Anita Shreve has died, aged 71

Syndetics book coverThe literary world will be a much sadder place after the announcement of the death of Anita Shreve. Syndetics book coverShe was a very popular, internationally acclaimed, bestselling author. Before becoming a full time novelist she was a teacher and a journalist. She really came into the public arena with “The weight of water” published in 1997 which was shortlisted for the Orange Prize and turned into a film by Oscar winning director Kathryn Bigelow. Her most recent novel was “The stars are fire” published in 2017. Her books often revolved around the after effects of one single dramatic event and she liked to explore the subtleties of human relationships in often a highly nuanced and skilled fashion.

 

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.

Celia Lashlie, a legacy for social justice

Celia Lashlie, who was well known as a researcher and social commentator, died on the 16th February 2015 after a short illness. Celia’s work in social justice started in the probation service. In December 1985 she started as the first woman to work as a prison officer in a male prison in New Zealand and worked for the Prison Service for 15 years. Her last role for the Prison Service was at the Christchurch Women’s Prison as a manager. She left that position in September 1999.

She was well known for her talks on raising teenage boys, and on social justice issues and authored three books that are available here at Wellington City Libraries; The Journey to Prison: Who goes and why, He’ll Be Ok, Growing Gorgeous Boys into Good Men and The Power of Mothers: Releasing Our Children.  In September 2004, she completed the ‘Good Man’ project. The project aimed to create a working definition of what makes a good man in the 21st century.

Up until her illness she was working on projects linked to improving the lives of at-risk children and empowering families to find their own solutions to the challenges they face. Celia and her family hoped that this work would continue with public support and will be a testament to her great contribution to social justice and improving the lives of at-risk families, aiding the reduction of crime and poverty in this country and driven by her belief that “every child is born pure and filled with their own particular brand of magic”.

Celia had two children and three grandchildren.

Syndetics book coverThe journey to prison : who goes and why / Celia Lashlie.
‘There is a blond, angelic-faced five year old sitting in a classroom in New Zealand and he is coming to prison…on his way, he will probably kill someone.’ With these words Celia Lashlie caused a media storm that propeeled her into the headlines for weeks during 2001. Now she tells the story from her point of view, then goes on to look at the whole question of the origins issue of crime in New Zealand, the way we punish offenders, the effectiveness of prison (for both men and women), parental responsibility, the role of drugs, where education comes in and the role of state institutions. Underpinning her argument is the need for the community as a whole to take responsibility for the incidence of crime in our society. With her background as a prison officer in male prisons and manager of a female prison, Celia Lashlie is uniquely placed to offer both real facts and wise insights that will inform the often unenlightened debate about crime and punishment in New Zealand. (Abridged from back cover)

Syndetics book cover He’ll be OK : growing gorgeous boys into good men / Celia Lashlie.
“Adolescent boys – they seem to disappear into another world where they barely communicate and where fast cars, alcohol and drugs are constant temptations.  Will they survive to become good men?  How can parents and schools understand them and help them through this difficult and dangerous time?  Celia Lashlie has some of the answers.  After years of working in the prison service she knows what can happen when boys make the wrong choices.  She also knows what it is like to be a parent – she raised a son on her own and feared for his survival.  During the recent Good Man Project she talked to 180 classes of boys throughout New Zealand, and what she found was surprising, amusing , and in some cases, frightening.  In this funny, honest, no-nonsense book Celia Lashlie reveals what goes on inside the world of boys, and that it is an entirely different world from that of girls.  With clarity and insight she offers parents – especially mothers – practical and reassuring advice on raising their boys to become  good, loving, articulate men.”  (Abridged from back cover)

Syndetics book coverThe power of mothers : releasing our children / Celia Lashlie.
“A hard-hitting look at crime and criminal families and the women with the power to change things – if we let them. The Power of Mothers is a wake up call to voter and politician, parent and grandparent, social agency and lobby group alike. We must do more than build prisons to hold the children we fail – and we must start now.” (Abridged from back cover)

Crime Writer P. D. James has passed away

Syndetics book coverThe prolific English crime writer P. D. (Phyllis Dorothy) James has died aged 94. Winner of numerous awards and honours, her first novel, titled Cover her Face was published in 1962. This established her most popular character Adam Dalgliesh of New Scotland Yard, who featured in fourteen of her other crime novels.

P. D. James also wrote several miscellaneous novels, the most popular being a science fiction novel titled The Children of Men, published in 1992, and three works of non-fiction, with Time to be Earnest: a fragment of autobiography published in 1999. Fourteen of her novels were adapted for film and television.

Her most recent novel, Death comes to Pemberley, a murder mystery sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was published 2013.

South African writer Nadine Gordimer has died

Syndetics book coverThe South African writer Nadine Gordimer died recently aged 90. A prolific writer, she dealt with the racial and moral issues of apartheid, with two of her novels being banned in South Africa during the apartheid regime. Her first novel, The Lying Days, was published in 1953. Thirteen novels later her last was published in 2012, titled No Time like the Present, in which she explored an interracial marriage in the new free South Africa. She published over 200 short stories, in some 13 short story collections, and was highly acclaimed for her astute and forthright essays.
Nadine Gordimer received many prizes and awards, including the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1991 and the Booker Prize in 1974 for her novel, The Conservationist.