Calendar of Literary Events: April to June

• To add your event to this page please email web@bookcouncil.org.nz

Nelson, LIKE: An Experiment in Interpretation
12 April - 25 May, The Suter Art Gallery

Adventurous, playful and provocative, LIKE: An Experiment in Interpretation explores the ‘translation’ of an object between media: from the physical to the written, and then back to the physical. LIKE takes an object, a writer and a group of jewellers on a rigorous expedition of exploration and interpretation. One object given to Bill Manhire to interpret in verse results in an array of objects in translation. The jewellers have deciphered the text and through their individual interpretation made the resultant objects. The objects are both similar and wildly different raising questions in regard to perception, interpretation and the process of making.

13 April: Floortalk with Stella Chrysostomou, who will introduce the project and its main themes
2-4pm 11 May: Workshop about the event with Stella Chrysostomou, which will will involve exercises in translation using works in the gallery and descriptive text
12.10pm 21 May: Poetry students from the Creative Writing programme at NMIT respond to LIKE. Coordinated by tutor Cliff Fell.

Venue: The Suter Art Gallery, 208 Bridge St, Nelson 

Wellington, Simple to Sumptuous: Bookbindings from 1450 to the Present
5 April - 19 July

This exhibition highlights the range of bindings held in the Special Printed Collections of the Alexander Turnbull Library. From the basic and practical, to the beautiful and intricate, book bindings can be collector's items in their own right. Included are styles from the 15th to the 21st century, from Europe, Asia and even Antarctica.
Venue: National Library Gallery.
Monday to Friday: 9-5pm.
Saturday: 9am - 1pm.

New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults Festival
12- 21 May, Regional tours

A spectacular line-up of writers and illustrators shortlisted in the New Zealand Post Book Awards take part in events around the country each year, to join in New Zealand Post Book Awards celebrations and festivities.
For further information about the finalist touring in your region, please click here.

Auckland, Auckland Readers and Writers Festival '08
14-18 May, ASB Theatre, Lower NZI Room, various

The Auckland Readers and Writers Festival '08 features international writers Anne Enright, winner of the Booker Prize in 2007, and Junot Diaz, recent winner of the Pulitzer Prize 2008; as well as many more international and domestic stars of the literary world. They have an action-packed schedule of 62 events, over five days. Go along and see your favourite writer in action.
For schedule details, please head to their website. Tickets can be booked online.

Wellington, Library Book Sale
20 May, 9.30am –

Take books home forever at the Library’s pre-winter book sale
Book sale starts 9.30am Tuesday 20 May
Venue: Wellington Central Library, 65 Victoria Street, Wellington

Wellington, Friends of the Hutt City Libraries present Jenny Pattrick
21 May, 7.30pm -

Hear Jenny Pattrick discuss her latest, best-selling historical novel, Landings. The evening will end with Laughton Pattrick's new song, 'Landings Riverboat Song'.
Free entry, koha welcome.
Venue: Little Theatre, Lower Hutt Library

Wellington, Presenting 'The Material Mansfield'
22 May, 12.10pm

Co-editors Laurel Harris, Mary Morris and Joanna Woods will discuss the background to a superbly illustrated new edition, The Material Mansfield: Traces of a Writer's Life, which features a unique collection of Katherine Mansfield's personal possessions.
Venue: National Library Auditorium, Cnr Molesworth and Aitken Streets.

Wellington, Writers Read Series 2008
22 May, 6- 7pm, followed by refreshments

Massey University presents award-winning New Zealand author Mary McCallum for the first edition of the Writers Read Series 2008. She will read excerpts from her novel The Blue. Upcoming authors include Martin Edmond in August and James George in September.
Venue: Massey University Wellington Campus, Wallace Street, Entrance A, Block 5, Level D, Room 16.
RSVP: Jo Fink at j.w.fink@massey.ac.nz or ring 04 801 5799 extn 6696 by Wednesday 21 May.

