New Zealand Writers
NAGELKERKE, Bill
I know from talking with other writers, and children in schools, that making the connection between the story and the writer is important.
NAGELKERKE, Bill (1958 - ) is a children’s writer and children’s librarian. ‘I suspect I’m one of those writers,’ he says, ‘who thinks, deep down, that the story should do the telling, not the person who wrote it. Nevertheless I know from talking with other writers, and children in schools, that making the connection between the story and the writer is important.’
Nagelkerke’s stories, poems and plays have appeared in many New Zealand anthologies including The Puffin New Zealand Storybook (1991, 1996); I’m Glad the Sky is Painted Blue (1993); And Me for All of Those: Voices of Canterbury (2000); Another 100 New Zealand Poems for Children (2001); Claws & Jaws (2004); Down to the Sea Again (2005); Mischief & Mayhem (2005); Like Wallpaper (2005) and The Puffin Treasury of New Zealand Children’s Stories, Volume 3 (2006): in the UK in The Hutchinson Treasury of Children’s Poetry (1998) and in Australia in Kids’ Night In (2003). Writing about his title story in Sun Days and Moon Nights (1994) one reviewer commented: ‘I especially enjoyed the title story which demonstrates the excitement and wonder brother and sister find when seeing the world through the others’ eyes.’
Nagelkerke’s work has been published in the School Journal (since 1985); in Learning Media’s Choices books and their Orbit/Skyrider series; in the New South Wales School Magazine and broadcast on National Radio’s Storytime and various children’s television programmes including Playschool. His first book for children was Dream Boat (1997).It was followed by The Walk (2002), a ‘green level’ reader, an account of a walk from the city to the sea. The pictures, by Bruce Potter, show a landscape that will be familiar to those who know the Port Hills of Christchurch. Reflections (2005), Super Structures (2005) and A Good Idea (2005) are also educational books. A Good Idea is a title in Learning Media’s Ready to Read series.
Going Bananas (2003) is a title in the Kiwi Bites series. In this story Reuben thinks that his little brother Matt ruins everything - at home, at the mall, at the magic show. He’s told him to get lost so often. And then Matt does. Egghead (2006) and The Paint Job (2006) are two titles in Oxford University Press’s Zigzags series. In Egghead Pravar loves to play tricks on his little brother; in The Paint Job Pravar wants to paint his bedroom – the trouble is, it’s Prem’s bedroom too and he’s very happy with how it looks.
Old Bones (Scholastic, 2006) is Nagelkerke’s first full length children’s novel. It is set in Christchurch by the banks of the Avon River. Reviewers have commented: ‘Bill Nagelkerke conjures up a classy ghost story…’ (The Dominion Post); ‘Unputdownable’ (Around the Bookshops); ‘This is writing of the highest quality, taking a difficult subject and making it exciting and moving’ (The Source).
A second novel Sitting on the Fence (Scholastic, 2007), about the controversial tour of New Zealand by the Springbok rugby team in 1981, is a title in the fictional diary series My Story. Nagelkerke has also translated two picture books from Dutch into English for Wellington’s innovative Gecko Press. Who’s Driving was published in 2006 and I am the King was published in 2007.
As well as writing for children Nagelkerke has written reviews and articles for Reading Forum New Zealand, Talespinner, Magpies and New Zealand Libraries as well as for The Cambridge Guide to Children’s Books (2001) and The Continuum Encyclopedia of Young Adult Literature (2005). He was successfully nominated by Storylines to be a member of the 2006 international Hans Christian Andersen Award jury.
Updated Information
Nagelkerke has recently released Sitting on the Fence - The Diary of Martin Daly, Christchurch, 1981 (Scholastic, 2007.) This is part of the "My Story" series, and focusses on the 1981 South African rugby tour. It is nominated in the Junior Fiction section for the 2008 New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.
Old Bones was selected as a Storylines Notable Book for 2007.
Nagelkerke was nominated by Storylines, once again successfully, to be a member of the 2008 international Hans Christian Andersen Award jury. An article about this experience appears in Magpies Vol. 23, Issue No. 3, July 2008.
Bill Nagelkerke is available to talk to students of all ages. Topics he is prepared to discuss are the writing process and his own writing. He would prefer to talk to groups of 30 but up to 60 is also OK and he is able to run workshops. He is prepared to travel out of town for Writers in Schools visits, and will run workshops by prior arrangement.
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