Tim Jones's Blog, page 19
January 8, 2015
What I Read In 2014: Highlights from The Year of the Memoir
As in 2013, I read 53 books in 2014, and recorded the details on the social bibliographic website LibraryThing. The highlights of my year's reading are below, and if you have a deep desire to find out everything I read for the year (albeit I didn't manage this time to review all the books I read) you can check out my 2014 reading thread on LibraryThing.
As you'll see from the post below, 2014 was the Year of the Memoir for me.
Best book, best non-fiction, best memoir
Clothes. Clothes. Clothes. Music. Music. Music. Boys. Boys. Boys. by Viv Albertine
Here's what I tweeted when I finished the book:
"Finished superb memoir #clothesmusicboys by @viv_albertine last night. Wonderful book - entertaining, moving, sad, amusing, profound"
And I don't need to say a lot more - it was really was that good. Viv Albertine was the guitarist of iconic 1970s English punk band The Slits. When that band broke up, she disappeared into a marriage in which her creativity wasted away. This is the story of how she got to that point and how she resumed her creative life after 25 years' obscurity. It's also the story of some very bad (and some very good) choices, taken with a fierce commitment to independence, and the emotional price she has had to pay for that independence.
Along the way, there are fascinating portraits of Sid Vicious, John Lydon, Mick Jones, Ari Up and many other famous figures of the punk era; unexpected connections with musicians and actors as diverse as Steve Howe of Yes and Tom Hiddleston; and the voice of a fine storyteller. This is, so far, my favourite book of 2014.
Memoir runners-up (4 of 'em!)
Bedsit Disco Queen by Tracey Thorn
Earlier this year, I read Viv Albertine's Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys. and enjoyed it very, very much - in fact, it was and remains my favourite book of the year. In reviews and interviews, it was often compared to Tracey Thorn's Bedsit Disco Queen, so I was keen to read that as well.
And I enjoyed it, but not as much as #clothesmusicboys. Partly that's because Viv Albertine came of age musically in the 1970s, the same decade in which most of my ongoing music interest began; Tracey Thorne is the best part of a decade younger, and the music genres she has passed through are of less interest to me.
But it's also because Viv Albertine has led (for both good and ill) quite an extreme life, and her autobiography reflects this - whereas Thorne is a much more reserved and contained character, and so her autobiography is much less dramatic. For all that, it's still a very worthwhile read.
Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain
The core of this book is Vera Brittain's account of her service as a nurse during the First World War, during which time she lost her lover, her brother and another close male friend in the fighting. It's an account that points up the horrible stupidity and futility of that war - men dying in their hundreds of thousands for the sake of a few miles of trench - and of war in general. Not an easy read, but highly recommended.
Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
If you’ve ever seen the Internet meme that features a half-woman, half-fish hybrid triumphantly holding a broom while saying something like CLEAN ALL THE THINGS!, you owe it to yourself to meet that meme’s originator. This is an autobiography with the emphasis on graphics, as Allie Brosh treats dog ownership, depression, ill-fated family excursions and other rites of passage with strong doses of both humour and common sense, leavened by her amazingly expressive drawings – the people may be stick figures with a hint of the aquarium, but the simple dog and the helper dog come marvellously alive.
Li Na: My Life by Li Na
Li Na, winner of the 2011 French Open and the 2014 Australian Open, is my favourite tennis player - I'm not a huge tennis fan, but I do like her on-court skill, determination and power, and her memorable off-court interviews.
Li Na is a stubborn individualist, and that has frequently led to conflict with the all-encompassing state sports system in which she grew up - conflicts documented in this book. But the core of the book is her relationship with her husband Jiang Shan, a former top Chinese player who gave that up to be the tennis equivalent of Li Na's caddy - and also, for a time, her coach, something that wasn't great for her marriage and which they wisely brought to an end.
There are probably stories Li Na could have told about her childhood and her battles with the Chinese tennis authorities that she has chosen not to, but nevertheless, this is an interesting and moving autobiography that you don't have to be a tennis nut to enjoy.
