On this month

Just a couple of upcoming events this month which you might find interesting. First the 2011 Dan Davin Literary Foundation Short Story Writing Competition is now underway. Entry costs $5 each and is open to all. There are 3 great prizes are up for grabs: $250 for first place, $150 for second, and $100 for third. Entry forms with full conditions of entry are available at the Library. Entries close 5pm Friday 22 July.

If your in town on Wednesday June 15 at 6.45pm come along and meet Linda at Information Services. Linda is the manager of Information Services and she'll be introducing people to family research. Find out what resources the library has and how we can help you get started on the search for your ancestors. Later you are welcome to join the Southland Society of Genealogists at their monthly meeting in the meeting room.

Lastly just a quick note. If you are placing a hold on an item from home, please select only “Invercargill Library” or “Bluff Library” as the “Pickup at” location, even if the item is held in Storage or Archives. Remember that Storage and Archive are staff only areas so you will not be able to pick up your book from there. We'll move it to Invercargill or Bluff for you to pick up.

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A rose for the crown

Anne Easter Smith

This is one of the very few works of fiction that paints Richard III in a good light. It is the story of Kate Haute, a young woman who falls in love with Richard. Kate is a young woman with very strong convictions. She is born into a world where women are more or less possessions of their husbands and fathers.
The story takes the reader from Kate growing up as a child, right through to the Battle of Bosworth Field, and the beginning of the reign of the Tudors. Through Kate’s eyes we see the Wars of the Roses, the changes in kings and how this affected people. It explores what really happened to Richard’s nephews in the Tower, and what Richard was most truly like. The politics of the time can be confusing, but I feel that the author does a very good job of explaining what is happening. It shows the reader what life was like in the last days of the Plantagenet kings, and how the politics of the day affected the everyday people.
There are beautiful elements of fiction which really add to the story, and it obvious that the author researched for a very long time to write this book. A little drawn out in parts, it is still a very enjoyable story, and I highly recommend it to all those who love a good historical read.

(Reviewed by Jasmine.)

Fleur Beale and other winners

So the New Zealand Post Children's book awards have come and gone for another year. I hope you all had a go at voting for the children's choice award as there was a great prize to be won.

We were lucky enough to have Fleur Beale down as our visiting author during the awards period. She visited local schools and held a writing workshop for teenagers while here. I hope she enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed having her.

On top of that Fleur's book, Fierce September, won the young adult's section of the awards so I'm claiming the Southland influence helped her win (I'm not really sure how I can justify that but I'm saying it anyway). Fierce September is the follow up to Juno of Taris which won Fleur the Esther Glen award in 2009. Juno of Taris was reviewed here as part of our Pursue 100 reading competition last summer (thanks Aliesha).

Fierce September picks up the story where Juno left off a ship arrives at Taris saving the occupants from their crumbling world and taking them to New Zealand as refugees. The New Zealand they find is not the New Zealand we know however. The calamities of climate change and pandemics has given rise to right wing extremists. Extremists who are eager to use the people of Taris for their own political ends.

Now I've got to admit I liked this book better than Juno of Taris. While they both hive some great themes and characters Fierce September to me digs further into the future world Fleur Beale was trying to create. This makes it in a way more real. I loved the interactive side of the book as well. Fleur set up two Warningtheworld.blogspot.com and bobbingontheocean.blogspot.com. Each one gives the reader a different perspective on the action of the story again making things more real.

Check out the blogs and see if they peak your interest.

Anyway I'd best let you know about the other New Zealand Post Children's book award winners too. The Moon & Farmer McPhee by Margaret Mahy & David Elliot for best picture book. This wonderful gentle story about stopping and taking time to smell the roses also won book of the year. The non-fiction prize was taken out by Leon Davidson for Zero Hour: The ANZACs on the Western Front. From the junior fiction category Hollie Chips by Anna Gowan won best new book while Finnigan & the Pirates by Sherryl Jordan won the category. Lastly and not surprisingly Baa Baa Smart Sheep by Mark & Rowan Sommerset won the children's choice award.

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