
‘We need to support New Zealand authors': Kirsten Le Harivel's books confessional
The book I wish I'd written
There are so many books I admire. As a writer, I wish I'd written Still Life by Sarah Winman. I really loved the way the story centred friendship.
Everyone should read
Books by New Zealand writers! That may sound clichéd but if we want a literary landscape, we need to support our authors by buying their books. There are so many local writers out there doing awesome stuff, in so many genres and set in so many places around this world and the next!
The book I want to be buried with
I want to be cremated. I feel quite uncomfortable about the idea of burning books, except perhaps my diaries! I have kept all the writing I've done since I was a teenager and I really don't like the idea of it escaping out into the world!
Fiction or nonfiction
Definitely fiction. I love its ability to take us out of the day-to-day and let us imagine new realities. I find fiction by Patricia Grace, Witi Ihimaera, Jenny Pattrick, Tina Makereti, Tīhema Baker and many other New Zealand writers helps me understand our history and its repercussions in contemporary Aotearoa.
The book I never admit I've read
Lol, as someone who works in the 'literary' sector, I always feel embarrassed that I have a major soft spot for cosy mysteries and magical romance. I think sometimes the industry can get snobby about what is 'good', but 'good' can be all kinds of things to all kinds of people. These genres I've discovered in the last couple of years when real life was complicated enough that escapism was absolutely what I needed.
If I could only read three books for the rest of my life they would be
This question makes me think of being left on a desert island and since I rarely read fiction books more than once (unless I'm reading them from a craft perspective), I would pick three very practical tomes on surviving in the wilderness. Books I'd never ordinarily read but I'm sure would be essential if I was stuck survivor-like somewhere!
Greatest New Zealand writer
There are so many more amazing New Zealand authors than I can realistically name so I'm going to mention two people who have had a big impact on my own writing journey.
Lynn Jenner who has the most incredible ability to make compelling what may seem mundane or every day. Like watching 'Search and Rescue' in Lost and Gone Away and the building of the Kāpiti Expressway in Peat.
Hinemoana Baker who was my first creative writing tutor. I still think of that class and how lucky I was to be a baby poet learning from her and all the other writers in that class including Renée, Natasha Dennerstein, Nicola Easthope and Sarah Delahunty. That class started me on my journey to become a poet.
Best thing about reading
Reading is my happy place! As my nine-year-old son says to me, it's a way to escape, especially when people are being annoying. It also allows you to imagine the lives of people who have different experiences than your own or to see your own experiences in a new light.
Best place to read
My children still want me to read to them so curled up on the couch or in bed with them is definitely one of my favourite places. I've been reading the whole School of Monsters series by Sally Rippin with my five-year-old, she loves them so much she dressed up as Mary at her school's annual book parade. Almost all the kids and the teachers had dressed up as different book characters, even the year 7s and 8s which gives me great hope for the next generation of readers! With my son, we're reading a George Mackay Brown short story collection I read as a child which is a lovely way to reconnect with my childhood and my birth country, Scotland.
What I'm reading right now
I am really busy working on the inaugural Bookmark Kāpiti so I'm reading a lot of what I think you'd call 'historical cosy mysteries'. I recently discovered several series set in India (where I lived for several years) by Sujata Massey, Vaseem Khan, Harini Nagendra. I enjoy being transported back to that country and time in my life via their books.
The Spinoff Books section is proudly brought to you by Unity Books and Creative New Zealand. Visit Unity Books online today.