Other non-fiction runner-up
Dirty Politics by Nicky Hager
Best fiction, best novel
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
"Cloud Atlas" isn't always an easy read, and it's rarely a comforting one, but I'm willing to go as far as to say that it's a great novel. I found some of the multiple storylines, which range from past through present to future and cover a range of genres, easier going than others, but connections between those storylines made the book a satisfying whole. As is often the case with science fiction by authors more strongly associated with literary fiction, the science fiction portions of the book don't offer anything strikingly new in conceptual terms, but in common with the rest of the novel, they are deeply and densely imagined. If you are prepared to give it time and attention, "Cloud Atlas" offers rich rewards.
Runners-up, best novel
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
Best short story collections
ShameJoy by Julie Hill
I read ShameJoy on a recent trip from Wellington to Auckland. Reading on planes isn't usually my thing - I get bored and distracted easily - but that wasn't the case with ShameJoy - I very much enjoyed both the style and the substance of this book. Julie Hill's sense of humour and the deftness of her story construction both kept me entertained throughout. Well worth reading!
A Quiet Day and other stories by P. S. Cottier
P.S. Cottier is best known as a poet (and also anthologist - full disclosure: P.S. Cottier and I co-edited The Stars Like Sand: Australian Speculative Poetry.) But this collection shows she's a very good short story writer as well. What I like best about these stories is the way the contemplative tone which introduces the collection shifts smoothly to accommodate the real and the surreal, the happy and the sad. The combination of restrained style and unexpected content means the reader is never sure which way the stories are going to tip, and that's a good place for a writer to be.
Best poetry collection
Cinema by Helen Rickerby
Wellington poet Helen Rickerby just keeps getting better. Her best work is moving, funny, and thought-provoking without being “difficult” – and Cinema is full of her best work. This collection is all directly or indirectly about the silver screen. It includes poems about the art-form itself, poems about the effect cinema has had on the poet’s life, and a series of poems about the lives of Helen’s friends as if directed by various famous directors. (I’m still hoping for one about my life as directed by a tag-team of Sofia Coppola and David Lean.) Great stuff!
(Note: I read far fewer poetry collections in 2014 than usual because of all the poetry - not listed here - that I read during the selection process for The Stars Like Sand: Australian Speculative Poetry, but Cinema would have been a highlight in any year. I have a whole bunch of unread collections I plan to get to grips with over the summer holidays.)
You can buy books by Tim Jones online! Voyagers: SF Poetry from NZ from Amazon.Transported (short story collection) from Fishpond or New Zealand Books Abroad.
As you'll see from the post below, 2014 was the Year of the Memoir for me.
Best book, best non-fiction, best memoir
Clothes. Clothes. Clothes. Music. Music. Music. Boys. Boys. Boys. by Viv Albertine
Here's what I tweeted when I finished the book:
"Finished superb memoir #clothesmusicboys by @viv_albertine last night. Wonderful book - entertaining, moving, sad, amusing, profound"
And I don't need to say a lot more - it was really was that good. Viv Albertine was the guitarist of iconic 1970s English punk band The Slits. When that band broke up, she disappeared into a marriage in which her creativity wasted away. This is the story of how she got to that point and how she resumed her creative life after 25 years' obscurity. It's also the story of some very bad (and some very good) choices, taken with a fierce commitment to independence, and the emotional price she has had to pay for that independence.
Along the way, there are fascinating portraits of Sid Vicious, John Lydon, Mick Jones, Ari Up and many other famous figures of the punk era; unexpected connections with musicians and actors as diverse as Steve Howe of Yes and Tom Hiddleston; and the voice of a fine storyteller. This is, so far, my favourite book of 2014.
Memoir runners-up (4 of 'em!)
Bedsit Disco Queen by Tracey Thorn
Earlier this year, I read Viv Albertine's Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys. and enjoyed it very, very much - in fact, it was and remains my favourite book of the year. In reviews and interviews, it was often compared to Tracey Thorn's Bedsit Disco Queen, so I was keen to read that as well.
And I enjoyed it, but not as much as #clothesmusicboys. Partly that's because Viv Albertine came of age musically in the 1970s, the same decade in which most of my ongoing music interest began; Tracey Thorne is the best part of a decade younger, and the music genres she has passed through are of less interest to me.
But it's also because Viv Albertine has led (for both good and ill) quite an extreme life, and her autobiography reflects this - whereas Thorne is a much more reserved and contained character, and so her autobiography is much less dramatic. For all that, it's still a very worthwhile read.
Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain
The core of this book is Vera Brittain's account of her service as a nurse during the First World War, during which time she lost her lover, her brother and another close male friend in the fighting. It's an account that points up the horrible stupidity and futility of that war - men dying in their hundreds of thousands for the sake of a few miles of trench - and of war in general. Not an easy read, but highly recommended.
Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
If you’ve ever seen the Internet meme that features a half-woman, half-fish hybrid triumphantly holding a broom while saying something like CLEAN ALL THE THINGS!, you owe it to yourself to meet that meme’s originator. This is an autobiography with the emphasis on graphics, as Allie Brosh treats dog ownership, depression, ill-fated family excursions and other rites of passage with strong doses of both humour and common sense, leavened by her amazingly expressive drawings – the people may be stick figures with a hint of the aquarium, but the simple dog and the helper dog come marvellously alive.
Li Na: My Life by Li Na
Li Na, winner of the 2011 French Open and the 2014 Australian Open, is my favourite tennis player - I'm not a huge tennis fan, but I do like her on-court skill, determination and power, and her memorable off-court interviews.
Li Na is a stubborn individualist, and that has frequently led to conflict with the all-encompassing state sports system in which she grew up - conflicts documented in this book. But the core of the book is her relationship with her husband Jiang Shan, a former top Chinese player who gave that up to be the tennis equivalent of Li Na's caddy - and also, for a time, her coach, something that wasn't great for her marriage and which they wisely brought to an end.
There are probably stories Li Na could have told about her childhood and her battles with the Chinese tennis authorities that she has chosen not to, but nevertheless, this is an interesting and moving autobiography that you don't have to be a tennis nut to enjoy.
Other non-fiction runner-up
Dirty Politics by Nicky Hager
Best fiction, best novel
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
"Cloud Atlas" isn't always an easy read, and it's rarely a comforting one, but I'm willing to go as far as to say that it's a great novel. I found some of the multiple storylines, which range from past through present to future and cover a range of genres, easier going than others, but connections between those storylines made the book a satisfying whole. As is often the case with science fiction by authors more strongly associated with literary fiction, the science fiction portions of the book don't offer anything strikingly new in conceptual terms, but in common with the rest of the novel, they are deeply and densely imagined. If you are prepared to give it time and attention, "Cloud Atlas" offers rich rewards.
Runners-up, best novel
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
Best short story collections
ShameJoy by Julie Hill
I read ShameJoy on a recent trip from Wellington to Auckland. Reading on planes isn't usually my thing - I get bored and distracted easily - but that wasn't the case with ShameJoy - I very much enjoyed both the style and the substance of this book. Julie Hill's sense of humour and the deftness of her story construction both kept me entertained throughout. Well worth reading!
A Quiet Day and other stories by P. S. Cottier
P.S. Cottier is best known as a poet (and also anthologist - full disclosure: P.S. Cottier and I co-edited The Stars Like Sand: Australian Speculative Poetry.) But this collection shows she's a very good short story writer as well. What I like best about these stories is the way the contemplative tone which introduces the collection shifts smoothly to accommodate the real and the surreal, the happy and the sad. The combination of restrained style and unexpected content means the reader is never sure which way the stories are going to tip, and that's a good place for a writer to be.
Best poetry collection
Cinema by Helen Rickerby
Wellington poet Helen Rickerby just keeps getting better. Her best work is moving, funny, and thought-provoking without being “difficult” – and Cinema is full of her best work. This collection is all directly or indirectly about the silver screen. It includes poems about the art-form itself, poems about the effect cinema has had on the poet’s life, and a series of poems about the lives of Helen’s friends as if directed by various famous directors. (I’m still hoping for one about my life as directed by a tag-team of Sofia Coppola and David Lean.) Great stuff!
(Note: I read far fewer poetry collections in 2014 than usual because of all the poetry - not listed here - that I read during the selection process for The Stars Like Sand: Australian Speculative Poetry, but Cinema would have been a highlight in any year. I have a whole bunch of unread collections I plan to get to grips with over the summer holidays.)
You can buy books by Tim Jones online! Voyagers: SF Poetry from NZ from Amazon.Transported (short story collection) from Fishpond or New Zealand Books Abroad.
