Parker, John
IN BRIEF
John Parker is a children's writer who also writes for adults, as a journalist and radio scriptwriter. Parker has published over 100 fiction and non-fiction books for children. Many of his poems, stories, articles, and plays have appeared in the School Journal and other publications, and have been broadcast on Radio New Zealand and BBC School Radio. In 2006 he was nominated in the Non-Fiction section of the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Parker, John (1939 –) is a children's writer who also writes for adults as a journalist and radio scriptwriter.
Born in Christchurch, he graduated from the University of Auckland in 1964 with an MA in history, leaving New Zealand to travel in England and Europe as a professional opera singer.
Parker has published over one hundred fiction and non-fiction books for children including picture books, junior readers, chapter books, non-fiction and novels for early teens. Around 60 of his poems, stories, articles, and plays have appeared in the School Journal and other publications. Radio New Zealand and BBC School Radio have broadcast a number of his childrens stories and radio plays.
His picture book titles include I Love Spiders (1987) and Slippery Sloppery Spaghetti (1997). A number of his books have been illustrated by his son Jeffy James. "Brings glittery eyes and smiles," writes Nola Hambleton of I Love Spiders, "a story-tellers delight."
Pavlova and Presents (1996) is the story of a Kiwi summertime Christmas. "This book is a wonderful celebration," writes a reviewer. "Told in narrative rhyme, we can all relate to the joyful exuberance of this family as it awakes to Christmas morn."
Other subjects include a skiing sheep in Amanda the Amazing Merino (1990); a cat's escape from the vet in TT's Terrible Tuesday (1995); and a group of teenagers caught in a volcanic eruption in Edge of Disaster (1999).
John Parker has won a Frank Sargeson Award for best first-time contributor to Landfall and was a finalist in the 1991 NZLA award with his non-fiction title Journey, Story of Kiwifruit. In 1999 he was awarded a Creative New Zealand project grant to write a children's novel.
Poppa McPhee and the Cat up a Tree was published by in Scholastic in 2002. When Poppa McPhee's cat gets stuck up a tree, he has many clever ideas about how to rescue her.
The Kiwi Kid's Fact Book (2001) is a book full of information about New Zealand.
John Parker's latest novel is Dragonspell illustrated by Errol McLeary (Scholastic, 2004). Unless the dragon is beaten in single combat, Princess Jennifer goes to her death. Since the evil dragon Fire-Snorter cast its power over Merrylands, the kingdom has been plunged into gloom and despair.
Piddles (Puffin Books, 2004) is part of the Kiwi Bites series. Piddles drops something round and white on the sleeper's nose - oh no, not another golf ball...
In 2005 Scholastic republished TT's Terrible Tuesday, with illustrations by Jeffy James.
Parker's latest publication is a four-volume children's history of New Zealand called Frontier of Dreams, The Story of New Zealand (Scholastic New Zealand, 2005). The books were based on material originally commissioned by, or used in, the TVNZ programme of the same name. It was nominated in the Non Fiction section of the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults 2006.
Poppa McPhee Gets The Eggs was published by Scholastic. (2006)
writers in schools information
Parker is available to talk to students aged up to 15 years old. Topics he is prepared to discuss are the writing process, the life of the writer, approaches for different genres, and routines and methods of writing. He will speak to up to 80 students, but would prefer smaller groups, and he is able to run workshops by prior arrangement. He is prepared to travel out of town for Writers in Schools visits. Please continue down the page to see answers to a list of questions provided by school students:
Kapai: Kids' Authors’ Pictures and Information
Where do you live?
Beside a golf course on the North Shore in Takapuna, near Auckland. I sometimes get a golf-ball through the window – even when it’s shut!
What books do you read?
Anything and everything – from comics to long novels and most stuff in between.
Who is your favourite author?
Anyone who writes well – and is preferably funny as well. For some names, let’s start with J.K.Rowling, Joy Cowley, and Ursula le Guin – but there are many other writers I like, too.
How do you think up your ideas?
First, I jot down in my ideas book anything interesting that happens round me or that flies into my head. Second, I work on them, to make them interesting poems or plays or stories. That’s the hard bit!
What is the best thing about being an author?
Feeling good because you’ve turned an idea into something that children can read and enjoy and also sitting cosily in a study when other people have to go off to work in the pouring rain!
Some Questions from Primary School Students
What sort of pets do you have?
Just one – a dark grey cat called Mister. He and I have been talking to each other for 12 years now, so we know each other well. He likes me most when I’m about to give him some food.
What is your favourite colour?
Green – for grass, leaves, and Granny Smith apples.
What is your favourite food?
It depends on the time and the place – but it’s always easy to eat a crisp juicy apple.
What is your favourite movie?
I like funny movies, so I enjoy animated films like Shrek and Chicken Run; and I always laugh when I watch movies starring the French actor Gerard Depardieu.
What is your favourite game?
Grabble – a made-up game my family plays using Scrabble pieces. On every turn any player can change and steal the other players’ words. It’s fast and it’s fun!
What is the most fun thing about being an author?
Giving myself holidays!
How do you make books?
I don’t! I write the words. Then the publishers do the rest by choosing wonderful illustrators, and putting the words and the pictures together by using clever computers.
Where do you go for your holidays?
Mostly I go skiing or tramping – to Ruapehu or places in the South Island. Sometimes I spend time at Piha, a surf beach near Auckland, to try and catch some waves with my boogie-board.
What was the naughtiest thing you ever did at school?
Once in school I stuck my foot out in front of a boy who was returning to his desk just after being told off by the teacher. He didn’t notice my leg and tripped over it. Bang crash wallop! (I still feel mean about it)
Some Questions from Secondary School Students
How did you get started?
First, by discovering the world of words through reading when I began school. I read voraciously – Jaws in the library! Reading and writing go strongly together – like the right and the left hands in a good golf grip. Second, by realising a few months before my 40th birthday that if I was to take seriously my often-repeated wish to write, then I had better get cracking!
Who inspired you when you were getting started?
I have a younger brother who writes for newspapers and magazines. He was full of encouragement. Plus getting work accepted was inspiring. And getting paid was helpful, too! It meant writing was not just a hobby but something that would provide a living as well as satisfaction.
What advice would you give an aspiring young writer?
Be patient. Good writing takes time, so try to enjoy the process without being impatient at achieving the product. Writing is about discovering things – what you really mean about a character, what you really want to write about, how to finish a particular story, and so on. It can’t be done in a couple of minutes. Also read other authors. Their work will stimulate and improve your writing. And keep on keeping on! It’s only good writers who get rejection slips!
Is it difficult to make a living writing in New Zealand?
Yes - the New Zealand and Australian markets are small and publishers naturally are loath to take risks. Books sold in the United States make more money but it’s not easy breaking into that competitive market from our small country at the bottom of the world – even though our film-makers are showing the way.
What were you like as a teenager?
Gawky, easily embarrassed, lacking social skills, self-conscious, having a big gap between my dreams and reality, and generally with a lot of growing up to do. In other words, I guess I was about normal.
Is there anything else you could us about yourself?
I believe in being fair – so I didn’t mind if I was caned at secondary school for doing something that deserved it. But once I got whacked – along with the rest of the class – because the French teacher was tired of a small group of inattentive boys. He should have told them off and not whacked the rest of us. I still sometimes think about the teacher’s injustice. Maybe I could write a story about it.
