Seals, sunsets and taniwha

Yesterday's launch of The Taniwha in our Backyard was a game of two halves — a guided walk around places in Muriwai that feature in the book, and then kai and korero back in The Surf Club at Muriwai.

The Surf Club at Muriwai provided a superb venue for the launch

A group of keen walkers gathered at 5 pm to follow author Malcolm Paterson in a tour of the area, in brisk weather with the sun about to go down off Auckland's spectacular West Coast.

Malcolm Paterson (centre) guides the group around heritage sites  in Muriwai

When the group returned by 6 pm, one guest summed it up enthusiastically as "seals, sunsets and taniwha" — after seeing a fur seal, beholding a spectacular sunset, and entering a cave inhabited by one of Muriwai's taniwha (supernatural creatures).

Meeting a Muriwai local – a fur seal in its element

Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara leader Margaret Kawharu initiated formalities at the launch with a mihi that acknowledged the ancestors and history of the south Kaipara, and reflected on the initiative and dedication that Malcolm has shown in connecting children to their local history via his books. 

Ngāti Whātua representatives led by Margaret Kawharu (right) join in a waiata

Margaret Kawharu initiates the launch with Oratia Books publisher Peter Dowling (right)

Malcolm spoke of his journey from initiating the Sharing our Stories project as part of a Future Auckland Leaders programme through the Committee for Auckland, to the present day when the third book in the series has been published.

Author Malcolm Paterson 

He paid tribute to the support of iwi and whānau, including his sister Mihera (who created one of the stories in the book) and wife Lavinia (whose Malaysian whānau inspired the character of Aunty Mina), and endorsed the message of strength in diversity that the book seeks to represent.

Martin Bailey talks of bringing his own backyard to life in the new book

Muriwai-based illustrator Martin Bailey then talked of his pleasure in being able to bring to life the environment around his home, before Mihi Blair of Ngāti Whātua (who is also a Future Auckland Leaders alumnus) closed the speeches with a karakia

Mihi Blair (left) sums up proceedings on behalf of the mana whenua and also Future Auckland Leaders

It was immensely satisfying to witness the support from the local community for the work that Malcolm and Martin had undertaken, and particularly to see children getting absorbed in the book.

The Taniwha in our Backyard was supported by Whiti Ora o Kaipara Charitable Trust through a grant form the Auckland Diversity Project Fund (funded by Creative New Zealand and Foundation North).

The book is available from all good booksellers or via the Oratia Media website:

https://www.oratia.co.nz/product/the-taniwha-in-our-backyard/

And listen out for Malcolm's interview with Dale Husband on Radio Wātea after 11 am on Monday 17 September.

Photographs by Carolyn Lagahetau (who also edited the book!)

Launching a Taniwha for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori

Māori Language Week/Te Wiki o te Reo Māori begins today, with the theme ‘Kia Kaha te Reo Māori’— ‘Let’s make the Māori language strong’.

Helping to make te Reo strong and connect our tamariki with the land and history around them is the kaupapa of Sharing Our Stories, a series of books by Malcolm Paterson (Ngāti Whātua). 

The Taniwha in our Backyard, the third in the series, will be launched at Muriwai this Thursday. 

With text in te Reo, English and Malay, and superb illustrations by Martin Bailey,The Taniwha in our Backyard strengthens understanding of Māori language and culture, as well as the multiple cultures that make up contemporary Aotearoa New Zealand. 

 The publication has been supported through the Auckland Diversity Project Fund (Creative New Zealand and Foundation North).

Publication Date: 12 September 2018  | ISBN: 978-0-947506-46-9 |  RRP $21.99

Paperback, 284 x 208 mm, 32 pages colour

Archibald McIndoe's extraordinary Guinea Pig Club

Out in its New Zealand edition this Tuesday 14 August with a new foreword by HRH Prince Harry, The Guinea Pig Club tells the story of New Zealand surgeon Archibald McIndoe and his amazing work with scarred airmen in the UK during the World War II. 

Plastic surgery was in its infancy before World War II. The Allies were tremendously fortunate in having McIndoe operating at a small hospital in East Grinstead in the south of England. 

From Dunedin, McIndoe had studied at the University of Otago and relied on the mentorship of that other great pioneer of plastic surgery, fellow Kiwi Harold Gillies, to cope with the extraordinary demands placed by the casualties of the air war. 

Archibald McIndoe (centre) in theatre; his skill with the scalpel was legendary but no less extraordinary was his understanding of the psychological scars faced by disfigured airmen 

McIndoe set up a revolutionary treatment regime for survivors of plane crashes — a group dubbed the Guinea Pig Club — innovating not only in physical treatment of their injuries but also in the psychology of rehabilitation of disfigured airmen back into society.

