John McIntyre of Kilbirnie Children's Books. Photograph: © Matt Bialostocki ‘I know who you are,’ he said.‘Do you? How?’ ‘I was tipped off that you were in town. How do you take your coffee?’That’s how we met John McIntyre who, with his wife Ruth, runs Kilbirnie Children’s Books. Within half an hour, they’d become our unofficial NZ agents. Elspeth and I had a new book coming out soon; John and Ruth offered to host and provender the launch. I’d do a couple of workshop/seminars there. They’d contact local schools and colleges and organise events that paid proper money. All these things, and more, came to pass, and ours was but one of several book launches there during the following months. We had great audiences and participants. The events at the shop were crammed. This had less to do with my, and Elspeth’s enormous magnetism than with the McIntyres’ effective and precisely targeted publicity. In taking the fight to the enemy, bookshops could do worse than look to New Zealand... John and Ruth also host story-telling and reading aloud for very young children on Saturday mornings and publish a print and online newsletter about books and events. John has a regular slot on national radio reviewing new children’s books. (Imagine! Anyone from the BBC reading this?) Their shop is not just a retail outlet, it’s a nexus for reading and bibliophilia. They don’t just cater to book buyers, they create them.
Left to right, Mal, Elspeth, Ruth McIntyre and Julia Marshall, publisher at Gecko Press. Photograph: © Matt Bialostocki The same is true of Unity Books, the big downtown bookstore. Walking into Unity is like entering Waterstones in times of yore: a huge, richly stocked browser’s paradise amply staffed by very knowledgeable people. The attention-grabbing tables were heaped not with – or not only with – potential big-sellers publishers had paid good money to put there, but with books the staff was enthusiastic about. Again, we were immediately recognised and welcomed. (By now, gratification had taken on the faintest, almost thrilling, tinge of paranoia.) A few weeks later, Unity hosted a University-sponsored conversation between me and the brilliant NZ writer Kate de Goldi. We had an audience of over a hundred, not bad for a Friday lunchtime. What pleased me more than anything was that book shoppers there by happenstance joined the audience, just possibly because I was ranting about Hobbits. Unity, like Kilbirnie Children’s Books, also regularly hosts book launches, talks and seminars by local and visiting foreign writers. I was intrigued to discover a collection of musical instruments in the staff room.‘Oh, yi,’ Tilly, the store manager, said. ‘Some of the staff’re in a band. They use the shop to rehearse in when we’re closed at the weekind.’Here in the UK, a colony of Amazonia, it is axiomatic that bookshops – and many other kinds of shops – are doomed. The omnipresence of charity shops, pawnbrokers and pound shops testify to the fact (in Exmouth we have a cut-price 99p shop and eagerly await the arrival of the 98p shop where the greengrocers used to be). I may well be delusional, but I think it need not be so. In taking the fight to the enemy, bookshops could do worse than look to New Zealand or, somewhat nearer at hand, the marvellously proactive Norfolk Children’s Book Centre. In the meantime, let’s all get behind the Booksellers Association’s ‘Books Are My Bag’ campaign, in pursuance of which the BA is urging its members to get partying. So if a bookshop anywhere near you is hosting a soirée or saturnalia or even a hot greasy pie event, please get stuck in. The Booksellers Association's 'Books Are My Bag' campaign launches on 14 September. For more information see the BAMB website.
Mal Peet is the author of several novels for young adults, including Tamar, winner of the 2005 CILIP Carnegie Medal, and Exposure, which won the 2009 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. His latest novel is Life: An Exploded Diagram.Elspeth and Mal in action at the Kilbirnie Bookshop, Wellington. Photograph: © Kate McIntyreFor Mal Peet's full article link to ALCS NewsSource:http://beattiesbookblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/mal-peet-reporting-on-his-new-zealand.html
Mal Peet reporting on his New Zealand visit Images
Mal Peet (March - July 2013)
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of the New Zealand book community: UK author Mal Peet will visit ...
