First Chapters
First Chapters - Ngā Wāhanga Tuatahi is now its fourth successful year of operation. This coaching programme, formerly known as Writer in Manukau Libraries (WIML), provides an opportunity for local emerging writers to receive one-on-one coaching from already successful and established authors.
Past authors have included:
Write Around Manukau
The Write Around Manukau workshops are presented by Manukau Libraries and the NZ Society of Authors, and are funded by Manukau Libraries and the Creative Communities NZ Manukau City Scheme.
Workshops cover topics such as:
- Introduction to life writing
- Short-story writing
- Writing for children and teenagers
- Storytelling/storywriting
- Self-publishing - perils, pitfalls and profits
- Poetry - urban, natural and personal landscapes
- Introduction to screenwriting.
Find out more about the workshops running from July-November 2009.
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Competitions
'Watermelon' short story competition
'Watermelon' is a Manukau Libraries initiative supporting NZ Book Month 2009. The original story appeared in the NZ Listener, June 27, 1987 and author J.B. Ringer states that "'Watermelon' is set in a real place, Waitangi Falls, near Waiuku, where I grew up. The story pieces together a few fragments of adolescent memory. It's over to the reader to decide how real these are."
For more information view our 'Watermelon' competition rules, read the online short story or 
view the pdf version.
Author talks
Manukau Libraries often plays host to visiting authors, local, national and international, throughout most of our branches.
To date, our author talks have included:
Search our events calendar for author talks and book launches.
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Author E-interviews
Our Next Reads Romance E-interview newsletter has provided our staff with the opportunity to interview some of today's hottest romance authors, both emerging and already established. Each month we will add new e-interviews so you can meet the creative mind behind the books!
Current
Nalini is a New York Times Bestselling paranormal romance author who resides in Auckland, New Zealand. If you're a fan of her fiction then you definitely have to read the first of our very long e-interview, where we talk alpha males, writing schedules, where the PsyChangeling series is going. We get to post the most important question of all: Will 'The Ghost' get his own book? We've created a booklist of titles we hold by Nalini Singh for those of you who'd like to request her books - it is, for the most part, a very visual list and may make it easier to remind you which ones you have or haven't read. Read our Q&A session with Nalini!
Melanie Milburne grew up on small farm in Sydney and pursued a career in teaching, after having briefly considered a career as a nurse (which isn't so great for someone who feels faint at the sight of blood). After marrying a surgeon, raising a family and spending time living in Scotland, Melanie began writing and, she describes, 'I had finally found 'my brilliant career.' Lucky for us! We've created a booklist of titles we hold by Melanie Mlburne for those of you who'd like to request her books - feel free to request as many as you want. Read our Q&A session with Melanie!
Coming soon
Over the coming months we'll be adding some very revealing, candid and hilarious interviews. For now, check out what books we have by each profiled author by following the links below.
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