What can I read? NZ books for adults

New Zealand Book Month celebrates New Zealand books and authors. Here are four of the titles recommended by the NZ Book Month team.

"The Penguin History of New Zealand" by Michael King.
The lay reader’s complete history of NZ in a single volume, suitable for general readers, senior students and tourists. 2004 winner Montana NZ Book Awards, Readers' Choice Award.

"Meads" by Brian Turner.
Colin Meads is considered to be one of the greatest rugby players in New Zealand. Here, he dips back into his playing career and offers comparisons with the modern game.

"Kitty" by Deborah Challinor.
A tempestuous romance and a lively adventure with a fiery and memorable heroine.

Blindsight : a novel / Maurice Gee.
Blindsight' shows Gee the master playing with characters and complex story structures with immense skill.

Te Ra mo te Reo Maori - Maori Language Day

Kia ora. September 14 is Maori Language Day. From www.korero.maori.nz here is some background about the day

Te Rā mō te Reo Māori – 14 o Mahuru
He tohu maumahara te Rā mō te Reo Māori ki ngā mahi o te tau 1972, i taua rā tonu ka tukuna atu tētahi petihana ki te Paremata. He mea inoi atu te petihana nei kia kawea ētahi akoranga reo Māori, akoranga Māoritanga hoki i roto i ngā kura o Aotearoa.
Nā taua petihana te huarahi i para, ā tōna wā, kia maranga ake ai ko Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, kia tūturu hoki te tū o te reo Māori hei reo ā-ture mō Aotearoa.
Kāore i roa ka whānui haere te Rā mō te Reo Māori, ā, i te tau 1975 ka huri hei Wiki mō te Reo Māori. I muri tonu mai ka neke te Wiki o te Reo Māori ki te marama o Pipiri, kia rite ki ngā mahi o te tau ā-kura.
He rā nui te Rā o te Reo Māori, he rā e akiaki ana i te marea ki te kōrero, ki te whakatairanga hoki i te reo Māori.
Ia tau, ka tū ko ngā Tohu mō te Wiki o te Reo Māori i taua rā tonu. He kaupapa whakanui, he kaupapa whakahau hoki i te katoa ki te whakapau i ō rātou kaha ki te kōrero i te reo.
Kua wātea ngā hunga pāpāho, ngā pakihi, ngā tari kāwanatanga, ngā rōpū hapori, ngā kura me ngā whare pukapuka ki te uru mai ki ēnei tohu. Me whakaatu rātou i ō rātou kaupapa whakatairanga i te reo Māori i te Wiki o te Reo Maori.

Māori Language Day – September 14
Māori Language Day marks the date in 1972 when a petition calling for courses in Māori language and culture to be offered in New Zealand schools was presented at Parliament. That petition was an important step in the eventual foundation of the Māori Language Commission and to the recognition of Māori as an official language of New Zealand. The day grew to a week in 1975 with the inception of Māori Language Week. Later, celebrations of that week were moved from September to July in order to fit in better with the school year.
Māori Language Day has become an opportunity for people to encourage others to use reo Māori and to promote it. The Māori Language Week Awards which are held annually on this day, celebrate and encourage all those who get out there and give reo Māori a go.
The media, businesses, government and community organisations, schools and libraries are able to enter the awards by showing how they supported reo Māori during Māori Language Week.

By the way. New Zealand has three official languages. Do you know what the other one is?

Ka kite ano

Plenty to do this weekend

If you are not at the Auckland Home Show and want a more literary bent to your weekend, check out the events being run in conjunction with New Zealand Book Month on the website www.nzbookmonth.co.nz

FESTIVAL OF MAORI WRITERS
The Festival of Māori Writers has been on this week in Wellington and continues through to Sunday 16 September. It is an annual event which culminates this year in the Pikihuia Awards for Māori Writers Competition (formerly E Tuhi! Get Writing Awards). These Awards are presented every two years with the finalists being published in a book, this year titled Huia Short Stories 7. This years' Māori finalists, and a selection of previous winners, will be published in Nga Pakiwaitara a Huia 4. The launch of the two books and the announcement of the 2007 winners will take place at the Pikihuia Awards ceremony at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa on Saturday 15 September.

Food for Thought - Books & Writers Weekend
Out west the place to be this weekend (September 14 – 16) is the Titirangi War Memorial Hall. As part of the Going West Writers Festival this is a stimulating weekend of conversations, discussions, readings, interviews and performance, in an 'out West' community atmosphere, with fine food and wine available. Guests and speakers include Owen Marshall, Tony Simpson, Andrew Fagan, Miranda Harcourt, and James McNeish (among many others), so this is a huge weekend. The full programme is available at http://www.waitakere.govt.nz/artcul/ae/goingwest/literary.asp

And finally (just because I feel the need to work a little of my favourite sport into the blog), I noticed Linda Vagana was one of the New Zealand identities who had added her 3 favourite Kiwi books to the site.

Linda Vagana has played at the top level of New Zealand sport for seventeen years representing New Zealand, Samoa, and Northern Force in netball. Linda has also worked at the Auckland University of Technology as the marketing co-ordinator for the Faculty of Arts. Currently she is the General Manager of Books in Homes, a charitable organisation that aims to put books into the homes of every New Zealand child who would not otherwise have access to them. Linda's favourite NZ books are The Bone People by Keri Hulme, The Kuia and the Spider by Patricia Grace and The Silent One by Joy Cowley.

Ka kite ano

What does a BFG and a Revolting Rhyme have in common?

They are both creations of Roald Dahl. Along with Danny (Champion of the World), Charlie (of Chocolate Factory fame), James (and his Giant Peach), The Twits, witches, and many others, Roald Dahl's books have been entertaining generations of children.

September 13th is the second Roald Dahl day and is held on the anniversary of his birth in 1916. Around the world and particularly in the United Kingdom there are huge events.

To find out more about Roald Dahl check out his website www.roalddahl.com/

If you think you are a trivia whiz on his books, there is a quiz to take. Go to http://www.puffin.co.uk/static/cs/uk/15/minisites/dahlday/index.php

Check the Rodney Libraries catalogue for our collection of books by this wonderful author.
www.rodneylibraries.govt.nz

Look who's coming to town!

North Shore Libraries have sent us details of some fantastic guests they have coming to speak on the Shore, starting next week with Kathy Reichs. Tickets are available through Ticketek and are very reasonable. Here are the full details.

******* In Conversation with Kathy Reichs
On Wednesday, 19 September at 7pm
Rosmini College Auditorium, 36 Dominion Road, Takapuna
Kathy Reichs is the best-selling author of forensic crime fiction. Her latest book is Bones to Ash. The television series "Bones" is based on these books and she is an executive producer for the show.

***** November brings a Mini Literary Festival to the Shore
Meet these great authors:

Michael Palin
Sunday, 11 November at 7pm
Westlake Boys High School Auditorium
A Python, comedian, actor, traveller and writer, Michael needs little introduction. With his experience and wit, this should be an entertaining evening. His latest book is New Europe.

Paullina Simons
Tuesday, 13 November at 7pm
Rosmini College Auditorium
One of our most popular authors, especially with her Bronze Horseman series. Her latest novel is The Road to Paradise.

Ian Rankin
Tuesday, 20 November at 7pm
Rosmini College Auditorium
Inspector Rebus was introduced to the world in 1987 in the book Knots & Crosses. The latest book in the 'Rebus" series is the new novel Exit Music.

Seats are for $15 for EACH event. For further details and to book go to Ticketek on 09 307 5000 or www.ticketek.co.nz (Charges apply)