News Blog @ Wellington City Libraries

Fifteen minutes of fame, annus horribilis, the cold war, we are not amused, elementary my dear Watson, let them eat cake … are all phrases used frequently. Who said that first?: the curious origins of common words and phrases by Max Cryer explores who said what, when  and why. The mastermind of some of the phrases can be quite surprising. Enjoy reading this – make your day!

Most thriller readers wonder if they have it in them to write their own bestselling novel. This book How to write a damn good thriller: a step by step guide for novelists and screenwriters by James N. Frey could be the first step. Written in a practical and entertaining manner he focuses on plot and character and uses the writing of successful thriller authors as examples.

Martha C. Sammons book The Longman guide to style and writing on the Internet is an accessible reference tool for anyone wanting to create successful Web documents. The book has been updated to add the latest Web terms, design and writing tools and will be of use to all Web writers.

Read these titles and others including Paul Holmes’ columns, poetry and how to write better essays in last month’s Recent Literature Picks.

The LIANZA Book Awards were announced yesterday, with an ecclectic collection of winners, showcasing the best of the New Zealand publishing world. For more information on the awards visit the NZ Book Council news page. The winners were:

The Russell Clark Award (contribution to illustrated children’s books): There Was a Crooked Man, Gavin Bishop. The English rhyme about the man with the crooked smile, illustrated by one of New Zealand’s best known children’s writer/illustrators. This is a board book, suitable for very young people.

The Elsie Locke Award (for children’s non-fiction): Dear Alison, edited by Simon Pollard. “A reproduction of the diary of Dudley Muff, a New Zealand prisoner of war in Germany written for his niece, Alison, who was four and living in Timaru.” (library catalogue)

The Esther Glen Award (for junior fiction): The Billionaire’s Curse, Richard Newsome. Gerald is left a 13 year old billionaire after his great aunt dies. When he becomes entangled in the theft of a rather large diamond he must uncover the mystery that surrounds his great aunt’s death (was she murdered?) and her connection to the diamond.

The LIANZA Young Adult Award (awarded for the first time): Banquo’s Son, Tania Roxborogh. Fleance, Banquo’s son, gets one short reference in Macbeth (told to “fly” by the mortally wounded Banquo). In this novel, Fleance is ten years down the line, haunted by ghosts: it’s time to avenge his father’s death.

Te Kura Pounamu: Hewa, Darryn Joseph. “Hewa” is fantasy in Māori, and Hewa is a fantasy story written in te Reo Māori “about a boy who wants to help protect his family and friends from a baddie. It’s set in an online game and involves American military software, a futuristic battleship called the USS Barack Obama, and artificial intelligences gaining sentience and self determination.” (from Massey University website)

Te Tohu Hoani Whatahoro (for te waihanga Pukapuka Pono (children’s non-fiction)): Ngā Rākau series by Huia Publishers.

Te Tohu Pounamu (for te wahanga Kaiwhakamaori): Hautipua Rererangi, edited by Julian Arahanga and illustrated by Andrew Burdan. A Te Reo graphic novel about John Porokoru Pohe, a World War II pilot who was a prisoner at Stalag Luft III (of The Great Escape fame). While he escaped, John Pohe was recaptured and subsequently killed.

Te Tohu Taurapa (for te wahanga Pukapuka Pikitia (picture books)): Hūhū Koroheke, Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Rachel Driscoll and translated by Kāterina Te Heikōkō Mataira. Old Huhu in English (from the author of the loved Kiss, Kiss, Yuck, Yuck), this book picked up the Supreme Award at the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards earlier this year.

Te Tohu Nga Kete e toru (for mo te waihanga Pukapuka Paki (fiction)): Hewa, Darryn Joseph.

Read Mondo Lucha a go-go: the bizarre and honourable world of wild Mexican wrestling by Dan Madigan and find out what super head-scissors takedown, Molly-go-round and corner slingshot splash are. Beginning in Latin America this form of wrestling is now worldwide and has a large fan-base. Many of the wrestlers cover their faces and fight incognito. Why? It would take a brave person to ask. Colourful posters, cards and mementoes are found through-out the book.

Figure skating is beautiful to watch and requires grace, power and an incredible amount of courage. Steve Milton’s book Figure skating’s greatest stars is a who’s who from the 1950’s through to today’s champions. Artistic and technical boundaries will continue to expand wowing judges and public alike.

New Zealand fishing guide: North Cape to Stewart Island edited by Bruce Duncan and Mark Airey covers all types of fishing including boat, surfcasting, freshwater, diving and game fishing. Find out the best spots for marlin, snapper, kingfish and many more chosen by New Zealand Fishing News writers and other experts.

Read these books and others including boxing, soccer training, tennis, basketball and more in this month’s Sport Recent Picks.

This week, in places we’d like to go, is the super annual Auckland Zinefest! It’s being held this Saturday, August 14th, at St Kevins Arcade, Newton, 11am-4pm in the Alleluya Cafe Space and Wine Cellar. They are having more workshops than we could possibly hope to list here, a competition for the best zine of the fest, zines to buy and zines to read in a special zine reading area. Check out the full schedule of events here.

A Turkish gallery wants your zines. The project is called ‘Even My Mum Can Make A Book’, and the idea is to collect an archive of independent publications from across the world to go on tour around venues in Turkey and elsewhere, beginning at the gallery Manzara Perspectives in Istanbul. Submission date is August 31.  For more information and to find out how to send in your zine, follow the link – Even My Mum Can Make  a Book