For the first time, official records have been used to explain fully how and why this remarkable relationship developed between the Guinea Pig Club, the RAF and the Home Front — and how the experience inspires today’s victims of war.

A revised edition of the book The Reconstruction of Warriors, this joint UK-Canada-NZ publication now includes a section on McIndoe’s New Zealand origins. 

You can hear author Emily Mayhew interviewed by Wallace Chapman on Radio New Zealand on the morning of Sunday 26 August.

Dr Emily Mayhew is a military medical historian specialising in the study of severe casualty. She is the historian in residence in the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial College London and a research fellow in the Division of Surgery. She is the author of several other books in her field of expertise, including the Wounded trilogy of books.

Publication Date: 14 August 2018  | ISBN: 978-1-784383-21-3 |  RRP $39.99

Paperback, 234 x 156 mm, 240 pages black & white

International Publishers Association gives glowing report to PANZ International Conference

The Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ) was honoured to welcome top-notch international speakers at our biennial conference at the end of June.

Headlining the event was Hugo Setzer, current Vice-President of the International Publishers Association (Hugo is standing to become President at the IPA's General Assembly in October).

Hugo's report on the conference has appeared in the latest IPA newsletter – with some keen insights on how New Zealand fits into the global publishing scene (read the report here).

Hugo Setzer delivering the opening keynote at the PANZ Conference: Why Publishing Matters

As the current PANZ President, it was a great pleasure for me to host Hugo in Auckland and to strengthen bonds between PANZ and our international body. 

Nanny Mihi is back to stay for the school hols

In a series of picture books published by Reed up until 2006, writer Melanie Drewery and illustrator Tracy Duncan developed the world of the warm and wise Nanny Mihi. 

The late John McIntyre of the Children’s Bookshop in Wellington was among a number of book lovers who lamented the end of the series.

So when Melanie Drewery approached Oratia with a new Nanny Mihi story, we leapt at the chance to remake this beloved kuia (grandmother). 

Melanie resumed her collaboration with artist Tracy Duncan (both live in the Nelson area), and a fresh look and feel for Nanny and the books emerged.

Nanny Mihi and the Bellbird thus marks both a return and a new departure — in time for the winter school holidays. 

In this colourful picture book, Nanny Mihi welcomes her grandchildren to stay with her during every school break. 

On one holiday Nanny introduces her mokopuna to the beautiful melody of a visiting bellbird, and they even teach him to sing a song they have created!

However, bellbird does not visit them on their next holiday with Nanny. Where has he gone?

When the bird returns to sing with some babies along, Nanny explains: “He is a she and she has come to show you her tamariki’.

Their song will live on forever, and we hope the same will be true for Nanny.

Melanie Drewery

Tracy Duncan

Publication Date: 10 July 2018 |  ISBN: 978-0-947506-36-0 |  RRP $19.99

Paperback, 230 x 215 mm, 32 pages colour

Woolly Wally gets a sheep-sized makeover

A flash new edition of that popular shaggy sheep's tale Woolly Wally is out tomorrow. 

Illustrator extraordinaire Ross Kinnaird has redrawn all the illustrations in a bold, graphic style that takes this captivating picture book by Dawn McMillan into the top paddock. 

Wally is the sheep supreme, the master of his flock, proud to be the handsome head of his faithful ewes.

But pride, as they say, comes before a fall — or in Wally’s case, a date with the shearing shed. What will Wally and his flock learn once they have lost their fine fleeces? 

First published in 2006, Woolly Wally is a great read for kids of all ages. 

Read more about author Dawn McMillan and illustrator Ross Kinnaird:

Woolly Wally  | ISBN: 978-0-947506-42-1 |  RRP $19.99

Paperback, 230 x 215 mm 
32 pages colour

Bologna Book Fair in New Zealand Books, New Zealand in Books Ireland

New Zealand books, authors and publishers on the international stage feature in two publications out now.

Peter's report on the Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ) presence at this year's Bologna Children's Book Fair is in the latest edition of New Zealand Books Pukapuka Aotearoa.

Click here to go to the New Zealand Books website and find out about getting your copy of this valuable publication.

Meanwhile, the Irish book trade magazine Books Ireland features New Zealand in its latest edition, billing this on its cover as 'New Zealand: So far, so close'.

The coverage stems from PANZ's hosting of current Publishing Ireland President Ivan O'Brien on a visit to New Zealand last year, supported by Creative New Zealand's Te Manu Ka Tau programme.

