Literature festival inspiring Kiwi kids

Weekend magazine

21 Aug, 2015 05:00 PM6 mins to read

Liesha Ward Knox entertains at the Storylines Festival. Photo / Supplied

Embracing literature and inspiring kids across Auckland and Northland, the Storylines family days are coming to town.

A love of reading is a pleasure that can last a lifetime. The Storylines Festival family days in Auckland, Manukau and Kerikeri are a chance for kids to get up close to the authors and illustrators who produce the work they love, and find out more about where books - and the ideas behind them - come from.

Storylines, the largest children's literature festival in the southern hemisphere, comprises family days around the country this and next weekend, as well as school tours in Auckland and Northland, where authors and illustrators share the stories behind their work.

Storylines events manager Vicki Cunningham says the festival, now in its 22nd year, is about providing a platform where young people can come into contact with their literary heroes, and authors and illustrators can have contact with their audience.

"It's providing that link where kids can see their favourite books come alive, and see the process of how books are made, and where the ideas come from. It makes it a bit more tangible."

The events also encourage kids to explore their own creativity, with hands-on activities and writing and illustrating competitions.

Veteran author Tessa Duder, who was involved in organising the first Storyline family days and has participated in all but one since then, says the focus has always been on New Zealand authors.

"The idea was to not put the focus on books or on selling books, but to give kids the opportunity to meet the authors and illustrators behind the books, and to share performances, craft activities and listen to readings.

"It's a fun-filled day which also has the benefit of celebrating particularly New Zealand books and reading and making it central to children's lives," says Duder, who this year will take part in both the Northland and Auckland family days, as well as touring schools in Northland. "It's the highlight of my year, and I know it is for many other authors, too."

Auckland city

Winds, waves, warriors - and the Topp Twins: the Storylines Auckland family day at the Aotea Centre next Sunday offers a huge selection of activities to engage and inspire young readers and writers. Auckland regional co-ordinator Jodie Chapell says as well as book readings, art and craft activities and storytelling, there will also be live performances from the Variety Voices choir, several schools, Perform! Educational Musicals, orchestra The Toys in Chouchou Corner and the aforementioned Topp Twins.

Many authors and illustrators will also be giving book talks, explaining the stories behind their work, where they get their ideas and how books are made. Chapell says these talks will also appeal to adults who want to know more about the creative process.

For kids who are into graphic novels, there will be a comic and zine-creating zone. In the Factopia area there will be activities including experimenting with periscopes, wearable art with Fifi Colston and creating three-dimensional Maori art with Julie Noanoa and Norm Heke, who created New Zealand Children's Book Awards finalist Maori Art for Kids. Poets Paula Green and Elena de Roo will help kids put together their own poems.

"There's lots of hands-on stuff," Chapell says. "It's about making reading a fun activity. As one of our authors said, school's for Monday, and this is a Sunday."

South Auckland

This is the third year a separate South Auckland family day has been held; this year's event is at the Mangere Arts Centre next Saturday (August 29). Cunningham, who is co-ordinating the event, says the South Auckland day is designed to make the festival more accessible to those who live away from the city centre.

"The event is still relatively new but it is gaining momentum as more and more people become aware of it," says Cunningham.

Rather than having an overall theme, the event will showcase a range of different authors and illustrators and their unique projects. Among those appearing in South Auckland are Tim Tipene, who has developed the Warrior Kids programme to teach 5 to12 year olds strategies for dealing with conflict; Philippa Werry, who has published children's books on Anzac Day and Waitangi Day; and Melinda Szymanik, who will bring her book The Song of Kauri to life with activities around preventing kauri die-back disease. Josh Morgan and Sacha Cotter will also look at what can be unlocked with their book Keys.

Northland Family Day, Kerikeri

Since 2007 the Storylines love has also been shared with the Northland region, with events being held alternately in Whangarei and Kaitaia. This year it's Kerikeri's turn to host the family day, with a full programme of events at the Turner Centre next Saturday.
Co-ordinator Jeannie Skinner says a team of authors and artists such as Tessa Duder, pony-story author Stacy Gregg and Ruth Paul will share their stories and expertise through book talks, readings and activities. Other guests include local storyteller Waikarere Gregory, who will share Maori creation stories, and South Auckland teacher and reading warrior David Riley, who writes and publishes books about such sporting role models as Sonny Bill Williams and Benji Marshall. "It's a collaborative effort put together by a team of people who are passionate about bringing together kids and books, and making it fun," Skinner says.

Kids' competitions

Each of the three festivals is running children's writing and illustrating competitions. Kids can pre-prepare entries or get creative on the day, with a prizegiving at each venue in the afternoon. Entries will be judged in various age groups.

The Auckland family day has three competitions: drawing a warrior-monster, inspired by the picture books of Raymond McGrath and Paul Beavis; writing the captain's log for a sea voyage, like one of the adventures in Tessa Duder's Out on the Water - Twelve Tales of the Sea; or composing a noise poem about a special place where you need to shout, sing or whisper.

The South Auckland competitions include designing a book cover and writing about experiences of Waitangi Day - plus kids are encouraged to come in book-themed fancy dress or wearable art.

The Kerikeri writing competition has a theme of "places that writing takes you" - physically or mentally - and an illustration contest around the day's themes of boats, horses, flowers, dinosaurs or sport. There will also be a kids' book quiz.

For more information and entry forms, see the Storylines Festival website.