Auckland, An Evening with Jodi Picoult
22 May, 7.00pm – 9.00pm

Auckland City Libraries presents An Evening with Jodi Picoult, chaired by Nicky Pellegrino. Tickets available from April 7th. $15 (full-time students and seniors $10) available online www.aucklandcitylibraries.com or from Central Library, 44–46 Lorne St, Auckland
Cost: $15.00/$10.00
Venue: Dorothy Winstone Centre, 16 Howe St, Auckland

Wellington, An Evening with Jodi Picoult
23 May, 7.00pm – 9.00pm

Wellington City Libraries presents An Evening with Jodi Picoult from 7pm on Friday 23 May.Tickets are available from Mon 21 April - Wed 21 May at The Information Desk, Ground Floor, Wellington Central Library, 65 Victoria Street, Wellington. Ticket sales will be over the counter only, no reserves and seating will be on a first come first served basis.
Cost: $15.00
Venue: Illot Theatre, Wellington Town Hall, 111 Wakefield Street, Wellington

Wairarapa, Yarns in Barns
28 May - 8 June

This Wairarapa Festival of Reading features 14 of New Zealands authors participating in events over 11 days. It is the chance to hear writers such as Jenny Pattrick, Dame Fiona Kidman, columnist Steve Braunias, and policital cartoonist Tom Scott to name a few, discuss their work in various locations throughout the Wairarapa. Click here for the full festival programme.

Wellington, Child's Play:Performing the School Journal
4 June, 7.00 – 8.00pm

With an introduction by Gregory O'Brien, author of the popular A Nest of Singing Birds: 100 Years of the School Journal, Sarah Delahunty's First Gear Productions performs a set of stories adapted from the book.
More than a dozen stories have been shaped into a performance by leading children’s playwright and director Sarah Delahunty and a cast of talented teenagers. The stories to be performed include: 'The Summit' by Sir Edmund Hillary, 'The Lion in the Meadow' by Margaret Mahy,'Wobbling' by Witi Ihimaera, and many more.
Together, the performances are called Child’s Play: Performing the School Journal. The show will be introduced by Gregory O’Brien and Learning Media are kindly donating sets of ten postcards, featuring School Journal covers from the past 100 years, as a gift for each audience member.Many thanks to Pelorus Trust, the National Library of New Zealand and Learning Media for supporting this event.
Cost: Entry is koha but bookings are advised. To book, please email reception@bookcouncil.org.nz with the words “Child’s Play” in the subject line. Be sure to include your full name, contact details and the number of tickets you want.
Venue: National Library Auditorium, Aitken Street, Thorndon

Singapore, Asian Children's Writer & Illustrators Conference
5-7 June, Singapore National Library

This Conference showcases writers and illustrators from throughout South-East Asia. Keynote speakers are Professor Shirley Geok-Lin Lim (USA), Dr. Ken Spillman (Australia) and John Danalis (Australia). Go to the website for more information about fees and the programme.
Venue: Singapore National Library, 100 Victoria Street, Singapore City

Wellington, Storylines Festival
8 June, 9.00am - 4.00pm

Join a bevy of talented New Zealand writers and illustrators, as well as international writers Babette Cole and Carole Wilkinson, at a celebration of children's literature. There is a lot of fun to be had with the crafts and readings at this exciting children's festival.
Cost: Free!
Venue: Te Whaea National Dance and Drama Centre, Newtown (old winter show buildings)

Wellington, Poets speak out for Parkinsons
11 June, 5.30pm –

An event in support of Parkinsons NZ. Six of New Zealand's best poets read at this fundraising event, hosted by Jane Westaway. Come along to see Jenny Bornholdt, Anne French, Michael Harlow, Vincent O’Sullivan, Harry Ricketts and Brian Turner read their poetry. Nibbles from 5.30pm, the readings will begin at 6.15pm.
Cost: $25 donation to Parkinsons NZ, phone 04 472 2796 or email info@parkinsons.org.nz or send a cheque to PO Box 11067, Manners Street, Wellington 6142 attention 'Poetry for Parkinson’s.'
Venue: Capital E, Civic Square, Wellington

