An hour with James Norcliffe
Date: Thursday, 6 December, 2018
Time: 12:10pm to 1:00pm
Cost: Free. You don't need to book.
Location: Te Ahumairangi (ground floor), National Library, corner Molesworth and Aitken Streets, Thorndon
Contact Details: events.natlib@dia.govt.nz or info@randellcottage.co.nz
James Norcliffe at Randell Cottage
James will talk about what he brought into the Randell Cottage — poetry and books for children — and what he hopes he will take out of it: a novel for grown-ups.
James wears a number of writing hats. He is a:
•children’s writer
•poet
•editor
•teacher of creative writing, and
•promoter of poetry in Christchurch.
Apart from a collection of short stories set in China, The Chinese Interpreter, and a few other short stories, he has rarely written fiction for adults.
Writing for grown-ups
His time in the Randell Cottage has given him the opportunity to write a novel for grown-ups.
James's wide-ranging talk will include readings from recently published work and background on how the pieces came about and then — braving the superstition regarding talk of work in progress — he will discuss The Frog Prince, his current Randell Cottage project.
There will be ample opportunity for the audience to participate via question and answer.
About the speaker
James Norcliffe is an editor, poet and children’s writer.
His recent work includes Dark Days in the Oxygen Cafe (VUP), The Pirates and the Nightmaker, Twice Upon A Time (Longacre/Random/Puffin) and Bonsai: Best Small Stories from Aotearoa New Zealand edited with Michelle Elvy and Frankie McMillan (Canterbury University Press).
Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
-
35.5% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
-
64.5% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Poll: Are you still heading to your local for your caffeine fix, or has the $$ changed your habits? ☕
Wellington’s identity is built on its cafe culture, but with costs climbing, that culture is under pressure. We’ve seen the headlines about recent closures, and it’s a tough pill to swallow along with a $6+ coffee.
We all want our favourite spots to stay open, but we also have to balance our own budgets ⚖️
We want to know: How are you handling the "coffee math" in 2026? Are you still heading to your local for a chat and a caffeine fix, or has the cost of living changed your habits?
Keen to read more about "coffee math"? The Post has you covered.
-
46.7% I avoid spending money on coffee
-
43.4% I still indulge at my local cafe
-
9.9% Irrelevant - coffee is not for me
Loading…
