon't miss out on classic theatre performed in the old miners’ bathhouse in Blackball.
Shakespeare's The Tempest
Performances 28 and 29 January 2023
Three theatre companies are joining together: Kiwi/Possum, Christchurch’s Free Theatre and Golden Bay’s Dramalab. As well, Loudmouth’s Cary Lancaster will be in the cast and there is an actor coming from Auckland.
Cost $20
Book Now if there is space by texting 021 106 3669.
Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writer’s Residency
The Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writer’s Residency is for an established New Zealand writer of Pacific heritage to carry out work on a creative writing project exploring Pacific identity, culture or history at the University of Hawai‘i for three months. One award valued at NZ$33,300 is granted each year, towards three months of writing.
Open for applications! Deadline to apply is 5pm Friday 17 March.
Click Here for Full Details
NEWSLETTER - 6 January 2023
WELCOME TO 2023To make our newsletter more inclusive, this year it will made available to all writers. You don't have to be member of the NZSA.
We do want the society to grow and reflect the diversity that makes New Zealand a unique source of creative writing in all genres. Therefore, we encourage you to continue with your membership, or sign up to assist the NZSA as the principal representative for the professional interests of writers, specifically:
Click the buttons below to discover useful tools made available by the NZSA. These online resources are being continually updated and revised.
NZSA Online Workshops
Writers' Toolkits Online Tutorials
Meet Your CommitteeClock wise from Top Left:
Lucy Hodgson - Chair
Ali Brown - Te Tauihu Short Story Coordinator
Mary Prendergast - West Coast Rep
Robyn Prokop - Secretary (Google Wrangler)
Kerry Sunderland - Pukapuka Talks Curator
Chris Tait - Treasurer
For more details on your committee read their profiles on our Website About Us
Keep Your Own Profile Up To DateIf you are an NZSA member, we can include you in our Member Profiles. Check out your profile, then contact the Branch Editor to update your information or include you on the page.
Writing Groups in Your Region
You are not alone! We encourage a wide range of informal get-togethers and many have regular monthly meetings. Click through to the Writing Group page on our website for information on gatherings in Marlborough, Nelson, Tasman, Golden Bay and West Coast.
Please Note: Information about Writing Groups on our web page is the latest information available to the editorial committee. Please contact us if you would like anything added or updated but also be aware that updating information on our own website doesn't automatically update information on the NZSA National Office site.
Rock Up And Write!
Tui Tui Whakaaro!Richmond Library
Saturday, 28 January, 9.30-12.00
To celebrate a brand new year of writing, NZSA TOS branch is launching a new monthly writing session. It doesn't matter what you are writing, which language or genre you are writing in, or what stage you are at with your project. This is simply an opportunity to 'Rock up and Write' in the company of fellow creatives. The Constance Barnicoat room at the Richmond Library is booked for our use from 9.30 until 12.00. The session will include a writing warm-up, quick introductions, then two periods of silent, focused writing. There will be a chance to chat with other writers during the coffee break, or after the formal session. Come along for the whole morning, or pop in for as long as you can spare. Come along and celebrate a fresh year of writing. Hope to see you there!
Open to all writers, regardless of NZSA membership. Gold coin koha
Contact Robyn [email protected] if you need more details.
Julia Panfylova at Richmond Library
Richmond Libarary's first speaker for 2023 is Julia Panfylova, who will be delivering two talks – one designed for children, and the other designed for our usual adult audience.
Julia’s talk for children will be from 1.30pm-2.30pm on Monday 16 January in the Children’s Area at Richmond Library: Discover the new fantasy book Lada Between Two Worlds by Julia Panfylova. Help Julia name the characters in her book who don’t have names yet and draw some of the characters who have not yet been illustrated. Free.
Julia’s talk for adults will be from 1.00pm-2.00pm on Tuesday 17 January in the Constance Barnicoat room at Richmond Library: Julia will be talking about writing and self-publishing her new children’s book Lada Between Two Worlds. This session is for adults interested in writing. Julia’s talk will be followed by a meeting of the Richmond Writing Group from 2.00pm-3.00pm – which is also free and open to anyone who would like to try creative writing exercises and make new writing friends.
Both events are free and everyone is welcome to attend. Cash sales of Lada Between Two Worlds will be available for $16.
Shakespeare in the Blackball Bathhouse
Don't miss out on classic theatre performed in the old miners’ bathhouse in Blackball.
Shakespeare's The Tempest
Performances 28 and 29 January 2023
Three theatre companies are joining together: Kiwi/Possum, Christchurch’s Free Theatre and Golden Bay’s Dramalab. As well, Loudmouth’s Cary Lancaster will be in the cast and there is an actor coming from Auckland.
Cost $20
Book Now if there is space by texting 021 106 3669.
