Blog Archives
Pity about the people
An excerpt from Too Many Cooks, a novel by Renée. Belle Vista was beautifully located on top of a hill looking out over Wellington Harbour. There were three pine trees artfully placed around the hill so the view wasn”t too…
Risk, C K Stead
An extract from C K Stead’s new novel. It was in December that Tom Roland was at home standing in front of the television set thinking about travel. The memory of a poem had set him off on this track.…
The Luminaries, Eleanor Catton
An extract from Eleanor Catton’s new novel. Mercury in Sagittarius (January 27, 1866) The 12 men congregated in the smoking-room of the Crown Hotel gave the impression of a party accidentally met. For all their variety of comportment and dress…
Afterwards, Sue McCauley
Work in progress The viewing An excerpt from the novel Afterwards by Sue McCauley. So much to do, thought Briar, a little inanely, since other people were doing it for her. But she was in charge, they sought her opinions,…
Walking with McCahon, Martin Edmond
In this extract from Dark Night, Martin Edmond retraces the steps of Colin McCahon, who, on April 11 1984, went missing in Sydney’s Royal Botanical Gardens and was not found again for 36 hours. I actually made the walk from…
Work in progress — David Geary
Up the river David Geary comes to grips with Mark Twain in Maoriland. I have two wives. They met on a Canadian canoe trip down the W(h)anganui River in 2002. It was not a good scene. A Canadian canoe is…
The nicknaming, David Geary
New fiction Every year has a Snozz = big nose, a Bones = skinny, BO = smelly, and a Cheebie Whopper. A cheebie is a chin. To be a true Cheebie Whopper you need a massive jaw, like Clutch Cargo,…
From ‘Somebodies and Nobodies’, Brian Turner
From Somebodies and Nobodies: Growing up in an extraordinary sporting family Vintage, $34.95, ISBN 1869415078 Soon after I arrived in Christchurch, so did the Beatles – pure coincidence. I donned my dark grey dufflecoat and lurked on the fringe of…
Lord Of The Wings, Witi Ihimaera
Lord Of The Wings (extract from forthcoming novel ) One day Karuhiruhi, chieftain of the large black seashag iwi, decided to leave his cliff-faced pah and travel throughout his coastal kingdom. His wife, Queen Kara, had just given birth…
Auto-archaeology, Martyn Sanderson
Work in progress What am I doing in New Zealand Books? It’s intimidatingly illustrious company, especially for someone who’s never written a book. So let me just try to describe as simply and accurately as possible what I am in…