Bestselling books at Anzac weekend
NONFICTION
1 No Words for This by Ali Mau (HarperCollins, $39.99)
2 Everyday Comfort Food by Vanya Insull (Allen & Unwin, $39.99)
3 Three Wee Bookshops at the End of the World by Ruth Shaw (Allen & Unwin, $39.99)
4 Retirement Ready by Martin Hawes (Upstart Press, $39.99)
5 Northbound by Naomi Arnold (HarperCollins, $39.99)
A free copy of the best book of the year so far is up for grabs in this week's giveaway contest. The author tells of her long journey of the soul as she walks the Te Araroa trail; to enter, share a story about a walk, or tramp, or somesuch perambulation, which really took it out of you, which maybe defeated you or delivered you unto bliss, which was a walk among the stars. Send your traveller's tale to stephen11@xtra.co.nz with the subject line in screaming caps NAOMI WALKS THE EARTH AND SO DID I, by midnight on Sunday, April 28.
Last week's giveaway was a copy of the year's most beautiful illustrated coffeetable book, Central Otago Couture by Jane Malthus & Claire Regnault & Derek Henderson (Te Papa Press, $70). Photographed by Derek Henderson, Central Otago Couture exhibits the amazing collection of Otago farmer Eden Hore, who in 1975 opened a museum (an old tractor shed) on his farm in the tussocked hills of the Mānaiatoto to display more than 220 high-end fashion garments.
Readers were asked to send in a photo of themselves or someone in their life wearing something absolutely fabulous. It was a very popular contest. I saw things I cannot unsee. But they included visions of loveliness, such as Madeleine wearing one of her mother's many 1970s Kaftans, made from furnishing fabric, completed with a rabbit fur bonnet; Tracey's daughter Devon modelling in Dunedin's Fashion Week in an outfit with floor-length sleeves; and Gloria, uncannily reincarnated as Marilyn Monroe to sing happy birthday to her husband on his 80th birthday.
But the winner is Jessie, who wrote, 'I bought this dress at a jumble sale in the North of England around 1970. It is bias-cut crepe. I used to wear it to concerts at the Manchester Free Trade Hall – King Crimson, Led Zeppelin… My life took a lot of turns, and after cruising on a yacht for a couple of decades, I washed up in the Bay of Islands, and have lived here longer than anywhere else. Sixteen years ago I returned to the UK for my mother's funeral. When my sister & I were cleaning out Mum's attic we discovered the dress – the only item of my clothing not to have been chucked out. After 50+ years it still fits, and I wore it recently to a friend's 80th birthday party.'
Huzzah to Jessie; she wins a free copy of Central Otago Couture by Jane Malthus & Claire Regnault & Derek Henderson. And here she is, a vision of bias-cut crepe loveliness.
6 Rich Enough? (2025 Ed) by Mary Holm (HarperCollins, $39.99)
7 High Heels and Gumboots by Rebecca Hayter (HarperCollins, $39.99)
8 The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour & Jude Dobson (Allen & Unwin, $37.99)
9The Good Life by Gillian Swinton (Allen & Unwin, $45)
10 Aroha by Hinemoa Elder (Penguin Random House, $30)
FICTION
1 Tea and Cake and Death (The Bookshop Detectives 2) by Gareth and Louise Ward (Penguin Random House, $38)
2 Black Silk and Buried Secrets (Tatty Crowe 2) by Deborah Challinor (HarperCollins, $37.99)
3 See How They Fall by Rachel Paris (Hachette, $37.99)
4 Dead Girl Gone (The Bookshop Detectives 1, B-Format) by Gareth and Louise Ward (Penguin Random House, $26)
5 Sea Change by Jenny Pattrick (David Bateman, $37.99)
The author will write about recent developments in Denniston – her novel Denniston Rose is among the biggestselling works of fiction ever published in New Zealand – next week in ReadingRoom.