New Plymouth, 'Towards Publication' Workshop
14-15 June, 9.00am– 4.00pm

This two-day workshop is designed to give participants the skills and confidence to put their work forward for possible publication. Covers fiction and non-fiction writing.
Venue:  Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki, Bell Street, New Plymouth campus
Fee:  $120
Tutor:  Joan Rosier-Jones, Wanganui author
Contact Janet Voss, Administrator on (06) 757 3100 extn 8755 if you would like more information or click here.

Auckland, BPANZ After 5 events
17 June, 5.00pm

It’s time we all met. Come and join us for a new series of BPANZ After 5 events. 
The first of these will be Tuesday 17 June and throughout the rest of the year BPANZ will be hosting regular sessions on industry-related issues to keep you abreast of new developments and to provide you with insights into different aspects of publishing.The BPANZ After 5 sessions are open to everyone in the industry. Whether you are new to publishing or an old hand, the BPANZ After 5 events will give you a chance to catch up with the latest industry issues and to meet and network with others.
And we’ve chosen a great bar called Grand Central which isn’t in New York but is New York inspired in Ponsonby! We have a room upstairs and after the event there’s time and space to chat downstairs by the fire.

A Day in the Life of….. a Publisher, with Sam Elworthy, Lorain Day and Kevin Chapman

Three successful publishers with very different publishing lists give us an insight into their everyday working life. Sam Elworthy is Publishing Director of Auckland University Press; Publishing Manager Lorain Day heads the editorial department at HarperCollins New Zealand; and  Kevin Chapman is Publisher for Hachette Livre.
Without giving away their very best secrets, this impressive line-up of publishers will most likely cover some of the following: the author/publisher relationship, strategies for developing a ‘good’ list, NZ vs global publishing, negotiating
contracts. This is a fun, informative panel discussion with plenty of opportunity for lively audience participation.
Cost: $10, includes first drink and nibbles.
Venue: Grand Central, 126 Ponsonby Rd (near cnr of MacKelvie St, past Richmond Rd intersection) .

Wellington, Toi Whakaari's New Zealand Drama School presents After Democracy
20-25 June

Toi Whakaari’s second year acting, costume, management, technical and design students present a collection of one act punch packing political plays by some of the Britain’s most revered political playwrights: Edward Bond, Harold Pinter and Caryl Churchill. It consists of four rarely performed plays that bring with them messages of human capability, dominance and oppression, but also hope, survival and endurance.  Three of the four plays will be performed as fully realised productions; Mountain Language by Harold Pinter, Far Away by Caryl Churchill and Party Time by Harold Pinter.  Edward Bond’s challenging Chair will be performed as a workshop performance prior to the other shows.

Venue: Te Whaea Theatre, Te Whaea National Dance and Drama Centre, 11 Hutchison Rd
When : Mon – Sat 8pm (Chair 6pm) Sunday 6pm (Chair 4pm)
Tickets: $15/$10 (Chair $5)
Book: 04 381 9253

Wellington, What Publishers Want
23 June, 7.00 -

Wellington Children's Book Association hosts their Annual General Meeting, followed by a panel discussion on ‘What Publishers Want’. Award-winning publisher, Julia Marshall from Gecko Press, plus Gildt Edge and South Pacific Press discuss what they are looking for in the marketplace. Free event, all welcome.
Venue: Turnbull House, Bowen Street.

Christchurch, Tribute to Hone Tuwhare
27 June, 7.00 -  

A special tribute of poetry and performance to New Zealand poet Hone Tuwhare, featuring Apirana Taylor, Tusiata Avia, Bernadette Hall, Brian Potiki, Jeffrey Paparoa Holman, Danielle O'Halloran, Ben Brown, Doc Drumheller, Ciaran Fox and others. This will take place in the Philip Carter Family Auditorium at the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu.
Admission to the event is free.