The Auckland Writers and Readers Festival kicks off tomorrow. I have spent the equivalent of a small Third World country's debt buying tickets to the various workshops, author talks and seminars on offer. I can't wait. They're a funny lot, W & R Festival-Goers. It's worth the admission price just to sit outside the various…
My New Philosophy
Note: You might want to listen to P!nk's "Raise Your Glass" while reading this. It'll get you in a suitably rebellious mood. I have been listening to a lot of well-intentioned writing advice lately. The voices have been telling me how I should be writing, when and for how long. They've been telling me I'll…
The Gift of Poetry
I love getting presents, especially when they are precisely what I want at that moment in time. But if I could only get one more present for the rest of my life, it would be this: a poem written exclusively for me, by one of the poets I truly love. I would want to meet…
Gender Matters Matter
I dug this poem out today - I must have written it when I was around 9 or 10. What a laugh. I'll admit, along with some subtle editing, I've made one significant change today - Elly has changed from a boy to a girl elephant (and without the complicated surgery.) Recently I read an opinion piece…
My Wee Winning Story
My, that's a large one. I refer to the photo of my face that jumped out and slapped me as I opened the April issue of Reader's Digest (New Zealand edition). With the issue finally out today, I can announce that out of thousands of entries I am one of two runners-up in the NZ Readers…
The Hurty Bottom and other stories
The most gorgeous 5-yr-old in the universe (aka my daughter, Miss B.) was awarded a certificate at her school assembly this morning. The certificate read: "For writing some awesome stories so far this year. You are trying so hard with your writing!" Miss B. is turning into quite a storyteller. Every morning after mat time the…
You can take the girl out of Ireland…
I was born in Northern Ireland, and lived with my family in a little (as in: blink or you'll miss it) village called Altnamackin in County Armagh until we made the long and alienating journey to New Zealand in 1974. I was named after Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland, who, legend has it, planted a…
That is not what I meant, at all
Recently I had to submit a forty-word statement on "What Writing Means To Me" to a literary magazine, as a preface to one of my short stories. My toes curled in horror and I could feel my computer keyboard bracing itself for some recalcitrant bashing and prodding. I just hate that sort of thing. It…
Recently I found out that a literary magazine (Takahē, published quarterly here in New Zealand) is keen to publish one of my short stories. In the same week, I learned that I am one of two runners-up in a writing competition I entered a couple of months ago. (I can't tell you any more details as they…
Resolutions
Welcome to one of my favourite places in the world. I'm not going to tell you exactly where it is, because not many people have discovered it for the treasure that it is, and as a result it is still a relatively peaceful backwater. Most people head to the nearby holiday town (two words that strike…
Patricia Bell, Author 