6 Tree of Nourishment (Kāwai 2) by Monty Soutar (David Bateman, $39.99)
7 The Secrets of Maiden's Cove by Erin Palmisano (Hachette, $37.99)
8 Dead Girl Gone (The Bookshop Detectives 1) by Gareth and Louise Ward (Penguin Random House, $38)
9 Kataraina by Becky Manawatu (The Cuba Press, $37)
10 Kāwai: For Such a Time as This (Kāwai 1) by Monty Soutar (David Bateman, $39.99)
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The Spinoff
04-06-2025
- The Spinoff
All the finalists in the 2025 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults
Announcing all the books – and their authors, illustrators, translators and publishers – in the running for this year's New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. The winter months are an apt time to celebrate the creators of books that feed future creators of books. With long nights and days punctuated by weather, here's an opportunity to gather around the best Aotearoa has to offer and their promises of armchair adventure. There were 156 entries to the awards this year (slightly down on 2024's 176). The judging panels were assisted by 450 reviews submitted by school students from 51 schools around Aotearoa. Among this year's finalists are books that, according to convenor of judges Feana Tu'akoi, present 'big ideas from our past, present and possible dystopian futures are considered in absorbing and thoughtful ways, providing springboards for deeper discussion. Themes include identity, connection, mental health, our histories, traditional wisdom, indigenous languages, and the importance of being exactly who we are.' Before we dive into some analysis of each category, a recap of what they are and the monies attached. There are six categories: Picture Book, Junior Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Non-Fiction, Illustration and te reo Māori. Winners are announced at a ceremony at Pipitea Marae in Wellington on August 13 and will each take home $8,500. Of those winners, one will be named the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year and will receive an extra $8,500. The Best First Book prize winner gets $2,500. The Bookhub Picture Book Award finalists Ten Nosey Weka by Kate Preece, illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāi Tahu) (Bateman Books) Titiro Look by Gavin Bishop (Tainui, Ngāti Awa), translated by Darryn Joseph (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Rereahu) (Gecko Press, Lerner Publishing Group) You Can't Pat a Fish by Ruth Paul (Walker Books Australia) Picture books are an artistic collaboration. Words, text, design and format all have to work together perfectly. These finalists are all pros. Gavin Bishop, Ruth Paul, Juliette MacIver have all been here before, as have illustrators Lily Uivel and Isobel Joy Te Aho-White. Kate Preece is new to the awards with her first-of-a-kind counting book revolving around those curious, sneaky wee birds, the weka. In this interview with The Sapling, Preece explains how the book is tri-lingual and is the first to include Ta rē Moriori, the indigenous language of Rēkohu, where Preece now lives. Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Junior Fiction Award finalists Brown Bird by Jane Arthur (Penguin Random House New Zealand) Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat by Li Chen (Penguin Random House New Zealand) The Apprentice Witnesser by Bren MacDibble (Allen & Unwin) The Raven's Eye Runaways by Claire Mabey (Allen & Unwin) V iolet and the Velvets: The Case of the Missing Stuff by Rachael King, illustrated by Phoebe Morris (Allen & Unwin) This is all very … strange, for me. I love writing. I love writing novels for young readers because at heart I am still a young reader. It's extremely odd to be writing with this books editor hat on about this award with my author hat on. But the books editor is saying well done to the author and the author is chuffed (if not quite awkward). Mostly because of the company my first novel is keeping here. Back for the second year in a row is the unstoppable Rachael King (who was also a finalist in 2024 for The Grimmelings); I adored Jane Arthur's self-described 'quiet novel' about a character who now looms large in my mind. Bren MacDibble is an absolute powerhouse writer whose work is admirable for its voice, its world building and its control. And Li Chen's Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat has stunning visual worldbuilding and a cute as leading cat. Note the mystery theme: definitely a trend I've noticed in international publishing. Young readers love intrigue just as much as anyone! Young Adult Fiction Award finalists Bear by Kiri Lightfoot, illustrated by Pippa Keel Situ (Allen & Unwin) Gracehopper by Mandy Hager (One Tree House) Migration by Steph Matuku (Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Mutunga) (Huia Publishers) The Mess of Our Lives by Mary-Anne Scott (One Tree House) The Paradise Generation by Sanna Thompson (umop apisdn press) Writing for young adults is a tall order. Young adults (otherwise known as teenagers) can be a tough crowd. What all of these books do is simply tell a story, build worlds, with teenage protagonists at the heart of them. Kiri Lightfoot's Bear is akin to acclaimed Patrick Ness novel, A Monster Calls, in that it uses a metaphoric beast to represent Jasper's rage, fear and consuming emotional undertow. Steph Matuku (no stranger to these awards) has written a brilliant dystopian sci-fi that reflects our present-day conflicts all too well. The Mess of Our Lives by Mary-Anne Scott is a story of overcoming an extremely challenging home life; while Mandy Hager (also no stranger to these awards) has written a story that centres on themes of identity and inclusion. First-time author Sanna Thompson is the wild card here: you can read an excerpt from The Paradise Generation over on Kete Books. Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction Finalists Black Magic by David Riley, illustrated by Munro Te Whata (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou, Makefu) (Reading Warrior) Dear Moko: Māori Wisdom for our Young Ones by Hinemoa Elder (Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kurī, Ngāi Takoto, Ngāpuhi nui tonu) (Penguin Random House New Zealand) Ruru: Night Hunter by Katie Furze, illustrated by Ned Barraud (Scholastic New Zealand) The Treaty of Waitangi / Te Tiriti o Waitangi by Ross Calman (Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Raukawa, Kāi Tahu) (Oratia Books) Tui Pea Luva by Mele Tonga Grant, illustrated by Luca Walton (Mila's Books) Huge names! These books are so crucial for education at home and at school: they condense complex subjects and present them in fluid, learnable ways via text, image and design. I love Ruru: Night Hunter for its immersive journey through the nightlife of our little owls. Ross Calman's The Treaty of Waitangi | Te Tiriti o Waitangi is extremely useful: highly illustrated, clearly written, an all-ages text, really. Mila's Books are the only all-Pasifika publishing house in the world and they consistently put out books made by and for Pasifika children and families. Tui Pea Luva is Grant's poetry collection which passes down the wisdom of Pasifika women. David Riley's Reading Warrior is a multi-faceted organisation that publishes books, creates projects in collaboration with communities, runs workshops and puts student writing into print. Black Magic continues Reading Warrior's focus on sporting heroics with the story of how we got our all black uniforms with a silver fern. Russell Clark Award for Illustration Alice and the Strange Bird by Isaac du Toit (Isaac du Toit) Hineraukatauri me Te Ara Pūoro, illustrated by Rehua Wilson (Te Aupouri, Te Rarawa), written by Elizabeth Gray (Ngāti Rēhia, Ngāti Uepōhatu, Tama Ūpoko ki te awa tipua, Ngāti Tūwharetoa anō hoki) (Huia Publishers) Poem for Ataahua, illustrated by Sarah Wilkins, written by Alistair Te Ariki Campbell (Reading Warrior) Sad Sushi, Anna Aldridge (Anna Aldridge) You Can't Pat a Fish by Ruth Paul (Walker Books Australia) It's always amazing to me how illustrators find angles, perspectives, and wordless narratives that bring a text to life. Sarah Wilkins' illustrations for Poem for Ataahua first caught my eye on Instagram: they're stunning, ethereal. Wilkins is longlisted for the World Illustration Awards 2025 for this same work (selected from 5000 entries from 81 countries). I also adore Ruth Paul's bold style: there's such comedy in the images that work so well with Paul's rollicking rhyme (hard to do but Paul does it so well). Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award Finalists A Ariā me te Atua o te Kūmara by Witi Ihimaera (Te Whānau a Kai, Rongowhakaata, Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Ngāti Porou), illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāi Tahu), translated by Hēni Jacob (Ngāti Raukawa) (Penguin Random House New Zealand) *Hineraukatauri me Te Ara Pūoro by Elizabeth Gray (Ngāti Rēhia, Ngāti Uepōhatu, Tama Ūpoko ki te awa tipua, Ngāti Tūwharetoa anō hoki), illustrated by Rehua Wilson (Te Aupouri, Te Rarawa) (Huia Publishers) Ka mātoro a Whetū rāua ko Kohu i Rotorua by Hayley Elliott-Kernot, translated by Te Ingo Ngaia (Taranaki, Ngāruahine, Te Ātiawa, Waikato-Maniapoto, Ngāti Whakaue, Te Whānau-a-Karuai ) (Round Door Design) Ko ngā Whetū Kai o Matariki, ko Tupuānuku rāua ko Tupuārangi by Miriama Kamo (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mutunga), illustrated by Zak Waipara (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Ruapani, Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongowhakaata), translated by Ariana Stevens (Poutini Ngāi Tahu) (Scholastic New Zealand) * Ngā Kupenga a Nanny Rina by Qiane Mataa-Sipu (Te Waiohua, Waikato, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Pikiao, Cook Islands), illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāi Tahu) (Penguin Random House New Zealand) * Indicates a finalist book originally written in te reo Māori A specialist judging panel was enlisted to analyse the merits of these books either translated into te reo Māori or originally written in te reo Māori. Many familiar names here including Mirama Kamo and Zak Waipara (who were finalists in 2019 for Ngā Whetū Matariki i Whānakotia, translated by Ngaere Roberts); and Witi Ihimaera and Isobel Joy Te Aho-White who were finalists in 2023 with Te Kōkōrangi: Te Aranga o Matariki (translated by Hēni Jacob). NZSA Best First Book Award Finalists Brave Kāhu and the Pōrangi Magpie