Writers’ Tea Party Reprise
The Writers’ Tea Party at the the Hurunui Memorial Library in Amberley, has now come and gone—but I had a great time.
I was reading with fellow authors James Norcliffe and Joanna Orwin and we met up first at a local eaterie, Brew Moon (and I have to say, although I am generally not much of a beer drinker, I tried their Hophead IPA and it was good!) Writing is a solitary occupation so meeting up with other writers is always fun. I know Jim through poetry circles, but it was the first time I had met Joanna and I certainly hope to have the opportunity again.
On arriving at the library it was also great to see some faces I knew, including people who had driven out from Christchurch—definitely very much appreciated!
The Tea Party itself involved each writer speaking/reading for half an hour, followed by an actual tea party with cakes and sandwiches. (V. good, as Bridget Jones—she of diary fame—would say!) I was first off the blocks and talked about my love of Fantasy and the moment when the Thornspell story first sparked, and why—with two readings: the first from “The Silent Wood,” when the hero, Sigismund, meets Auld Hazel; the second from “The Boar Hunt.”
(Both sequences by the way, were featured as part of my recent “Fun with Thornspell” series, here for Auld Hazel, while the boar hunt is here.)
I then spoke about the different forces at play in The Heir of Night and WALL series, including that it’s a darker story and more strongly influenced by the epic and tragic elements of myth. I read Malian’s call to arms, from the chapter of the same name, and the later Gate of Dreams sequence where Kalan meets the Huntmaster for the first time (again, from the chapter titled “The Huntmaster.”)
And that was my half hour done! But I enjoyed having the opportunity to read, because one thing I always feel is that story is not just about words written on the page—story is meant to be heard and that means the writing must work equally well when read aloud. So I hope Thornspell and The Heir of Night pass that test—but I certainly enjoyed listening to both Joanna and Jim talk about and read from their work.
Joanna Orwin is primarily a Childrens’ and YA author, with a focus on New Zealand stories and themes. She has a considerable number of books to her name, several of which have won major awards. I was particularly intrigued by her reading from Owl and have been interested in reading Collision for some time, given my interest in history and cultural interaction in particular.
James Norcliffe is well known as both a poet and a novelist. You may recall that he was one of the guest authors who posted as part of my “Why Fantasy-SciFi Rocks My World” series to celebrate the Australia/New Zealand launch of The Heir of Night last year—and you can read his guest post here. (Believe me, it’s worth it!) His Junior novel, The Loblolly Boy, (published as The Boy Who Could Fly in the US) was one of my recommended SpecFic stocking fillers on The Realm last Christmas—and probably far more importantly (;-)), featured on the 2011 USBBY Outstanding International Books List. Yesterday, Jim was reading from his poetry and entertained us all with his sly humour, keen observation, and insight into human nature.
Afterward we got to enjoy that fabulous afternoon tea put on by the Friends of the Library and chat with the library supporters. I think anyone experiencing the lovely Hurunui Memorial Library will see what a great job of supporting reading and literacy they’re doing within their community.
—
My Next Event: is another Friends of the Library event, this time in Christchurch at the South Library on Tuesday 18 October.