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... mal peet joins us for this special show mal s off to new zealand to
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... | Fly Fishing Guide John Baker | The Raised Hackle - Fishing Report
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Jacquees teams up with his idol Chris Brown on this record "Won't Turn It Down" and is set to be a smash!!! Jacquees "19" iTunes Album on the way! 
Protect yourself from the scourge of malaria. and with the grapefruit, scurvy too..
Yesterday every Bronco fan sat on edge and watched the Colts emotionally beat the Texans in a 28-16 victory in Manning's old house. With Chuck Pagano on the sideline for the first time in months we saw that Andrew Luck, did not need luck on his side, as he beat the best team in the AFC, up until that point.
Even with Manning and the Denver Broncos now on a 11 game winning streak, Denver fans have had to cheer for a few different teams this year. Broncomania was cheering for the San Francisco 49ers two weeks ago when they marched into Tom Brady's house and punched him in the mouth. With the Patriots losing that game, that inevitably put Denver in position to control their own destiny at least for the second seed in the AFC playoff race. Remember about a month ago it looked like the Broncos were going to end up with the forth seed, but would have to play without a bye week, and the NFL still wasn't sold on Denver because they hadn't beaten the Ravens in Baltimore yet? Funny how things change and the dynamics of playoffs can shape up in a matter of two to three weeks. Then yesterday, minutes before the Broncos walked on the field to play the horrible Kansas City Chiefs, the Broncos got final word that Indy had beaten Houston and at that time, every Bronco player new what was on the line if they beat Kansas City. The No.1 seed.
The beating of Kansas City yesterday was almost perfect, with exception of Ronnie Hillman fumbling and having it almost returned for a TD if it wasn't for the effort of Manning and Dreessen to save seven points. Then the Broncos defense did what the Bronco defense does. Held Kansas City to three points. The only time they let Kansas City remotely get close to the end-zone all day. Draft bust, and former Bronco, Brady Quinn, went 7/16 for only 49 yards, and was sacked four times throughout the day but was under pressure most of the time he had the ball in his hands. Then Peyton Manning did what Peyton Manning does. He spread out the ball and passed for a total of 19 first downs, 304 yards, and three touchdowns, averaging 10.5 yards a pass. Not only that, but two of his touchdowns were highlight catches from maybe two of the best wide receivers in the game Decker and Thomas. Decker made the first one with the diving, one handed, bobbling grab in the end-zone that was only to be followed up with Thomas' leaping one handed catch in the back of the end-zone only a few drives later to really stamp the winning touches on the Chiefs.Manning came to Denver to win a Super Bowl. And right now, that is exactly what Denver is on track to do. Last time the Broncos sat in first place with the No.1 seed was the 1998 season when Elway and the gang walked to a second straight Super Bowl. Would it be nice to see Manning win the MVP. Yes, of course. But with MVPeterson (Adrian Peterson) running lights out, the MVP race could go both ways. Is it great that Manning just got voted to his 12th Pro Bowl, but if you ask around the Bronco locker room, they are here to win a Super Bowl, not have their journey end at the Pro Bowl.
With the Broncos now having a first round bye, and home field throughout the playoffs, the Colts will go into Baltimore and try to continue their season by beating a lost Ravens team. Winner of that game will come to Manning High.... I mean Mile High. Some might say that they wish Denver didn't have a bye weak in fear that this Manning lead team might "cool down". All I have to say to that is remember when Broncos played Thursday Night Football against the Raiders and they had 10 days to rest and prepare for the Ravens? Look what happens. Denver walked into Baltimore and slapped the Ravens in all aspects of the game. So I like the chances Denver has when this coaching staff and personnel has time to prepare and get ready. Hold on Bronco fans, this ride could be fun.So I pose the question. Is this Broncos team special? Is this the team to take Bronco Country back to being on top?Thank you for your eyes that allowed you to readJames HarperJames Harper Twitter- @JHarperMedia Facebook: Denver Sports Breakdown Sports Podcast- James Harper, Denver Sports Jamesdharper3@gmail.com