December 30, 2014
What I Listened To In 2014: Electronica and Reggae
First of my "What I Listened to in 2014" posts...
Electronica is a genre I've never listened to much, but I found myself beginning to enjoy it more in 2014. This was partly due to picking up on the 20th anniversary of Underworld's classic Dubnobasswithmyheadman album.
Here is "Rez/Cowgirl":
Of the bands I heard perform the one year I went to Campalowhum, near Wainuiomata, the best was Sleep ∞ Over (Stefanie Franciotti), who performed in a forest glade - just right for music like "Romantic Streams":
Shyfx is best known as a drum and bass and jungle producer, which isn't really my territory, but an excursion into reggae produced this wonderful and ineffably summery song, "Soon Come":
You can buy books by Tim Jones online! Voyagers: SF Poetry from NZ from Amazon.Transported (short story collection) from Fishpond or New Zealand Books Abroad.
December 16, 2014
Flash Frontier, December 2014, Is A Great Way To Round Out The Year
I should have known I was tempting fate (in a good way) when I posted my roundup of what I'd had published in 2014 and said I didn't expect anything else to be published this year ... because then I got the very welcome news that my short-short "Officials" had been selected by guest editor Owen Marshall for inclusion in the December 2014 issue of Flash Frontier.
This is an excellent issue with stories from these New Zealand and overseas authors:
Elizabeth Farris, The Ossuary
Maggie Rainey-Smith, Turning the Worms
Steven Gowin, Earthquake Weather
Brenda Anderson, Can We Get You Anything?
Tim Jones, Officials
Maris O’Rourke, Cast-offs
Keith Nunes, With Her Eyes Open
Annette Edwards-Hill, A Life Well Lived
Frank Beyer, Under the Turnstyle
Paul Beckman, Color Coordination Rules
Heather McQuillen, The Stick, the Boy and the Shell
Rita Shelley, Vested Interest
Patrick Pink, The Hurt That’s Blood
Mike Crowl, The Memorial
Steve Charters, Letting Go
Celine Gibson, Constancy
Michael Webb, Game Over
Gail Ingram, Aoraki
D R Jones, Yeah, Nah
Adam J Wolstenholme, Down Goes His Lordship
Helen Moat, Danger Zone
Fortunato Salazar, October
Louise Miller, Three Women
Andrew Stancek, Corn Chowder
Nancy Stohlman, The Fortune Teller
Rupprecht Mayer, At Home
There is also a feature by Rachel Fenton:
This month Flash Frontier‘s Rachel Fenton bows out of her role as Features Editor and inter[e]views Frances Gapper, author of The Tiny Key. Also this month, poet and short fiction writer Valerie Sirr leads us through a blind criticism and flash enthusiast David James recommends his favourite shorts by other writers. We end with a piece about craft from flash editor Jamez Chang.
You can read the fiction here and the feature here. It's a great way to round out the year!
You can buy books by Tim Jones online! Voyagers: SF Poetry from NZ from Amazon.Transported (short story collection) from Fishpond or New Zealand Books Abroad.
December 8, 2014
Tuesday Poem: May We Cut You?
We are standing by.
Our knives are very sharp.
It would please us very much.
You will feel a slight distress.
Tungsten, beryllium.
Knives as sharp as love.
Masked and gowned and sterilised.
Knives as sharp as love.
Credit note: Created by the strange mind of Tim in 2007 or thereabouts, retrieved on Monday from the depths of his unpublished poetry files.
Tim says: This is probably the least Christmassy poem ever, but I wanted to post one more poem before going into holiday mode. From next week onwards, I will follow my usual summer blogging practice of posting (a) YouTube clips of music I've particularly enjoyed during the year, in the improbable expectation that you might enjoy it too, and (b) my traditional "What I read in 20xy" posts.
Following representations from concerned blog users, I will make the music posts shorter this time round, so they don't take so long to load. One post per genre is my new motto! Will power metal, technical metal and Swedish melodeath all get individual posts? Inquiring minds don't want to know.
The Tuesday Poem: Goes from strength to strength.You can buy books by Tim Jones online! Voyagers: SF Poetry from NZ from Amazon.Transported (short story collection) from Fishpond or New Zealand Books Abroad.