Ivan reports in the magazine on his ongoing exchanges with New Zealand the similarities and differences between his market and ours.

Also featured in Books Ireland's March/April 2018 edition are Anton Blank's analysis of contemporary Māori writing, an article on Māori publishing and a visit to Time Out Books in Auckland all feature.

For more visit the Books Ireland website.

Ministers, MPs and guests celebrate the launch of Heke Tangata

A host of government ministers, MPs, dignitaries and leaders in the Māori and political world were in attendance for this morning's launch of Heke Tangata: Māori in Markets and Cities at Parliament, Wellington. 

An indication of the book's importance was that Finance Minister Grant Robertson found time to attend, just two days out from his government's first budget. 

Hosting by the Hon. Willie Jackson, the launch showcased not only this work but distinguished author Brian Easton's long-standing commitment to front the facts about Māori disadvantage and achievement. 

A photo gallery of the breakfast launch follows; for more on the book, see coverage in the National Business Review and the Oratia website.

Heke Tangata  | ISBN: 978-0-947506-43-8 |  RRP $29.99

Paperback with flaps, 234 x 153 mm 
132 pages black & white

Heke Tangata: Māori in Markets and Cities

Eminent economist Brian Easton tracks the realities of Māori in the market economy in this statistically rich work. Heke Tangata provides the hard facts as to why Māori remain approximately a generation behind the living standards of other New Zealanders.

The book will be launched tomorrow in Parliament, in the meantime you can read this report on The National Business Review and watch the interview with John Tamihere, chief executive of West Auckland-based Te Whanau o Waipareira Trust.

Reflecting on Anzac Day through words, images and books

Author Christopher Pugsley featured in Radio New Zealand's extensive Anzac Day 2018 coverage yesterday — offering his reflections on twentieth-century conflicts, commemorations, and the filming of early military activity as captured in his latest book, The Camera in the Crowd:

Click here to catch his interview with Colin Peacock.

There's also a link  to film of the New Zealand Field Artillery in France on Radio New Zealand's Anzac Day page.

Oratia's latest addition to the history of New Zealand military service is Paul Harrison's Seek and Destroy: The History of 3 Squadron RNZAF, which was published on 5 April (see information here).

Nigel Hopkins of Beach FM, Kapiti spoke with Paul about the book on 23 April. 

On 12 April, Paul and Retired Colonel Roger Pearce (who contributed an appendix about the squadron's activities in Malaysia and Vietnam) presented a copy of Seek and Destroy to Carolyn Carr, Chief Librarian of the New Zealand Defence Force Library.

From left: Paul Harrison, Carolyn Carr and Roger Pearce

For more about these and other military history titles, check out the Oratia website's books page. 

Oratia Books - Catalogue 2018

Click here to see and download the catalogue PDF

A colourful history of New Zealand Air Force's helicopter division

Out now, Seek and Destroy is the official history of the machines and personnel in a unique squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF).

‘Kimihia Ka Patu – Seek and Destroy’ is the motto of No.3 Squadron RNZAF, yet for most of its history this has been a helicopter squadron serving to support peacekeeping and civil operations.

Well known as the home of military helicopters from the Sioux and Iroquois to the current NH90 and A109, No.3 Squadron Royal New Zealand Air Force has had a colourful history over more than 80 years. It formed as a Territorial squadron in Christchurch in 1930, beginning a long association with Canterbury.

Flying Hudsons and Venturas, it was the first RNZAF unit to engage the Japanese during the Second World War, and in the post-war period flew Tiger Moths, Harvards and Mustangs. Disbanded in 1957, it reformed in 1965 as a joint service squadron and became a helicopter unit in 1972.

Operations since have seen personnel and helicopters in action from the UK and the Sinai to East Timor and Antarctica. Pilots from the squadron served in South Vietnam. It has provided cyclone relief throughout the Pacific and civil emergencies at home.

This deluxe hardback includes 265 black & white photos and maps, and 94 colour plates, bringing together stories of the operations and exercises conducted over its lifetime.

Paul Harrison

Author Paul Harrison served for 35 years in the RNZAF and was for 15 years its unofficial historian. He is the author or co-author of 11 published works on New Zealand aviation, with an emphasis on military aviation. He has been the editor of the RNZSA Review and Aerolegacy, and a correspondent for Aviation News. Now retired, he lives with his family in Papaparaumu. 

ISBN: 978-0-947506-45-2  |  RRP $85

Hardback with jacket, 260 x 200 mm 
388 pages (336 b&w, 52 colour)