Writers in the Library

By Kerrie Anne Spicer

Writers in the Library is a book of short stories and poems written by members of four writers groups in Auckland, New Zealand. These writers meet regularly in four separate libraries around Auckland for the purpose of improving their writing and creating lasting friendships.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kerrie Anne Spicer
• Release date: Nov 11, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466131644

Kerrie Anne Spicer

I am 39 years old and live in Auckland, New Zealand. I work full time as a Personal Assistant for a rescue helicopter, but have dreams of writing full time. I have a partner, Will, and a cat, Sushi. I have always been interested in writing and apparently used to carry around a notepad and pen when I was a child (or so I'm told). The moment I knew I was "hooked" though was when I did a 'writing for film' course at my local unitec. Over the past 19 years I have written a number of poems (mainly rhyming and haiku), short stories, short plays and short film scripts. The last 2 years have been the most rewarding for me. I had a 10 min play accepted into a worldwide short play festival (Short and Sweet Festival), which made it into the top 10 (out of 1,100 plays). I have also had a couple of stories published in a book which my writing group put together, called 'Writers in the Library'. We have also produced a radio show of our stories/poems and are in the process of getting this produced into a 3 disk set. At the beginning of this year I also completed a Diploma in writing for children. I am very excited about what is to come and am pleased to have found this site.

Book preview

Foreword

It has been my good fortune to be involved in a small way with the collection in this book.

I was asked to look at the stories submitted by the Writers’ Group and make some decisions as to what should be included and what should be sent back to the writers for further work. It was not an easy task as there were over sixty entries with plenty of good work that could be classed as ‘work-in-progress’. What I found most exciting was that there was such a wealth of material, and I think the reason for this can be placed at the hands of those people who have instigated and maintained this writers’ group.

Throughout New Zealand many groups of people come together to talk about their writing and to read what they have written. Not all are as active and interesting as the ‘writers in the library’. As well as running twice-monthly meetings, they have arranged and funded weekend workshops with an exciting programme of speakers. This is a group with the energy and desire to give people a window on how to write better and to improve their storytelling.

Five people have been involved in putting together this publication, making sure that all is correct and soothing those members whose work didn’t make the cut this time. Congratulations to Diana Tormey, Peter Buckton, Maureen Spencer, Lynette Hedrick and John Ewing for their vigour, commitment and fascination with the world of the written word.

I wish the Writers’ Group a long and happy life in encouraging and helping writers find their voice and create worthwhile and interesting literature.

Rae McGregor

Acknowledgements

Iain Sharpe, Manuscript Collection Librarian of Special Collections at Auckland City Library, who introduced us to the concept of meeting as writers in the library. Immeasurable gratitude for his generosity in giving his time, knowledge and encouragement on several occasions at St Heliers Bay Library.

The librarians at the four libraries who have patiently welcomed us, tolerated the space we take up, our occasional outbursts of laughter - St Heliers Bay, Remuera, Onehunga and Mangere Bridge.

The speakers who have addressed us over the years - Dr John Reynolds, Maggie

Maxwell, Sandra Morris, Rae McGregor. We have learned so much from you.

Creative New Zealand who sponsored our Workshops 2010. Your direction, your support, provided an unforeseen impetus to the energy of our group, with far- reaching outcomes not only for attending writers but also our speakers and workshop leaders.

The speakers who addressed our workshops: Graham Reid - Travel Writing; Siobhan Harvey - Poetry; Nalini Singh - Fantasy; Yvonne Lindsay - Romance; Joan Rosier-Jones - Writing the Short Story and Writing the Novel; Melinda Szymanik - Writing for Children; Jan Gow and Joyce Irving - Memoirs and Genealogy. People bubbled with infectious enthusiasm for weeks after attending these seminars.

Rae McGregor and Siobhan Harvey who assessed the prose and poetry submissions, respectively, for this book. Their generosity with their time, their enthusiasm for the project, their advice and encouragement were just what we needed when facing what seemed a daunting task.

Adrienne Morris as our publisher, for her amazing and invaluable advice and support. She has done the work of three people in the proofreading, editing and layout and answered above and beyond the call of duty. We are indebted to her for the contribution she has made in the final preparation of our book for printing. The style and presentation are in no small measure due to her efforts.

Also to all those who persevere with their writing and share their work with us - the touches of wisdom, the mistakes, the fantastic discoveries and intriguing insights they bring to our circle. The humour, the drama, the pathos and the courage. Sheer entertainment.

Introduction

The librarians had prepared a wonderful array of snacks, tea, coffee and wine. Rows of chairs were arranged, and Iain Sharpe (Manuscript Collection Librarian of Special Collections at Auckland City Library) stood waiting for the expected rush of avid readers, eager to listen to favourite passages, new pieces and great ideas. Seven arrived. Only seven were prepared to brave the gales of that evening.

