Bell, Andrew M
IN BRIEF
Andrew Bell is a poet, fiction writer and playwright whose work has appeared in New Zealand, Australia, England, Israel and the USA. His short fiction has appeared in several volumes of One Hundred New Zealand Short Short Stories. Trained as an actor and director, Bell has written numerous plays and also teaches writing in schools in Australia and New Zealand.
ProfilePlace of residence: Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bell, Andrew (1957 - ) is an award-winning poet, fiction writer and playwright whose work has appeared in New Zealand, Australia, England, Israel and the USA.
Bell's seven self-published collections of poetry and prose, all published under the ‘Son of Artwork Press’ imprint, are Headlights, Songs in a Silent Key, Son of Artwork, A Rhino in the Hand, Shaking off the Dust, After the Storm and Moonlight in the Aquarium. His short fiction appeared in One Hundred New Zealand short short stories volumes 2, 3 and 4. A new collection of short stories, Aotearoa Sunrise was published in December 2008.
Trained as an actor and director, Bell is increasingly interested in writing for the stage, and for film and television. His scripts have been broadcast on children's television programme, What Now? Bell writes, ‘I have a very visual imagination and I get increasing satisfaction from seeing my work rise from page to stage, made flesh’.
Andrew Bells plays include ‘Shadows on Glass’, ‘Taking on Water’, and ‘A Busload of Faith’, of which The Evening Post writes: ‘[t]he evening's stand-out performance was 'A Busload of Faith', a full frontal play on the emotions.’
Encouraging the creativity of young writers is another dimension of Bell's writing life. Working in schools in Australia and New Zealand, he provides tips for students on writing, and believes that writing can be a boost to young people's self-esteem.
'For many people it is a way of coming to grips with a situation whether it be traumatic or joyful,' says Bell. ‘They may be able to better express their feelings in their writing than they can in everyday speech.’
Bell is presently adapting his play, ‘The Reluctant Messiah’, into a screenplay. The world premiere was performed by the Hagley Theatre Company in Christchurch, 2004. ‘The Reluctant Messiah’ was one of the three plays chosen from a competition to be work-shopped by La Mama Theatre in Melbourne in November 2007.
Aotearoa Sunrise, a collection of 21 short stories, was released in December 2008. Clawed Rains, a collection of 50 poems, was published in 2011.
(Last Updated: August 2011)
writers in schools information
Andrew Bell is available for school visits as part of the Writers in Schools programme. He is happy to speak to students aged from 5-18 years, and is able to talk about poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and scriptwriting. He is also prepared to give age-appropriate workshops on creative writing by prior arrangement. He would prefer to speak to classes of 15-20 students, with a maximum of 30 students. Andrew Bell is able to participate in tours outside his region with reasonable advance notice.
KAPAI: Kids' Authors' Pictures and Information
Where do you live?
I live near the sea in New Brighton, Christchurch. I love the sea and never like to be far from it. I love to surf.
What books do you read?
I read anything and everything. Poetry and short stories are great for 'small bites' of reading. I love books that make me laugh, cry, think and wonder.
Who is your favourite author?
I don’t really have a favourite because there are so many wonderful writers. Here are a few I like – Milan Kundera, John Irving, Tom Robbins, Kurt Vonnegut, Arundhati Roy, Richard Brautigan, John Marsden, Tim Winton, Paul Jennings, Margaret Mahy and C.S. Lewis.
How do you think up your ideas?
I find ideas have a way of arriving and often the best ones come while I’m in the shower or drifting off to sleep. It pays to keep a notebook by the bed, and then I often dream up ideas while driving, too. If you invent a water-proof notebook, let me know.
What is the best thing about being an author?
One of the best things is the amazing journey of discovery writing can take me on. Sometimes I plot a story from beginning to end and at other times I just start with an idea. It’s also great visiting schools and getting a live response to my writing, since writers don’t often meet their readers.
Some Questions from Primary School Students
What sort of pets do you have?
Simba, our three-year-old jet black cat.
What is your favourite colour/food/movie/game?
My favourite colour is purple.
My favourite food is Mum’s French cutlets.
My favourite movie is Dead Poet’s Society.
My favourite game is playing with my sons, Thomas and Ryan, on our trampoline.
What is the most fun thing about being an author?
The most fun thing is sending your dreams and ideas out into the universe and wondering who will read them, who will be moved by them, entertained by them and who will love them. Also, receiving all the drawings and notes from school children after school visits.
How do you make books?
I make my books by sending my stories and poems to publishers and hoping they like them enough to publish them.
Where do you go for your holidays?
When we can afford it, we go to Pacific Islands for warm seas, friendly people, sun and surf. Otherwise, Aotearoa is a beautiful country to holiday in.
What was the naughtiest thing you ever did at school?
One of the naughtiest things was when my friends and I had a stone fight with some boys on the way to school and everyone got the strap – except for me because I’d been hit on the head with a stone.
Another time we squashed dead sheep’s eyes in a boy’s pencil case which he didn’t know who had done.
Some Questions from Secondary School Students
How did you get started?
I got started slowly. When I was 16 I sent a poetry manuscript to Alister Taylor thinking I’d be hailed as another Sam Hunt, but he sent it back with a polite, encouraging letter. I kept writing and submitting, building on each success I had.
Who inspired you when you were getting started?
Sam Hunt inspired me just by being himself and having a unique writing voice. Jack London is another inspiration, for believing in himself and never giving up despite stacks of rejection letters.
What advice would you give an aspiring young writer?
I would advise them to read lots. Then write lots. You need to find your own style and voice and study the publications market to find where your writing might fit. It’s also good to enter writing competitions to hone your skills and raise your profile.
Is it difficult to make a living writing in New Zealand?
Yes, it is difficult. There is a small population and limited markets. I lived in Australia for 8 years which has 6 times New Zealand’s population so there are many more publications to sell your writing to.
What were you like as a teenager?
I was not a good role model for you. I had a rebellious, curious, adventurous nature and I caused my parents a fair bit of grief. I grew out of it but if karma exists, my children will probably cause me headaches when they are teenagers.
Is there anything else you could tell children about yourself?
When I was eight we lived in Te Kuiti. Once my parents took me and my younger brother to visit some people who were staying in the town’s one and only 4-star hotel. We went upstairs to play with our parent’s friend’s children in their hotel room. As we were walking along the corridor I decided to show off . 'This is what you do if there’s fire,' I said. I banged my fist against the fire alarm button, thinking there was a glass pane covering it but a circle of glass had been cut away around the button. The fire alarm went off, clanging loudly all through the hotel. Chaos ensued. Staff were running up and down the stairs, guests were running out into the streets. Two fire engines arrived. Mum and Dad were very annoyed with me and later, when everything had calmed down, I had to go and apologise to the hotel manager and the fire chief for causing a false alarm.
Media links and clips
- Andrew Bell is available for school visits as part of the Book Council's Writers in Schools programme.
- Andrew is featured in the 2002 Summer issue of BRAT: Books for Readers and Teachers
- Andrew Bell essay in the 2002 Physics Room Annual
