Nagelkerke, Bill
IN BRIEF
Bill Nagelkerke is a children’s writer and former librarian. His stories, poems and plays have appeared in many New Zealand anthologies. Nagelkerke has published work in the School Journal, in Learning Media’s Choices books and Orbit/Skyrider series and in the New South Wales School Magazine. His work has also been broadcast on National Radio’s ‘Storytime’ and various children’s television programmes, including Playschool. In 2006 and 2008, nominated by Storylines, he was a member of the international jury for the Hans Christian Andersen Awards.
ProfilePlace of residence: Christchurch |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nagelkerke, Bill (1958 - ) is a children’s writer and former children’s librarian. ‘I suspect I’m one of those writers,’ he says, ‘who thinks, deep down, that the story should do the telling, not the person who wrote it. Nevertheless I know from talking with other writers, and children in schools, that making the connection between the story and the writer is important.’
Nagelkerke’s stories, poems and plays have appeared in many New Zealand anthologies including The Puffin New Zealand Storybook (1991, 1996); I’m Glad the Sky is Painted Blue (1993); And Me for All of Those: Voices of Canterbury (2000); Another 100 New Zealand Poems for Children (2001); Claws & Jaws (2004); Down to the Sea Again (2005); Mischief & Mayhem (2005); Like Wallpaper (2005) and The Puffin Treasury of New Zealand Children’s Stories, Volume 3 (2006): in the UK in The Hutchinson Treasury of Children’s Poetry (1998) and in Australia in Kids’ Night In (2003) and Short (2008). Writing about his story Sun Days and Moon Nights (1994) in the anthology of the same name (1994), one reviewer commented: ‘I especially enjoyed the title story which demonstrates the excitement and wonder brother and sister find when seeing the world through the others’ eyes.’
Nagelkerke’s work has been published in the School Journal (since 1985); in Learning Media’s Choices books and their Orbit/Skyrider series; in the New South Wales School Magazine; and broadcast on National Radio’s Storytime and various children’s television programmes including Playschool. His first book for children was Dream Boat (1997). It was followed by The Walk (2002), a ‘green level’ reader, an account of a walk from the city to the sea. The pictures, by Bruce Potter, show a landscape that will be familiar to those who know the Port Hills of Christchurch. Other educational books include Reflections (2005), Super Structures (2005), A Good Idea (2005) and Stars (2008). A Good Idea is a title in Learning Media’s Ready to Read series.
Going Bananas (2003) is a title in the Kiwi Bites series. In this story Reuben thinks that his little brother Matt ruins everything - at home, at the mall, at the magic show. He’s told him to get lost so often. And then Matt does. Egghead (2006) and The Paint Job (2006) are two titles in Oxford University Press’s Zigzags series. In Egghead Pravar loves to play tricks on his little brother; in The Paint Job Pravar wants to paint his bedroom – the trouble is, it’s Prem’s bedroom too and he’s very happy with how it looks.
Old Bones (Scholastic, 2006) is Nagelkerke’s first full length children’s novel. It is set in Christchurch by the banks of the Avon River. Reviewers have commented: ‘Bill Nagelkerke conjures up a classy ghost story…’ (The Dominion Post); ‘Unputdownable’ (Around the Bookshops); ‘This is writing of the highest quality, taking a difficult subject and making it exciting and moving’ (The Source). Old Bones was selected as a Storylines Notable Book for 2006.
A second novel Sitting on the Fence (Scholastic, 2007), about the controversial tour of New Zealand by the Springbok rugby team in 1981, is a title in the fictional diary series My Story. Sitting on the Fence was a finalist in the Junior Fiction section of the 2008 New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.
Nagelkerke has also translated two picture books from Dutch into English for Wellington’s Gecko Press. Who’s Driving was published in 2006 and I am the King was published in 2007.
As well as writing for children Nagelkerke has written reviews and articles for Reading Forum New Zealand, Talespinner, Magpies and New Zealand Libraries and has contributed to The Cambridge Guide to Children’s Books (2001) and The Continuum Encyclopedia of Young Adult Literature (2005). In 2006 and 2008, nominated by Storylines, he was a member of the international jury for the Hans Christian Andersen Awards. An article about this experience appears in Magpies Vol. 23, Issue No. 3, July 2008.
Nagelkerke was the convenor of the 2009 New Zealand Post Book Awards judging panel. Also in 2009, Nagelkerke published Hot Money (Pearson, 2009) about a boy who ends up with the proceeds of a bank robbery and has to decide what to do with the stolen money. It is part of the 'Nitty gritty' series.
writers in schools information
Nagelkerke is available to talk to students over the age of 5 as part of the Book Council's Writers in Schools programme. He is happy to discuss being an educational writer, a writer/illustrator, a poet, a teen fiction writer, a non-fiction writer and a translator. Nagelkerke can give an introduction and talk, a reading and Q&A session, a gifted and talented talk, in addition to taking workshops. He would prefer to talk to groups of 30 students with a maximum of 60 at one time. He is prepared to travel out of town for Writers in Schools visits.
Media links and clips
- You can read an interview with Bill Nagelkerke at the Christchurch Library website
- Bill Nagelkerke is available for school visits as part of the Book Council's Writers in Schools programme.
- He is featured in the 2000 Spring issue of BRAT
- Visit the Gecko Press website
- Bill Nagelkerke's profile on the Storylines website
- Review of Old Bones
- Review of Sitting on the Fence