Blackball Readers & Writers Festival 2023 – Advance Notice
The next Blackball Readers & Writers Festival, ‘from coal to words’, will take place over the weekend of 3 - 4 June 2023. The theme is Landscapes – Political and Spiritual, and the festival offers food for the soul, participation, and dialogue. Featured guests include Bill Pearson, Bill Nagelkerke, Jane Kelsey, Jane Carswell, Jeffrey Paparoa Holman, Michael Steven, Nic Low, Paddy Richardson, Paul Maunder, and Sam Ducker-Jones.
WELCOME TO 2023To make our newsletter more inclusive, this year it will made available to all writers. You don't have to be member of the NZSA.
We do want the society to grow and reflect the diversity that makes New Zealand a unique source of creative writing in all genres. Therefore, we encourage you to continue with your membership, or sign up to assist the NZSA as the principal representative for the professional interests of writers, specifically:
- Protecting basic rights to freedom of expression,
- Working to improve income and conditions
- Promoting Aotearoa New Zealand writing and literary culture
- Developing and creating a community for writers
Click the buttons below to discover useful tools made available by the NZSA. These online resources are being continually updated and revised.
NZSA Online Workshops
Writers' Toolkits Online Tutorials
Meet Your CommitteeClock wise from Top Left:
Lucy Hodgson - Chair
Ali Brown - Te Tauihu Short Story Coordinator
Mary Prendergast - West Coast Rep
Robyn Prokop - Secretary (Google Wrangler)
Kerry Sunderland - Pukapuka Talks Curator
Chris Tait - Treasurer
For more details on your committee read their profiles on our Website About Us
Keep Your Own Profile Up To DateIf you are an NZSA member, we can include you in our Member Profiles. Check out your profile, then contact the Branch Editor to update your information or include you on the page.
Writing Groups in Your Region
You are not alone! We encourage a wide range of informal get-togethers and many have regular monthly meetings. Click through to the Writing Group page on our website for information on gatherings in Marlborough, Nelson, Tasman, Golden Bay and West Coast.
Please Note: Information about Writing Groups on our web page is the latest information available to the editorial committee. Please contact us if you would like anything added or updated but also be aware that updating information on our own website doesn't automatically update information on the NZSA National Office site.
Rock Up And Write!
Tui Tui Whakaaro!Richmond Library
Saturday, 28 January, 9.30-12.00
To celebrate a brand new year of writing, NZSA TOS branch is launching a new monthly writing session. It doesn't matter what you are writing, which language or genre you are writing in, or what stage you are at with your project. This is simply an opportunity to 'Rock up and Write' in the company of fellow creatives. The Constance Barnicoat room at the Richmond Library is booked for our use from 9.30 until 12.00. The session will include a writing warm-up, quick introductions, then two periods of silent, focused writing. There will be a chance to chat with other writers during the coffee break, or after the formal session. Come along for the whole morning, or pop in for as long as you can spare. Come along and celebrate a fresh year of writing. Hope to see you there!
Open to all writers, regardless of NZSA membership. Gold coin koha
Contact Robyn [email protected] if you need more details.
Julia Panfylova at Richmond Library
Richmond Libarary's first speaker for 2023 is Julia Panfylova, who will be delivering two talks – one designed for children, and the other designed for our usual adult audience.
Julia’s talk for children will be from 1.30pm-2.30pm on Monday 16 January in the Children’s Area at Richmond Library: Discover the new fantasy book Lada Between Two Worlds by Julia Panfylova. Help Julia name the characters in her book who don’t have names yet and draw some of the characters who have not yet been illustrated. Free.
Julia’s talk for adults will be from 1.00pm-2.00pm on Tuesday 17 January in the Constance Barnicoat room at Richmond Library: Julia will be talking about writing and self-publishing her new children’s book Lada Between Two Worlds. This session is for adults interested in writing. Julia’s talk will be followed by a meeting of the Richmond Writing Group from 2.00pm-3.00pm – which is also free and open to anyone who would like to try creative writing exercises and make new writing friends.
Both events are free and everyone is welcome to attend. Cash sales of Lada Between Two Worlds will be available for $16.
Shakespeare in the Blackball Bathhouse
Don't miss out on classic theatre performed in the old miners’ bathhouse in Blackball.
Shakespeare's The Tempest
Performances 28 and 29 January 2023
Three theatre companies are joining together: Kiwi/Possum, Christchurch’s Free Theatre and Golden Bay’s Dramalab. As well, Loudmouth’s Cary Lancaster will be in the cast and there is an actor coming from Auckland.
Cost $20
Book Now if there is space by texting 021 106 3669.
Blackball Readers & Writers Festival 2023 – Advance Notice
The next Blackball Readers & Writers Festival, ‘from coal to words’, will take place over the weekend of 3 - 4 June 2023. The theme is Landscapes – Political and Spiritual, and the festival offers food for the soul, participation, and dialogue. Featured guests include Bill Pearson, Bill Nagelkerke, Jane Kelsey, Jane Carswell, Jeffrey Paparoa Holman, Michael Steven, Nic Low, Paddy Richardson, Paul Maunder, and Sam Ducker-Jones.