by Shelley Burne-Field (Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Rārua, Te Ātiawa, Sāmoa) (Allen & Unwin) Play Wild by Rachel Clare (Bateman Books) The Raven's Eye Runaways by Claire Mabey (Allen & Unwin) The Witch of Maketu and the Bleating Lambs by Anika Moa (Ngāpuhi, Te Aupōuri), illustrated by Rebecca ter Borg (Penguin Random House New Zealand) The Writing Desk by Di Morris (Bateman Books) I don't think many of us on this list ever expected to see our names alongside queen Anika Moa. I loved her book based on the character in her superbly creepy song. Shelley Burne-Field is a gorgeous writer (you can read about why she writes for children on The Spinoff). Di Morris' The Writing Desk is a stunning graphic account of the lives of colonial women; and Rachel Clare's Play Wild is a guide to having little adventures outside (reminiscent of Giselle Clarkson's The Observologist, though more geared towards using natural materials to aid imaginative play). Thanks to the English and bilingual judging panel: Convenor of judges Feana Tu'akoi, a Kirikiriroa-based writer; Don Long, a children's and educational publishing expert; Linda Jane Keegan, a Singaporean-Pākehā writer and reviewer; Stacy Gregg (Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāti Pukeko, Ngāti Maru Hauraki), recipient of the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year at the 2024 NZCYA awards; and Mero Rokx (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Tai), an education specialist who is on the English-language and bilingual panel, as well as Te Kura Pounamu panel. And to the panel judging te reo Māori entries: Convenor Mat Tait (Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Rangitāne o Wairau, Ngāti Kuia), a freelance artist, illustrator, writer and te reo Māori tutor based in the Motueka area; Justice-Manawanui Arahanga-Pryor (Ngāti Awa ki Rangitaiki, Ngāti Uenuku, Ngāti Rangi, Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki), a kaitakawaenga / library programming specialist; and Maxine Hemi (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu, Rangitāne), a kaiako with over 30 years' experience teaching. And praise be for those who make the awards possible: Creative New Zealand, HELL Pizza, the Wright Family Foundation, LIANZA Te Rau Herenga o Aotearoa, Wellington City Council, BookHub presented by Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand, New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa, the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, the Mātātuhi Foundation, and NielsenIQ BookData. The Awards are administered by the New Zealand Book Awards Trust Te Ohu Tiaki i Te Rau Hiringa.
NZ Herald
18-05-2025
- NZ Herald
Te Puke, Ōmanu Beach featured in UK author Claire Frances' debut novel
'I came to New Zealand in October 2003 and left in April 2004.' Frances returned to England, where she lives in Dartmoor in Devon, but the memories of Te Puke and Ōmanu Beach remained. The relationship with her then-boyfriend ended and Frances moved into a shared house, where she would borrow her landlord's computer to write stories and keep herself busy. 'I remember sitting there thinking,' Oh, my God, I love this feeling'.' A passion and desire to write overtook her and she pursued her writing dream, inspired by Cecelia Ahern, author of PS, I Love You, which HarperCollins had published. 'I just remember thinking, I want that.' After attempting a career in print journalism, Frances decided to pursue a master's in professional writing, specialising in fiction, at a British university. 'I had to produce 15,000 words of a novel at the end of this course, which I did, and I went away, and I was like, right, I'm going to finish this book.' Then life got in the way, Frances married and had kids. Subsequent rewrites led to that book's disbandment. After pitching another book to literary agents, she connected with Mushens Entertainment in London and was offered representation. Frances's dream came true when she signed a two-book deal with HarperCollins, following in the footsteps of the Irish author Ahern in October 2023. Frances said half of the book is set in New Zealand, and significant scenes occur in Te Puke and Mount Maunganui. 'The book is about a young woman living in rural Ireland called Pearl, and she has extreme OCD,' Frances said. Not only did Frances draw from her time in New Zealand, but Pearl, the central character, also shares her mental health challenges. 'I have OCD, so I drew on my own experiences with OCD and turned them into fiction,' Frances said. The book will be published in June, with a New Zealand release date yet to be revealed. It can be preordered on Amazon and has also been sent to various production houses for a book-to-screen deal. Frances also got a separate publishing deal in the Netherlands and the book will be translated into Dutch.
NZ Herald
13-05-2025
- NZ Herald
Auckland Writers Festival special: Ruth Shaw's Three Wee Bookshops at the End of the World extract
To celebrate the 2025 Auckland Writers Festival, we've teamed up with some New Zealand publishers to showcase some of the authors who will be on stage over the festival weekend. This extract is from Three Wee Bookshops at the End of the World by Ruth Shaw. Shaw will appear in