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The Spinoff
20 hours ago
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‘I can still hear my mum reading it to me': Kate Preece on the power of picture books
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits of Aotearoa writers, and guests. This week: Kate Preece, author of Ten Nosey Weka (illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White) which is a finalist for the The BookHub Picture Book Award at the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. The book I wish I'd written Girl A by Abigail Dean. It is the type of thriller I would want my name on – not because of its (horrific) true crime-inspired subject matter, but because of the way everything you've learnt is turned on its head by the final page. Plus, the success story for this debut novel is every author's dream, from nine publishers competing for her manuscript at an auction, to Sony securing the screen rights. Everyone should read Small Great Things because of Jodi Picoult's character-building mastery. It is so uncomfortable to be placed in the mind of a white supremacist. He's just one character, in one of her many novels, but I remember him – or rather, I remember what he felt. I admit to being a late-comer to the Picoult fan club, but she (and Kristin Hannah) are now my go-to authors. The book I want to be buried with … hasn't been written yet. It will be the last one I ever read. It will be something worth reading, because it will take me on my final journey. Dystopia or utopia Dystopia, particularly when its reality is disturbingly imaginable – or when the concept makes you see things completely differently. I really enjoyed The Measure by Nikki Erlick, which pits eight people against their own mortality. Overnight, named boxes appear on every doorstep in the world, each containing a piece of string. The length of the string tells its owner how long they have left to live. From the choice of whether or not to open your box, through to the world's rapid development of prejudices in relation to life expectancies, I found the storyline very thought-provoking. Fiction or nonfiction Fiction, for my pleasure, but I believe nonfiction is a really powerful tool for children. Often, it can be what gets kids into reading – it satisfies their curiosity for the world around them, and they forget that they're actually reading. That's why I couldn't help myself from including facts in my books – did you know that the parea (Chatham Island wood pigeon) is a packet of biscuits heavier than a kererū? The book that haunts me There's a book that haunts me from my childhood. When the sun is setting and pink and blue colours are cast across the sky, I see this book. The problem is I have no idea what it's called! There are pink and a blue cloud parents (think 1980s), and a purple child. It was almost comic-like, and possibly within a collection of stories … Sometimes, I can see a red cover. So yes, haunted. The book that made me laugh Fox in Socks. A classic Dr Seuss tongue-twister, it's such a great read-aloud book. I have many fond memories of reading it to my children as quickly as humanly possible. The book that made me cry After a long spate of reading only Val McDermid's Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan series – so well written that the intensely gruesome crime scenes made sense (until you tried to relay them to someone else) – Where the Crawdads Sing moved me to tears. I am yet to see what the big-screen did to Delia Owens' bestseller, but something tells me that I don't want to. Greatest New Zealand book Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy. Lynley Dodd's clever use of rhyme, rhythm and repetition is something I aim to emulate, because it makes her writing so fun to read, and listen to. I have a weakness for Scarface Claw, too, but that's more because my son used to call him the 'toughest Tom in toe'. Greatest New Zealand writer The dearly beloved Margaret Mahy for all the treasures she's given generation after generation. When I think about 17 Kings and 42 Elephants I can hear my mum reading it to me. When there's a spider in the bathroom, I think about the scared lion from The Spider in the Shower. Then, for my children, it's A Lion in the Meadow they remember – especially as their mum is still known to respond with: 'Nonsense, little boy.' Best thing about reading It creates shared experiences. Books provide a common ground, enabling connection across all ages. Reading children's books together also influences family dialogues. Thanks to Ten Nosey Weka, my son always asks for biscuits using a number in ta rē Moriori, and I dearly hope similar things are happening in other areas of the motchu, too. Best place to read In an aeroplane. Travelling gives me a sense of freedom; the only thing you have to do in that time between A and B is 'get there'. It's bonus time, and I relish filling that with a good book. (I look with jealousy at my children who can read in the car without getting sick!) What I'm reading right now The latest offering from our book club. When I moved to Rēkohu, I reached out to the Book Discussion Scheme (Christchurch) to see if they would support a book club over here, and, thankfully, they've made it work (i.e. acknowledged that we have no control over the always-late post!). So, there are 11 of us reading The Believer by Sarah Krasnostein, a non-fiction book about 'ghosts and gods and flying saucers'. My favourite reads have been: Becky Manawatu's Auē, American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins, and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman, which is delightfully quirky. The winners of the 2025 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults will be revealed at a ceremony in Wellington tonight, August 13. The Spinoff will be live-blogging the event alongside hosting the livestream.