That stormy Thursday in St Heliers Library in August 2006 all seven sat mesmerised by Iain’s brief commentary on the simplicity of poetry, the way words push meaning beyond expectations, the sheer enjoyment to be had from reading and reciting another’s deepest (or not) thoughts. Some had brought their own manuscripts to read aloud to the group. Some brought nothing but themselves, bundled in heavy jackets. No one went away without having actively participated.

A book of poetry was placed in my hand, and I opened it arbitrarily, reading the poem that started on that page. Not to be outdone, Bryon Farrelly read another poem from the same book and a second from another collection. Loretta Larkin read the first chapter of her current novella.

By the end of the evening, the three of us had agreed to start a writers’ group, meeting there in the library on a fortnightly basis. We would invite everyone we knew who had an interest in writing to come along and help the group grow.

Grow it did. The first meeting was attended by five. More came, one by one, to other meetings, some dropped away, some stayed for months - some still meet after four years, hardly missing a session. Others branched out, forming groups in other libraries: Remuera, Onehunga and Mangere Bridge.

An average of seven regular attendees expanded to over twenty. A mix of ages, skills and backgrounds makes for unlikely but lasting friendships. It also makes for some stimulating writing. We influence each other, urging each other on with the odd prod and shove. But whatever happens, we help move each other along the writer’s path.

The ultimate objective of any writer is to be published. The idea of us producing a book of work from our Writers’ Group was tentatively broached several times.

When our application to run a series of writing workshops for the community was approved by Creative New Zealand, a new energy surged into the group. The workshops required the dedication and energy of many: a bank account had to be arranged, a suitable venue found, speakers sought and invited, a programme set, flyers and tickets designed and printed, a web page built. The committee was driven and tireless. Our worst fears were nowhere near realised. It was tremendous, yielding increased enthusiasm and a greater awareness of what can be done when a good idea is allowed to materialise. Not to mention the improvements to our writing.

So from the success of the workshops, the book idea was now a possibility. A race ensued. A race to produce work good enough for publishing. A race to find outside assessors to objectively rank a growing pile of submissions. A race to assemble, edit and transform a bundle of papers in brown envelopes into a book-like form, from the diverse writing that emerged from our group of writers.

We believe there is something for everybody in these pages, something memorable, something to make you laugh, cry or quiver in fear.

Perhaps you, too, will join us in a library near you.

Diana Tormey

I HATE CHRISTMAS

Trevor Jones

I hate Christmas. Oh, it was okay when I was a kid. I got just as excited as anybody else at the thought of getting a free gift from some stranger called Santa. It was a bit odd that Mum’s rule that I shouldn’t take gifts from strange old men didn’t seem to apply on this occasion. But the thrill and the magic was lost once I’d worked out that it was really my Dad trying quietly to place toys on the end of my bed, while I lay with half-closed eyes watching him. Santa was never the same after that.

When I got married, it was a relief to find that my wife Joan wasn’t a Christmassy person either. After a working week, all the effort to produce ‘special meals’ and decorate the house just didn’t seem worth it. We preferred to surprise each other with little gifts on Christmas Day - gifts we had usually chosen ourselves to avoid disappointment. Then we headed off somewhere nice for a week’s holiday of relaxation and rich food. Not a bad way to get over the stress of another hard year.

This year was different. Thanks to the wonderful American economy and its desire to share its bad news with the rest of the world, both of us have had to work a lot harder for a lot less reward.

I had to take a cut in salary to keep my job. As if that wasn’t enough, the annual bonus was cancelled because of lack of profit. Nearly twenty staff were given the push, so who’s supposed to handle the extra work? You got it - me. Frankly, it was touch and go at times whether I hung in or told them to stick it, but where would I go? The late hours, broken sleep, ongoing stress and financial worries took their toll. There was no spare money for meals out. We hadn’t managed any long weekend breaks, and we had to cancel our usual Christmas holiday.

Christmas? Just another excuse to spend money we don’t have on things we don’t need. I couldn’t help thinking that, at our age, life should be getting easier, not harder. Watching all the merriment on television brought it home to me that I wasn’t doing as well as I should have been.

When we were first married and a lot younger, we tried all that. Invites to the few family members we had, perhaps some business acquaintances and neighbours. It wasn’t that I wanted the big jolly gathering. No thanks. The house full of people I didn’t really like making a mess of the lawn, consuming masses of food and drink at my expense.

Afterwards, we made the same resolution each year - to lose all the weight we had put on over the last week and never to repeat the torture. Overseas hotels were a much better plan.

Well, there’s no chance this year. No money, no patience, no interest.

This year will just be Joan and I. We want to pull up the drawbridge and relax, feel safe and isolated in our little world where we can vegetate together with a welcome glass of wine and let the rest take care of themselves.

Who needs Christmas?

Well, the big day came and went. We pottered and tried to make