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NZSA TOP OF THE SOUTH NEWS
12 December 2014
Send Top of the South news to Chrissie Ward at or phone 03-546-9818. Let me know about meetings, coming events, book launches, new publications, literary successes, etc. Paid advertisements are accepted at a modest cost. Don’t forget to tell me if you change your
email address. Past newsletters are archived for four weeks on our website www.topwriters.co.nz
2015 PAGE & BLACKMORE SHORT STORY COMPETITION
The 2015 national short story competition sponsored by Page & Blackmore Booksellers of Nelson is open for entries.
The closing date is 15 April 2015, which should allow us to announce the results at next year’s branch AGM. As in previous years, the word limit is 1500 words and an entry fee of $20 guarantees a written assessment of each story.
The judge this year is Ted Dawe, who writes fiction for young adults. His first novel Thunder Road (2003) and its prequel Into the River (2012) have both won awards at the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children & Young Adults, in 2004 and 2013 respectively. His book of short stories Captain Sailor Bird and Other Stories was published in 2007.
‘These days I am the Director of Studies at a foundation college in Auckland, Taylors College,’ Ted says. ‘Writing is something that has always been there for me, beginning as a keen letter writer, then a writer of plays and musicals at schools, and then attempting to write novels that would drag in “reluctant” readers.’
Ted was a recipient of NZSA’s 2014 Waitangi Day Awards, given for outstanding achievement in literary endeavours.
The full conditions of entry and entry form for the 2015 Page & Blackmore Short Story Competition can be downloaded from the branch’s website, www.topwriters.co.nz
GIVE HORIZONS FOR CHRISTMAS
Thinking about entering the 2015 Page & Blackmore Short Story Competition? Read the stories that were winners and shortlisted in the 2013 and 2012 competitions in the Top of the South branch’s anthology Horizons: Poems and Stories. It also contains 30 of the poems that have been displayed in the window of the Nelson Provincial Museum. Horizons makes a Christmas present full of great reading, one with a Top of the South flavour and is easy to post. There’s still time!
Book reviewer and event coordinator Jacquetta Bell said of the anthology: “There are stories to laugh at, poems to muse over, concepts that will resonate with your own experiences and new ideas to ponder. Throughout, the writing is competent and ambitious – these writers are not afraid to tackle some big subjects.”
Horizons: Poems and Stories is available from the branch for only $20 plus P&P. To order, contact Chrissie at
GOLDEN BAY LIVE POETS
The next meeting of Golden Bay Live Poets on Thursday 18 December features guest poet Rose Michel von Dreger.
Originally from Prince Edward Island in Canada, Rose moved to Golden Bay eight years ago. She was part of the Poets in the Schools programme in the States and has taught poetry workshops in Takaka. Her poetry has been broadcast on Fresh FM and published in Canadian journals.
GB Live Poets takes place at the Mussel Inn, Onekaka. The evening starts around 7.30 pm with some music from Golden Bay singer/songwriter Michael Southern. An open mike session will precede Rose, who will take the stage around 7.45 pm. After a break the second open mike session will start from 8.30 pm. Open mike participants can register on the night. Koha entry. For more information contact Mark Raffills on 027 2154 969.
NELSON ROMANCE WRITERS’ CHRISTMAS NEWS
The Nelson branch of Romance Writers of NZ held their end of year celebration on Saturday 6 December. Convenor Annika Ohlson-Smith sends this photo and report on the occasion.
‘Our Xmas lunch was at the Founders Park Café and we decided to dress up into something romantic and/or old fashioned, with great results. Santina turned up this year too, and dished out well-deserved pressies to all hardworking romance writing girls. The parcels contained hand-painted champagne glasses bought at Nelson’s wonderful Hospice Shop. The picture shows, from left: Donna Capil, Lorna Croft, Jacquie Davis, Annika Ohlson-Smith, LaVerne Clark, Jean Gorman, Cherie Skinner, Wendy Scott, Trish Peers-Adams, Shirley Dunne, Judy Tregurtha, Sue Berryman and Sheree Davidson. Nine others were unfortunately unable to come.
‘The theme for this year’s Romance Writers Christmas Tree is “LOVE makes the world go round”. Hence there are not only hearts as decorations, but also globes. Our poster combines the two, i.e. a heart-shaped globe! This year’s colours are red and silver/white. As usual we had great fun creating the decorations at our November meeting. Our next meeting will the on Saturday 14 February 2015.’
The Festival of Christmas Trees at Nelson Cathedral runs until 22 December. Take a break and admire the thirty-one beautifully-decorated trees. Entry to the Cathedral is free, but donations are welcome.
MEMBER PROFILES NEEDED FOR THE BRANCH WEBSITE
We hope you have had a look at the new branch website – www.topwriters.co.nz. Any feedback and suggestions would be welcome while we continue to work on it.
In particular, we invite our members to have their profiles in the Member Profiles section. There are a few up there already, but we would like to see lots more. They are a way of getting to know each other, and are particularly useful if you are looking for someone else in your geographical area or working in the same genre. Profiles also offer a valuable (and free) means of promoting your publications, particularly any new books.
What we need is:
· Short biography (maximum 200 words) including the area where you live, your writing history, writing aims, any publications
· Head & shoulders photograph of you (jpg image)
· Link to your website, if you have one
· Links to any E-publication sites
· Send the above to or
Don’t worry if you don’t have a website or a long list of publications – we would still like to meet you! The profiles on the website will be replacing the ‘Featured Writer’ and ‘Introducing New Member’ items that have been appearing in the newsletter, so it’s even more important that as many people as possible take advantage of this opportunity. We look forward to hearing from you.
WELL DONE, PAULA!
Blenheim member Paula Bayley recently published a children's book of tongue twisters/alliteration, One Old Ox Opening Oysters. She shares this news update.
‘I was delighted to receive this email from Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Agency (SBPRA) in Texas stating that I am their "Author of the Month”, and as they have over 500 authors that have had books published by them, I am feeling pretty special. I have received a large weatherproof colour poster ofthe book cover and advertising leaflets to follow, to help with further marketing.
‘I have decided to share my good news with you all and give you the opportunity to order books from me at $17.00 or $19.00 each, mailed anywhere in time for Christmas.’
SBPRA: https://www.facebook.com/134445479968705/posts/783081305105116/
https://twitter.com/SBPRA/status/542010958299009024
AMI: https://www.facebook.com/authormarketingideas/posts/840030599350595
https://twitter.com/AuthorIdeas/status/542011057456570368
You can also view it on You Tube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mokQFTMFp4&feature=youtu.be
POETRY IN THE NELSON MUSEUM WINDOW
Each month a poem is displayed in the window of Nelson Provincial Museum. The December poem is Onetahua (Farewell Spit) by Bergrún Anna Stocker.
Because the Hardy Street windows are being used for war displays, the poems are displayed in the Trafalgar Street window. The war poem which will be displayedin the ongoing war commemoration exhibition upstairs is Leaving by Anne Barrett.
Carol Ercolano is always looking for poems suitable for the window. Theme: preferably reflecting the Top of the South, although it is more important to display poems that people passing by and stopping to read can readily identify with. The museum is also involved inthe selection process.
Length: preferably not more than 30 lines, asthe lettering can become too small to be read comfortably from the footpath. However, an extract from a longer poem could be displayed as lines from .... If you would like a poem of yours considered for the window, send a selection of up to three as attachments to Carol Ercolano at