The Spinoff
06-08-2025
- The Spinoff
‘We need to support New Zealand authors': Kirsten Le Harivel's books confessional
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits of Aotearoa writers, and guests. This week: Kirsten Le Harivel, co-founder of Bookmark Kāpiti. The book I wish I'd written There are so many books I admire. As a writer, I wish I'd written Still Life by Sarah Winman. I really loved the way the story centred friendship. Everyone should read Books by New Zealand writers! That may sound clichéd but if we want a literary landscape, we need to support our authors by buying their books. There are so many local writers out there doing awesome stuff, in so many genres and set in so many places around this world and the next! The book I want to be buried with I want to be cremated. I feel quite uncomfortable about the idea of burning books, except perhaps my diaries! I have kept all the writing I've done since I was a teenager and I really don't like the idea of it escaping out into the world! Fiction or nonfiction Definitely fiction. I love its ability to take us out of the day-to-day and let us imagine new realities. I find fiction by Patricia Grace, Witi Ihimaera, Jenny Pattrick, Tina Makereti, Tīhema Baker and many other New Zealand writers helps me understand our history and its repercussions in contemporary Aotearoa. The book I never admit I've read Lol, as someone who works in the 'literary' sector, I always feel embarrassed that I have a major soft spot for cosy mysteries and magical romance. I think sometimes the industry can get snobby about what is 'good', but 'good' can be all kinds of things to all kinds of people. These genres I've discovered in the last couple of years when real life was complicated enough that escapism was absolutely what I needed. If I could only read three books for the rest of my life they would be This question makes me think of being left on a desert island and since I rarely read fiction books more than once (unless I'm reading them from a craft perspective), I would pick three very practical tomes on surviving in the wilderness. Books I'd never ordinarily read but I'm sure would be essential if I was stuck survivor-like somewhere! Greatest New Zealand writer There are so many more amazing New Zealand authors than I can realistically name so I'm going to mention two people who have had a big impact on my own writing journey. Lynn Jenner who has the most incredible ability to make compelling what may seem mundane or every day. Like watching 'Search and Rescue' in Lost and Gone Away and the building of the Kāpiti Expressway in Peat. Hinemoana Baker who was my first creative writing tutor. I still think of that class and how lucky I was to be a baby poet learning from her and all the other writers in that class including Renée, Natasha Dennerstein, Nicola Easthope and Sarah Delahunty. That class started me on my journey to become a poet. Best thing about reading Reading is my happy place! As my nine-year-old son says to me, it's a way to escape, especially when people are being annoying. It also allows you to imagine the lives of people who have different experiences than your own or to see your own experiences in a new light. Best place to read My children still want me to read to them so curled up on the couch or in bed with them is definitely one of my favourite places. I've been reading the whole School of Monsters series by Sally Rippin with my five-year-old, she loves them so much she dressed up as Mary at her school's annual book parade. Almost all the kids and the teachers had dressed up as different book characters, even the year 7s and 8s which gives me great hope for the next generation of readers! With my son, we're reading a George Mackay Brown short story collection I read as a child which is a lovely way to reconnect with my childhood and my birth country, Scotland. What I'm reading right now I am really busy working on the inaugural Bookmark Kāpiti so I'm reading a lot of what I think you'd call 'historical cosy mysteries'. I recently discovered several series set in India (where I lived for several years) by Sujata Massey, Vaseem Khan, Harini Nagendra. I enjoy being transported back to that country and time in my life via their books. The Spinoff Books section is proudly brought to you by Unity Books and Creative New Zealand. Visit Unity Books online today.


The Spinoff
30-07-2025
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‘I never used to admit to all the smut I was reading': Ruby Wallace's books confessional
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