Diana Gabaldon is coming to town...

I plead guilty to often whinging that international authors seldom visit Dunedin, presumably because their publishers feel it is one step away from Antarctica and therefore not worth the effort. So I was delighted to read a little snippet in the Otago Daily Times which announced American author Diana Gabaldon is including Dunedin in her tour of the country to promote her latest book.

I have been a fan and a follower of her Outlander series, or Cross Stitch series as we know it, since the get go, and like many women I'm sure, fell in love with Jamie Fraser and felt like Claire was my closest friend. So at last we will have the next book in the series, An Echo in the Bone.

Diana will be hosted by the Dunedin Public Library and will be talking at the Sir Clifford Skeggs Gallery in the Municipal Chambers on Tuesday November the 3rd at 5.30pm.

I've already booked my seat!

Happy Birthday, Sam.

Went to a birthday party with a difference tonight. The guest of honour wasn't there as this was a 300th birthday party for Samuel Johnson. There can't be that many people in the world who get to have their 300th celebrated.

The event was marked in style at the Municipal Chambers, with music from The Rare Byrds String Quartet, and with Dr Paul Tankard and Dr Ken Smith reading excerpts of Samuel Johnson's works. The Dunedin Public Library excelled themselves as usual in hosting the evening.

Much to my boys' delight, this 300th birthday bash also sported quite possibly the biggest birthday cake I have ever seen, an enormous chocolate cake, yum. So Happy Birthday, Sam, still going strong after three hundred years.

On the doorstep.

There's nothing more exciting than arriving home and seeing courier packages on the door step, especially when those packages look suspiciously like books. This has been a good week for packages on the porch, and these are the treasures, by local Dunedin writers, which have arrived for me to read for radio interviews.

Banquo's Son by TK Roxborogh







All the Colours of the Town by Liam McIlvanney













Glory Days from gumboots to platforms by Dr Glam aka Ian Chapman

Write On Radio Show tomorrow

Tomorrow, Wednesday the 9th of September is Write on Radio Show day, which airs live on Toroa Radio 1575 kHz AM in Dunedin or live streamed from the Toroa Radio Website for those of you not blessed enough to live here. Actually this show will be semi-live seeing as my guests had other things like jobs so I had to pre-record these two interviews. On the day I'll be in the studio, playing with the sound board, filling in the gaps with some chat and music, and then reading my book - Collision.

Dr Chris Brickell is a senior lecturer in Gender Studies at The University of Otago and his recent book Mates & Lovers: A History of Gay New Zealand won the Montana Award for Best First Non-Fiction book at the 2009 awards. The book looks at the history of gay men in New Zealand, and we discuss the perception of same sex relationships over the centuries and the impact law and psychiatry had on the lives of men.





Anthony Tedeschi is the Rare Books Librarian at the Dunedin Public Library. The library has had many wonderful collections donated to it over the years, including the McNab Collection, and the AH Reed Collection. We talk about some of the benefactors, and discuss some of the treasures held in our public library.

Collision

The other night I got to enjoy a very convivial evening to celebrate the launch of Joanna Orwin's novel Collision. The splendid University Book Shop played host for the evening, holding a lively and large crowd of guests, friends and colleagues. Joanna is the 2009 Otago University College of Education Children's Writer in Residence, so it was special for us to have her celebrate the launch here rather than in her home town of Christchurch.

Collision is based on the true events that befell a French expedition to New Zealand in 1772. We have had plenty of books about the relationships between Maori and British explorers, so it is fascinating to read a story about encounters between Maori and the French.

I am half way through reading Collision and am enjoying it immensely. I love how the author ties the viewpoints of each side, through a young French ensign, Andre Tallec and his Maori counterpart Te Kape, so the reader can see the trail of misunderstandings that inevitably lead to disaster. Also she tells it in a way that is fair to both parties, not siding with one or the other, so the reader can see and feel anxious about what must unfold.

I also have a fondness for nautical tales, so this book is hitting the spot on many levels.

Phew, what a week.

I've been off the radar a bit this week, courtesy of having so many things on - it's been a hellova busy one, so it was with great relief and delight we marked the end of it and cracked open a yummy riesling and enjoyed a takeaway curry for dinner.

So what have I been up to?

Three talks this week, including the big one this afternoon where I was invited to be the final keynote speaker for the Otago University General Staff Conference. It was the first time I had done a talk with a power point display, so I was a bit nervous about the timing and the technology, but everything worked like a charm and the audience seemed to enjoy the talk. They even served ice-cream afterward!

This morning I was busy pre-recording 2 interviews for next week's radio show. So I'd spent the week furiously reading books and preparing for that. I prefer to do the radio show live, but when guests work and have annoying things like jobs and lives, sometimes I need to record segments earlier. Both the interviews with Chris Brickell, author of Mates & Lovers: A History of Gay New Zealand, and with Anthony Tedeschi, the rare books librarian at the Dunedin City Libraries went very well.

I had my last ever PTA meeting at school - yes, I've finally managed to flick off being the Chair of the PTA and am going to retire gracefully and leave the incoming PTA chair unencumbered by the presence of the ex, as it were. I've really enjoyed doing the job, but oh, what a relief to be able to pass it on!

Then there was the worrying about Google thing.

Amongst all that were the usuals, you know, keeping up with a hubby and two busy boys and keeping the home front under control as well as writing the next novel and doing other researchy stuff. No wonder I feel a little, er, stuffed.

Speaking of research things, if anyone out there knows what kind of attire a woman would have fenced in around 1760, please let me know! I'm thinking if any of them were gauche or unladylike enough to play with swords they would have worn something similar to the riding attire of the day. And why do I need to know this? Well, that's something for another post...

And one last word about plot...