November 24, 2014
Tuesday Poem: "Oysters anyone?" by Robin Fry
The purposeful oystercatcher
bustles about between tides
probes the wet sand
no one has ever seen it catch an oyster.
The sociable oystercatcher
seldom alone
hurries along the littorals
no time to waste.
It doesn’t suffer from cold feet or
wince as it walks, as I do, barefoot
among the stones & shells
where it raises its chicks ... kleep ... kleep ...
It’s no stick in the mud
this Petone fellow is a ‘variable’
not to be confused with
the ‘pied’ oystercatcher, its cousin.
It comes complete
with waterproof coat
red legs & beak
this haematopodida with a loud squeak ... kleep, kleep ...
The oystercatcher keeps
a secret for the breeding season
when ‘a trilling, bubbling song is heard’ –
the love song of the wading bird.
Credit note: "Oysters anyone?" was published in Robin Fry's poetry collection The Love Song Of The Wading Bird (Submarine, an imprint of Mākaro Press, 2014), and is reproduced here by permission of the author and publisher. The Love Song Of The Wading Bird is available from Mākaro Press.
Tim says: I went to the launch of Robin's latest collection at Artspace Gallery in Petone - a very enjoyable evening, and I loved hearing Robin reading her poems. This is my favourite from the collection - a busy, lively poem to match the busy, lively bird as it goes about its lawful occasions on the Petone foreshore.
The Tuesday Poem: This week, Airini Beautrais takes us back 32 years to Whanganui and the death of Neil Roberts.You can buy books by Tim Jones online! Voyagers: SF Poetry from NZ from Amazon.Transported (short story collection) from Fishpond or New Zealand Books Abroad.
November 18, 2014
Annual Report: What I've Had Published in 2014 And Where You Can Find It
"Strange time for an Annual Report", you say? Maybe so, but I'm not expecting any more work to be published between now and the end of the year, so I thought it was a good time to do a quick summary of what I've had published this year - and where you can get our sticky hands on it. (All of my work comes with a non-stick cover just for you.)*
Books
This is the big one! The Stars Like Sand: Australian Speculative Poetry is an anthology of Australian speculative poetry (you guessed that, right?) - science fiction, fantasy, horror, magic realism, surrealism - co-edited by P.S. Cottier and I and available in so many formats you'll scarcely notice the lack of a T-shirt edition.
The Stars Like Sand includes poetry from the 19th century to the present, and the poets involved include such well-known names as Dorothy Porter, Samuel Wagan Watson, Les Murray, Judith Beveridge, Diane Fahey, John Tranter, Peter Minter, Jan Owen, and many, many more.
Don't let the grass grow under your feet on your way to buy this book - walk smartly off the grass, and then it will be able to grow more freely.
Short Stories
Building the Tree - it's Christmas time in a near-future Antarctica, but what happens when the kids want a Christmas tree?Available in The Best Of Twisty Christmas Tales.
Tracks - you'd better keep away from the train tracks if the guy in the kiosk catches your eye. Available in Disquiet.
My Occupation - what's there to do for an army officer stationed in Gore other than get yourself blown up by the locals whose land you're occupying? Available in Disquiet.
The Prime Ministers - after he loses a General Election, the Labour Prime Minister is banished to the night house while the National Prime Minister moves into the day house. Till there's a knock at the door... Available in JAAM 32.
The Big Baby - how would you feel if you were trapped in a cage at Te Papa with kids pulling your levers all day? Available in Lost in the Museum.
Poems
None! Nada, zilch, OK this one on my blog. But true to form, the less of something I've had published recently, the more of it I'm now writing, so poems (which will fit either into two collections distinguished by their thematic unity, or one collection with a great deal of dynamic tension) are what I'm working on at the moment.
In Which I Totally Cheat And Include Stories Published in Late 2013
Protein - In a drowning future, fresh protein is the most precious resource there is. Available in Fresh Fear: Contemporary Horror.
Rescuing the Airmen - He fell from the sky. She took refuge in the sea. And there's a war on. Available in Regeneration.
* Disclaimer: No it doesn't.
You can buy books by Tim Jones online! Voyagers: SF Poetry from NZ from Amazon.Transported (short story collection) from Fishpond or New Zealand Books Abroad.
