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 2007.
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.
Hot Money was published in 2009 by Pearson. It is about a boy who ends up with the proceeds of a bank robbery and has to decide what to do with the stolen money. Hot Money is part of the ‘Nitty Gritty’ series. Another title in the ‘Nitty Gritty’ series was published in 2011. Hippo Ears and the Stargazer is set in ancient Greece and was inspired by the real character of mathematician and astronomer Aristarchus of Samos, one of the first recorded people in history to suggest that the earth went around the sun.
ACHUKAbooks, a new e-book publisher based in the UK, launched its list in 2012 with Nagelkerke's speculative children’s novella The Field. The novella is about a girl who claims to have had a vision of Mary, the Mother of God. One reviewer commented: 'The Field is a refreshingly original story . . . Don’t be put off by the religious aspect . . . because I think you’d enjoy it whether or not you have any religious affiliation. I found Jacinta easy to relate to as she was just a normal kid, and I found myself wondering what I would have done if I’d been in her situation. In a way she’s a modern day Joan of Arc . . . One thing that I particularly liked about the story was that the second part was told using different forms of media, including newspaper articles, letters to the editor and City Council meeting minutes...The ending leaves you wondering whether people do turn up to hear her message and what that message might have been. Like the other people in the story, we have to make up our own mind.' ACHUKAbooks was established by Michael Thorn who established the influential ACHUKA children’s literature website, later a blog, in 1997. The Field is downloadable as a Kindle e-book from Amazon.
Nagelkerke has translated a number of books from Dutch into English for Wellington’s Gecko Press. Who’s Driving? by Leo Timmers (2006); I am the King, also by Leo Timmers (2007); Sheep with boots by Maritgen Matter (2009); and Eep!, by Joke van Leeuwen (2010). Eep! was released in the United States in 2012 and received a Star Review in Booklist. He has four more translations scheduled for 2012/2013. Ant the elephant by Toon Tellegen; The dream life of Mister Renny by Leo Timmers; When my father became a bush by Joke van Leeuwen; and Wolf and Dog by Sylvia Vanden Heede.
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.
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 a 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
- Download The Field for Kindle in e-book form on Amazon
- You can read an interview with Bill Nagelkerke at the Christchurch Library website
- Bill Nagelkerke's Star Author blog for Christchurch City Libraries
- 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
- Read and comment on a short story by Bill Nagelkerke here
