Articles

Eclipses and Breaks of Light (Arturo Desimone)

A translation of Eclipses y Fulgores, an interview of Argentinean surrealist Olga Orozco, with new preface. Born to the Pampas in 1920, Olga Orozco spent her adolescence in the coastal city of Bahía Blanca in Argentina, and made her artistic debut in the so-called “Generation of the 1940s” alongside authors like Enrique Molina and Edgar … Continue reading Eclipses and Breaks of Light (Arturo Desimone)

#WorldKidLitWednesday: Francesco Tirelli's Ice Cream Shop

Very few people have heard of Francesco Tirelli, one of the multitude of unsung heroes and heroines of World War II. Nor have they heard about how this Italian gelato aficionado emigrated to Hungary, opened a successful ice cream parlor in the middle of Budapest, and, years later, quietly saved many of his Jewish friends … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: Francesco Tirelli's Ice Cream Shop

#WorldKidLitWednesday: Little Parsley

Inger Hagerup is recognized as one of Norway's greatest 20th century poets. Originally published in 1961 with illustrations by Paul René Gaughin, Little Parsley is a classic collection of 17 of her poems for children, freshly translated from the Norwegian by Becky Lynn Crook. Ideally suited to children in lower primary, Little Parsley is an … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: Little Parsley

New Zealand writing – wrap up

Long overdue (many public libraries in New Zealand are abandoning overdue fines) here at last is the summation of the New Zealand month - February 2020. Now that I look back on that month I see there are so many writers, events, celebrations that I could have (and I am sure some of my colleagues … Continue reading New Zealand writing – wrap up

Goodnight kiwi – haere rā

The kiwi is a remarkable bird. As Te Ara Encyclopedia explains, "The flightless, nocturnal kiwi is an oddity, and perhaps an unlikely choice for a national symbol. But the round body, long beak and short legs invite curiosity and affection – and it’s an easy bird to draw. It appears everywhere, on coins, stamps, shoe … Continue reading Goodnight kiwi – haere rā

Awards – recognition and publicity

New Zealand has a number of Book Awards run by different organizations. It is a great way for me as an ex-pat to keep up to date with the best of New Zealand writing. Awards can be arbitrary and follow the whimsy of the awards panel but overall what they offer all of us is … Continue reading Awards – recognition and publicity

#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Meet Reviewer Marcia Lynx Qualey

Marcia Lynx Qualey is a Rabat, Morocco-based translator from Arabic and an all-around champion of #worldkidlit—in fact, she coined the term! Previously based in Cairo, Marcia co-founded #WorldKidLit Month (September) with Alexandra Büchler and Lawrence Schimel in 2016, creating a platform to discuss translations into English for children—especially translations from underrepresented languages and cultures. The … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Meet Reviewer Marcia Lynx Qualey

Gavin Bishop -NZ illustrator and writer

Picture books inhabit that beautiful collaboration of the text being incomplete without the illustration and the illustration relying on the text for the fullness of comprehension. Gavin Bishop is an illustrator and writer whose contribution to New Zealand literature has been recognised by naming an award after him. In 2009 Storylines created the Gavin Bishop … Continue reading Gavin Bishop -NZ illustrator and writer