Helen Lowe's Blog, page 252
July 19, 2012
Frankfurt Book Fair 2012: An Aotearoa Affair Blog — ‘The Wayfarer’ A Highlight
As you may know, Aotearoa-New Zealand is the guest country at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair and the Aotearoa Affair blog has been celebrating with guest posts from both Aotearoa-New Zealand and German writers.
It’s all quite a buzz and I’ve had a few guest posts featured already this year, including here and here.
And yesterday my poem ‘The Wayfarer’ was a ‘Highlight’ on the festival blog.
‘The Wayfarer’ is the seventh poem in my “Ithaca Conversations” sequence, based around the Odysseus myth...
July 18, 2012
What I’ve Been Doing…
Storm on the Wall of Night
Working on the chapter from hell, that’s what!
You know, the one where it’s all that sticky, emotional, character-layering stuff and not the fun easy-to-write action with some of Robin Hobb’s ‘strange magic’ thrown in by way of extra Fantasy goodness.
And what’s more, where the characters would have you know it’s all about them and they’re not satisfied with being coat hangers for the plot to conveniently hang off! I mean, I ask you, characters talking back and giving...
July 17, 2012
A Little Poetry News…
photo credit: PJ Fitzpatrick
It has been a while since I’ve had some poetry news, but I was really pleased the other day to hear that I’ve had two poems accepted for publication in The Christchurch Press.
The poems, ‘Stepping Into Rain’ and ‘The Hours’ will be in print on August 10 and September 29 respectively. I hope that those of you who have access to The Press may read and enjoy.
Meanwhile, you can check out some of my earlier poetry publicationson my website, here, and also under “Poetry”...
July 16, 2012
Tuesday Poem: “Vivien’s Song” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Vivien’s Song
‘In Love, if Love be Love, if Love be ours,
Faith and unfaith can ne’er be equal powers:
Unfaith in aught is want of faith in all.
‘It is the little rift within the lute,
That by and by will make the music mute,
And ever widening slowly silence all.
‘The little rift within the lover’s lute
Or little pitted speck in garnered fruit,
That rotting inward slowly moulders all.
‘It is not worth the keeping: let it go:
But shall it? answer, darling, answer, no.
And trust me not at all or all in all...
July 15, 2012
The Christchurch Writers’ Festival: “Why YA?”
On Friday I was happy to share the good news that the Christchurch Writers’ Festival programme was out and that I would be appearing in the “Why YA” panel with John Boyne and Jane Higgins, compered by James Norcliffe.
The event is scheduled for 9.30 am on Sunday 2 September and here’s what we’re going to be talking about:
“YA – ‘Young Adult’ – is a comparatively recent literary genre. Once readers
moved straight from children’s to adult novels but now there is a rich
variety of fiction for teenag...
July 14, 2012
Nice!
Yesterday I had an unexpected visitor—and then an equally unexpected lunch at winery Pegasus Bay, where the following appeared on the table with my dessert…
I suspect someone had been whispering ahead of time to the good folk in the kitchen, but still—exactly 1 month on from The Heir of Night’s Morningstar win—very nice! And definitely put a smile “on the face of the tiger.” 
July 13, 2012
Just Arrived: “Shadowfell” by Juliet Marillier
I love it when I open my post office box and find lovely cardboard packages, and inside them — books! This week I’ve received:
Shadowfell — the new YA Novel by Juliet Marillier
Unlike Juliet Marillier’s two previous YA novels, Wildwood Dancing and Cybele’s Secret, which were set in an historical Roumania and Turkey respectively, Shadowfell is set in a Celtic-infused world reminiscent of—but not the same as—her adult “Sevenwaters” novels.
Here’s what the backcover says:
“The people of Alban are af...
July 12, 2012
The Christchurch Writers’ Festival Programme Is Out Today!
Yes, the Christchurch Writers’ Festival programme is out today—and I’m in it! Together with a lot of other writers, of course!
My event is a panel on YA Writing with Irish writer John Boyne (The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas) and fellow local author, Jane Higgins (The Bridge) and compered by James Norcliffe. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to it!
To find out what else is going down, click here to download the programme, or just browse the website here.
The festival is being held over 30 Augu...
July 11, 2012
A Bit More Feedback for “The Gathering of the Lost”
For today’s post, a little more feedback that’s come though for The Gathering of the Lost:
“Awesome world building, beautifully lyrical prose and just the right type of epic fantasy. I am loving this series from Helen Lowe and really looking forward to what happens next. My only complaint is that it projected as a four book series – already I want more!” — Mark, on Good Reads
And here’s a quote from a review on Wargamingnz:
“This is a world filled with action, magic, intrigue and betrayal. It is...
July 10, 2012
“L’Héritière De La Nuit: Le Mur De La Nuit 1″ Is Here!
Just arrived...
I am very excited about this because my author copies of L’Héritière De La Nuit, Le Mur De La Nuit 1 “just arrived” yesterday.
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L’Héritière De La Nuit of course is the French translation of The Heir of Night and the books that have arrived are the French edition that was published on 1 March—but actually having the books does make it all seem that much more real.
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L'Héritière... -- how cool is that?
I even have a few French friends to give away a couple of the copies to.