November 11, 2014
You'll Always Find Me Out To Launch
Well, many of my weeks are pretty vacant, but this one does have two launches of works that contain my stories.
The Best Of Twisty Christmas Tales
On Thursday, The Best of Twisty Christmas Tales, edited by Peter Friend, Eileen Mueller and A. J. Ponder, will be launched at the Children's Bookshop in Kilbirnie. There's an impressive lineup of authors in this book, which is illustrated by Geoff Popham:
Authors: Shelley Chappell, Michelle Child, William Cook, Debbie Cowens, Joy Cowley, Denise Cush, Marion Day, Simon Fogarty, Dave Freer, Peter Friend, Jan Goldie, David Hill, Tim Jones, Charlotte Kieft, Lyn McConchie, Eileen Mueller, Jeena Murphy, Lee Murray, Robyn P, Murray, Lorraine Orman, A.J. Ponder, D.M. Potter, Dan Rabarts, Darian Smith, Kerrie Anne Spicer, Anne Wilkins, Sophie Yorkston.
My story in this anthology is my first-ever published children's story - this most definitely showed in the first draft, but thanks to the editors and their very helpful suggestions regarding what does and doesn't work in writing for children, I hope it doesn't show in the final version!
JAAM 32
Then, on Saturday 15 November, as part of Wellington LitCrawl, the 2014 issue of JAAM Magazine, JAAM 32, will be launched in Wellington (and also in Dunedin by guest editor Sue Wootton). The issue includes my story "The Prime Ministers" (What's that you say? Too soon?), and I'll be reading from it at the launch. It will be like election night all over again ... no, wait, I promise it will be much, much better!You can buy books by Tim Jones online! Voyagers: SF Poetry from NZ from Amazon.Transported (short story collection) from Fishpond or New Zealand Books Abroad.
October 27, 2014
Tuesday Poem: Hoovering Up The Dollars Leonard Cohen Leaves Behind
My voice is my calling card and I leave it everywhere
A basso non-profundo croaked through nicotine-stained air
My doctor is persistent but his pockets are well lined
I’m hoovering up the dollars Leonard Cohen leaves behind
My band are all anonymous and play in charcoal suits
With autumn-years arrangements built on mandolin and lute
The critics are persistent but I don’t pay them any mind
I’m hoovering up the dollars Leonard Cohen leaves behind
My after-concert entourage is two doctors and a nurse
At my age adding groupies could only make things worse
My ex-wives are persistent but they’re reassured to find
I’m hoovering up the dollars Leonard Cohen leaves behind.
Tim says: I went to Leonard Cohen's most recent concert in Wellington, and, though I yield to none in my appreciation of the master's songwriting, I found the gig itself a dull affair, impeccably played but lifeless. Neil Young wigging out on his electric guitar for two hours while people around me wonder when he's going to get round to playing the acoustic hits is much more my cup of tea when it comes to ageing musicians and their performances.
Leonard was reverently received, however, which led me to wonder ... do I have time for a late-in-life career change? I'm working on songs called "First We Take The Bronx" and "Tower of Rap" as we speak.
The Tuesday Poem: I've enjoyed my three months' stint as "sub-editor" of the hub Tuesday Poem, which I conclude this week. Check out Helen Rickerby's selection for this week, and all the other Tuesday Poems.You can buy books by Tim Jones online! Voyagers: SF Poetry from NZ from Amazon.Transported (short story collection) from Fishpond or New Zealand Books Abroad.
October 12, 2014
Disquiet: A New Anthology With Two Of My Stories
I have just received my author copy of Disquiet (currently available from Amazon as a paperback, with an ebook coming soon), a new anthology of, as the cover says,
unsettling fiction and poetry to curl your eyebrows from Antipodean authors
It's edited by Tracie McBride and John Irvine, and authors featured include Alicia Ponder, Eileen Mueller, Peter Friend, Lee Pletzers, and others whose work I'm looking forward to discovering.
My two stories have a foot on both sides of the Tasman: the titular "Tracks" are those of the Melbourne tram system, while "My Occupation" is of the military kind - and it's set in Southland. I'll leave you to discover more for yourself...
You can buy books by Tim Jones online! Voyagers: SF Poetry from NZ from Amazon.Transported (short story collection) from Fishpond or New Zealand Books Abroad.
