Wellington author spotlight: Geoff Cochrane

Author image by Grant Maiden

A city’s image is always complex, and Wellington is no exception. For over 150 years it’s had to contend with being a capital city; being in the middle of the country; being on unstable ground. From these complexities an identity has emerged, what Lonely Planet described as “a little city with a big rep”. But beside this identity is another, more marginal Wellington, and one writer has been described as the “keeper of its keys”: Geoff Cochrane.

Public Relations

My barista asks me where he can find my books, and
I’m not exactly thrilled by this development. My barista
thinks I’m a great bloke, currently, and I don’t want him
reading my books and changing his mind.

Cochrane has lived in Wellington for most of his life. While he started writing at an early age, it wasn’t until Victoria University Press released Aztec Noon: Poems 1976-1992 that he first found a home at a mainstream publisher. He has gone on to win numerous awards, including the Janet Frame Prize for Poetry and a 2014 Laureate Award, as well as regular appearances in Best New Zealand Poems.

Despite these accolades, Cochrane’s work continues to evoke Wellington’s physical–and literary–boundaries. His latest poetry collection, RedEdits, takes the reader to the Warehouse in Rongotai, to A&E, to his barista. It reveals the butt of his cigarettes, a drop of his blood, a verandah in Levin.

Points of Interest

Sand and water make up 99% of fracking fluid.
Winston Churchill did without a close male friend.
Nembutal is the trade name of sodium pentobarbital.
Michelangelo completed his Pietà at the age of 25.

(According to Martin Amis, wars get old.
Get grizzled and smelly and rotten and mad,
and the bigger they are the faster they age.)

Cochrane’s writing has been called “one of the great pleasures” of New Zealand literature. Writer Pip Adam has described it as “a joy to me, a solace, a proof that art can be made in New Zealand which shows ourselves in new ways.” To discover this proof for yourself, check out RedEdits at Wellington City Libraries.

 

Irish author William Trevor dies

Syndetics book coverWilliam Trevor, the Irish author has died at 88 years. A prolific fiction writer, he was born in Ireland, and lived the later part of his life in England. His first novel was published in 1958, with 18 titles following. He also published 18 short story collections, 6 plays and 3 works of non-fiction. He won the Hawthornden Prize for literature in 1964 for his novel titled The Old Boys. He won the Whitbread Prize three times, and was nominated for the Booker Prize five times. He won the American short story O. Henry Award four times. His last published novel, titled Love and Summer was published in 2009.

Highly Acclaimed New Zealand writer James McNeish has died

Syndetics book coverIt is with great sadness the death of James McNeish was announced. He was one of New Zealand’s most prolific writers of fiction, non-fiction, plays, essays, articles and reviews. His first novel, titled Mackenzie was published in 1970 and his eighth, titled The Crime of Huey Dunstan was published on 2010. In 2010 he was awarded the Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Come and Write-In! It’s NaNoWriMo 2016

Nanowrimo 2016 bannerNovember is now well established as Nanowrimo, the National Novel Writing Month  at Wellington Libraries.

Due to popular and renewed demand from a creative and diverse community of budding and seasoned writers who are preparing for another 50,000 word novel challenge this November we are making space available again this year to foster the creative process and much needed peer support.
Those who took part the previous years, will find their familiar spaces on the ground floor and first floor of the Central Library.

For those new to this creative challenge, join a dedicated and welcoming group who will support you on the way to that 50,000 word goal!

And when you publish that book, be sure to tell us it was born here!

Saturdays 5-26 Nov, 1-4pm in the HQCBD rooms on the ground floor (under the escalators).

Note: On Saturday 26 November, extra space will be available in the Mezzanine room (Clarke’s café’s level)

Sundays 6-27 Nov, 1-4pm on the north west end of the first floor (click on map below)1ST FLOOR MAPa

 

 

American author wins 2016 Man Booker prize

Syndetics book coverThe 2016 Man Booker prize had been won by American author Paul Beatty with his novel titled The Sellout, a scathing satirical novel about racial politics in America. This is the first time an America has won this prestigious prize in the prize’s 48 year history.
Born in 1962, Paul Beatty lives in New York and has had two works of poetry and three other novels published, with The Sellout being awarded 2016 National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction.

Harry Harrison (1925-2012)

Syndetics book coverThe American science fiction writer Harry Harrison has died aged 87. A prolific writer, he began his literary career writing for American comics and Science Fiction Magazines. His first novel Deathworld was published in 1960, 58 novels were to follow, also 9 collections of short stories, plus novellas, and non-fiction works. He edited numerous Science Fiction anthologies, many with fellow writer Brian Aldiss. His most well know novels were, The Stainless Steel Rat, Bill, the Galactic Hero and Deathworld, all series. All these novels are satirical and witty. Harry Harrison, was a dedicated advocate for the international language Esperanto, and includes some in his early novels. His last novel titled, The Stainless Steel Rat Returns was published in 2010.