Get writing, win prizes

Boy oh boy there are a lot of writing competitions at the moment. Go to the websites to find out the terms and conditions, then do your thing, and good luck!

• Sunday Star-Times Short Story Competition closes August 26 2011
• 2011 Cultural Icons & Vernacular Lounge Non-fiction Writing Competition closes September 1 2011
• Royal Society of New Zealand Manhire Prize for Creative Science Writing closes September 9 2011
• 2011 Takahe poetry competition closes September 30 2011

And if you are into winning books, hop on to the Booksellers NZ competitions page.

If you know of any other writing competitions on at the moment, add your comment below.

Intrigue and scandal at the castle

I’m off to a session of The Press Christchurch Writers Festival this Sunday.  I’d like to say it’s because I’m committed to filling my mind with erudite learning and historical facts about New Zealand.

Honestly, though?  It comes to this:  there’s a castle.  And in the castle there is, by all accounts, an intrigue and a scandal.  If this alone isn’t enough to woo you, add these enticements:  the setting is our own beloved Larnach Castle; the writer is Owen Marshall; and tickets for the event are only $15.

The Larnachs is a fictional re-telling of the story of William Larnach, his third wife Constance, and her relationship with William’s son Douglas.  I’m not going to blather on today about the storyline, the great attention to details both character and historical, or the glowing reviews received for the book so far.  Instead I’m just going to say, go get yourself a ticket and I’ll see you there.  And next week I’ll post some pics, and we can have a good old natter about the event, the writing, and what we all thought.

Oh, and if anyone has already managed to get a copy and read it, please comment below and tell us what you thought!