October 1, 2014
Are You Included In The NZ Book Council's Writer Files? If Not, You Can Apply Now
The New Zealand Book Council maintains a set of Writer Files that give generous space to each writer listed, covering their career to date and published books. I'm happy to say that I'm one of the writers included - I've been in since the mid-2000s, after my first two books were published.
Following the publication of the The Stars Like Sand: Australian Speculative Poetry, I asked the Book Council to update my page - which they promptly and efficiently did. Along the way, I discovered that there is now a formal selection process for inclusion in the Writer Files, and that if you're a writer who has had at least one book-length project published (print or digital) and not already included, you have until 28 November to apply for inclusion:
We are continually improving our Writers Files to maintain their breadth, diversity and accuracy. If you are interested in applying for a Writers File, please read the criteria below.
The addition of authors to the Writers Files is at the discretion of the Book Council’s Website Editorial Panel. In order to best manage our limited writing and editing resources, this selection panel considers authors for a new intake once a year, in December, and up to ten new authors are added.
Key dates for 2014
November 28: Applications closeDecember 09: Website Editorial Panel meet to consider applicationsDecember 19: Applicants notified of Panel decisionThe minimum criterion for inclusion is that a writer has published at least one book-length publication (print or digital) or, in the case of dramatists and scriptwriters, critically acclaimed performances or productions. Factors that the Panel will consider are:
the critical response to published work/show the author's inclusion in the Writers Files will contribute to the overall diversity of the Writers Filesliterary profilebreadth of readership and/or volume of sales.Exceptions to this intake process will be made if an author is participating in an event programme managed by the Book Council, such as Words on Wheels , the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards festival, or Writers in Schools . For more information about becoming part of Writers in Schools, click here.
We also require writers who are profiled in our Writers Files to keep us updated (within reason) about new work, reviews or awards that might be relevant to their Writers File.
Download an application form here.
Having a Writers' Files entry is a bit like having a better-formatted Wikipedia page with nice people standing by to update it for you (as long as you don't ask for updates more than a couple of times per year), so if you are an author with at least one published book, I think it's worth applying.
You can buy books by Tim Jones online! Voyagers: SF Poetry from NZ from Amazon.Transported (short story collection) from Fishpond or New Zealand Books Abroad.
Following the publication of the The Stars Like Sand: Australian Speculative Poetry, I asked the Book Council to update my page - which they promptly and efficiently did. Along the way, I discovered that there is now a formal selection process for inclusion in the Writer Files, and that if you're a writer who has had at least one book-length project published (print or digital) and not already included, you have until 28 November to apply for inclusion:
We are continually improving our Writers Files to maintain their breadth, diversity and accuracy. If you are interested in applying for a Writers File, please read the criteria below.
The addition of authors to the Writers Files is at the discretion of the Book Council’s Website Editorial Panel. In order to best manage our limited writing and editing resources, this selection panel considers authors for a new intake once a year, in December, and up to ten new authors are added.
Key dates for 2014
November 28: Applications closeDecember 09: Website Editorial Panel meet to consider applicationsDecember 19: Applicants notified of Panel decisionThe minimum criterion for inclusion is that a writer has published at least one book-length publication (print or digital) or, in the case of dramatists and scriptwriters, critically acclaimed performances or productions. Factors that the Panel will consider are:
the critical response to published work/show the author's inclusion in the Writers Files will contribute to the overall diversity of the Writers Filesliterary profilebreadth of readership and/or volume of sales.Exceptions to this intake process will be made if an author is participating in an event programme managed by the Book Council, such as Words on Wheels , the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards festival, or Writers in Schools . For more information about becoming part of Writers in Schools, click here.
We also require writers who are profiled in our Writers Files to keep us updated (within reason) about new work, reviews or awards that might be relevant to their Writers File.
Download an application form here.
Having a Writers' Files entry is a bit like having a better-formatted Wikipedia page with nice people standing by to update it for you (as long as you don't ask for updates more than a couple of times per year), so if you are an author with at least one published book, I think it's worth applying.
You can buy books by Tim Jones online! Voyagers: SF Poetry from NZ from Amazon.Transported (short story collection) from Fishpond or New Zealand Books Abroad.
