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A celebrated writer for young adults, Karen Healey related storytelling to the setting of her debut novel, Guardian of the Dead. ‘I love that people mediate their lives through narration, but I find the interplay between truth and invention in fiction to be especially compelling. One of my ambitions for Guardian of the Dead was to ground the fantastical events of the story in a true setting - Christchurch. In so doing, I ended up fictionalising parts of the city. Now some of the formerly most accurate descriptions are no longer true, which is heartbreaking.'
Award-winning novelist Fiona Farrell talked about drawing on truth and lies to create just the right tapestry. 'Well, every story is true in its way. And every story, however factual, is constructed and edited. When I'm telling stories, even if it's just about what happened at the supermarket, I make things up to make the story better. I also lie and compose complicated narratives to avoid doing things I don't want to do: a stupid habit I'm trying to cast aside for brave, unembroidered truth. When I write, I use true stories as one source from which I cut and paste to make a satisfying pattern.'
1) Your work is so vibrant and wide-ranging and connected to so much of what's 'in' the world. I wanted to ask you how you felt about a recent remark of Jonathon Franzen's, "No good writer of fiction has an internet connection".
Victor Rodger and Meg Rosoff. MC: Miriama Kamo.
Proposals are now being sought from Kiwis around the country who love poetry, and would like to hold a special event on Friday 22 July in celebration of National Poetry Day 2011. Established in 1998, National Poetry Day has grown to become one of the most anticipated events on the arts calendar, with an eclectic range of rap artists, performance poets and poetry slams on offer.
The New Zealand Book Council receives core funding from Creative New Zealand. We are extremely grateful to our 
Peter Elbeshausen (Waiheke Island) and Anne Fahey (Christchurch) have each won a copy of 
Linda Wilson (Wellington) and Linda Silvester (Raglan) are the winners of Annie Proulx's memoir 
To celebrate the launch of the 2011 Auckland Writers and Readers Festival we have four double passes to give away to the New Zealand Listener Gala Night, a True Stories Told Live event with the theme, From A to Z. And follow us on Twitter during the festival @nzbookcouncil
Mercy by Jussi Adler‐Olsen (Penguin $40).This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. With shades of Ian Rankin's Rebus, Carl Morck, a homicide detective on the way out, is suddenly promoted to a newly formed department. This is perceived as a sideways move by his colleagues and Morck is given a cold case to look in to. Told from his point of view and the victims, it is a compelling read.
Last Four Things by Paul Hoffman (Penguin $40). The eagerly awaited second book in
My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher (Orion $30). A child/teen book that is a heart warming account of a young boys struggle to make sense of a loss that tore his family apart. It is saved from being an absolute tear jerker by the humorous voice of the narrator, 10 year old Jamie. His sister was killed in the London bombing when he was 5. His mum has left, his dad drinks and his older sister is rebelling.
Phone 0064 4 801 5546
Level 4, Stephenson & Turner House, 156 Victoria St, Te Aro
Wellington 6011, New Zealand
Phone 0064 4 801 5546
Level 4, Stephenson & Turner House, 156 Victoria St, Te Aro
Wellington 6011, New Zealand