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Teen Blog

Reading, Wellington, and whatever else – teenblog@wcl.govt.nz

Month: June 2013

New Zealand Post Book Awards

This week the winners of the New Zealand Post Book Awards were announced, and a YA book took out the main prize. Well done that book!

Winner of the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award, and the Best Young Adult Fiction Award:

Into the River, Ted Dawe. “When Te Arepa Santos is dragged into the river by a giant eel, something happens that will change the course of his whole life. The boy who struggles to the bank is not the same one who plunged in, moments earlier. He has brushed against the spirit world, and there is a price to be paid; an utu to be exacted. Years later, far from the protection of whanau and ancestral land he finds new enemies. This time, with on-one to save him, there is a decision to be made.. he can wait on the bank, or leap forward into the river.” (goodreads.com)

Winging Your Way Through The Weekend, 22-23 June

This weekend marks the halfway point in the solar year. We’re halfway around the sun and a few days out from being halfway to Christmas. Friday night is the longest one of the year and it means from this point on the days are going to start getting longer again. Sending a wi-five at you right now, congratulations you’ve made it. It’s the winter solstice which means, among other things, that our half of the world is as far away from the sun it’s going to get this year. In the day bringer’s absence though the moon has crept on in and will be at perigee or the closest it’s going to get this year-you may have caught wind of a super moon coming, that’s it (BYO cape and Lycra). Another thing you’d have noticed is that your chances of getting a glimpse of the night sky are pretty slim at the moment so in the stars absence here are some space pictures from Today I Learned Something New. Astronomy!

Here’s what’s happening about the town this weekend:

In film Wellington based Inspiring Stories will be screening a selection of short films made by young kiwis. They are a selection of inspiring documentary-style films of varying length and topics from global to local. Saturday at Crossways Community Centre in Mount Vic. Down on Taranaki Street Square Eyes and The Film Archive will be co-hosting an Around The World Matinee screening of films just young folk.

Got some physical energy to burn? Generation Zero will be running “The Race” from Newtown to the CBD – simply it’s your chance to race against a whole bunch of other folks with any method of transport you want!  New Zealand pro-wrestling is stopping by to host Brooklyn Brawl.

In events the Wellington Toy and Die Cast Fair is on as is the Wellington leg of the Careers Expo.

LUX Wellington are throwing together a Time Warp flashmob. It’s just a jump to the left. Want to see some dance not be some dance? Head to the City Gallery and have a gander at Footnote Dance’s “taster series”.

It’s still Matariki and the good folks at Tapu Te Ranga Marae have a shindig on to celebrate the season.

Need some new music? Jagwar Ma . Off their new album Howlin here’s Man I Need.

Winging Your Way Through The Weekend, 13-14 June

This weeks weekend is all about the stars, every pun intended. It’s official Matariki celebrations have started and as a continuation from last weekend there are a host of events about the town to keep us all entertained.

Like any good New Year shindig Matariki’s all about reflecting on the year that has past and ushering in, hopefully, an even better one. While looking back and forward can mean a whole lot of different things to all of us the spirit of the season is to come together, share and celebrate. So with that in mind here’s a run down of Matariki inspired events to get us out and about with our municipal kinfolk.

As usual our shiny waterfront centrepiece Te Papa has a plethora of things on. They’re putting on a concert series with some great artists appearing Friday night including; Whirimako Black, Mihirangi and J & his geeks for all you NZ’s Got Talent fans. A clebration of the last year in New Zealand film making will happen on Sunday under the moniker of Matariki Film Festival: Whanau Shorts 2013. A Matariki craft village will also pop up on Saturday in the foyer to showcase a wide range of crafts for all you bohemian folk. This year there is an emphasis on navigation and it could be a great time for all you young adventurers to scrub up on South Pacific exploration.

Just outside Te Papa there will also be waka tours on Saturday.

One of our other swell museums, the Museum of Wellington: City & Sea is currently running an exhibition celebrating the creativity of us all here at Te Upoko o Te Ika a Maui (the head of Maui’s fish).

If you’d prefer something a bit more literary and find yourself over the age of 15 Patricia Grace’s Tu has been adapted by Hone Kouka and is running at Circa Theatre.

Want to hang with stars in another way? Author Mal Peet will be popping into the Central Library on Sunday to run a special one off creative writing course for young writers.

In sport the local roller derby girls meet again in TSB for a bout between Smash Malice & Brutal Pageant.

If you’ve tuned in to find something for your playlist this week why not try Portugal. The Man. Off of their new album Evil Friends here’s ‘Atomic Man’. Happy weekend!

Winging Your Way Through The Weekend, 8-9 June

What up! Another weekend looms and here’s some sweet stuff to do with it.

No doubt you’ve heard about The Great Gatsby (a lot) by now, it feels like they’ve been building hype for eternity. It’s finally here and it looks pretty suave! (Rated M)

But did you know it was a book first? Sure was, it’s an American Classic by one great F. Scott Fitzgerald. Also, it’s not The GG’s first dance across the silver screen.

Matariki 2013 celebrations start up in Poneke with the arrival of waka Te Matau a Maui. There’s a calender load of events to keep you busy over the next few weeks of the Maori new year celebration.

Sporty peepz!  The Championship Tournament of the Woman’s Basketball League is at Te Rauparaha Arena over at neighb’s Porirua. Maori ball game Ki o Rahi will have a Matariki special in Waitangi Park from 6pm Friday night (brought to you by body R2R).

The other big thing this weekend is our (Wellington’s) Jazz Festival. Before you scoff take note, Jazz is the original bad boy of music. You can thank it for paving the way to all our modern jams and the term “hipster”. Appreciate. There is a caps worthy TONNE of events going down for it. One pretty special looking one is the pop up jams planned for the city streets Friday and Saturday – keep your eyes peeled.

Shakespeare fans beware this Globe On Screen viewing at Lighthouse Cinema (a nice follow up to the recent Sheila Winn festivities).

Feeling exhausted yet?

Here’s a diddy for the weekend playlist. Lorde’s most recent ‘Tennis Court’. Peace!
Tennis Court by LordeMusic

Free Writing Workshop with Mal Peet

Mal Peet, award-winning author of Tamar, Exposure, and Life: An Unexploded Diagram is in Wellington this month, and he’ll be the guest star at a free, one-off workshop at the central library. The details are:

Sunday 16 June, 1 to 4pm
Wellington Central Library
To register, email sarah@bookcouncil.org.nz

“Most of us learn to write by stealing from other writers. This event is an invitation to aspiring writers to do some serious shoplifting.” (Mal Peet)