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Book Council's Words on Wheels tour to head to East Coast
Hawke's Bay and East Coast schools and communities will be able to catch the literary wave in February when the New Zealand Book Council's Words on Wheels 2008 tour presents a series of free public literary events.
Taking part in the tour are five leading New Zealand writers, representing a range of genres. They are novelist Louise Wareham Leonard; Māori historian, writer, journalist and broadcaster Paul Diamond; children's writer and scriptwriter Ken Catran; poet and actor Michele Amas; and playwright and scriptwriter Victor Rodger.
They will be accompanied by Book Council Event and Touring Manager Charlie Holland, who grew up on the East Coast.
Book Council Chief Executive Noel Murphy says that a key role of the Book Council is to promote a love of reading and writing by connecting writers with readers. Writers also provide inspiration to other aspiring and established writers.
"Every year, we tour Words on Wheels to a New Zealand region and we're delighted to be visiting the East Coast this year," Mr Murphy says. "The tour always generates a lot of energy and excitement in the communities we visit and this year, we want to leave town having moved more than the books on the library shelves."
Keri Kaa, well-known East Coast arts advocate, says local people are "very excited" about the tour.
"The East Coast is a land of storytellers and the stories are in the landscape," she says. "We have a rich tradition of storytelling, in both te reo and English, and so a tour presenting contemporary New Zealand writers is an exciting notion. We get to hear other writers' ideas and processes, and also share our own ideas with them."
The week-long Words on Wheels 2008 tour will begin on Monday 11 February in Taradale and continue its tour to Napier, Havelock, Wairoa, Mahia Peninsula, Gisborne, Anaura Bay, Hicks Bay and Opotiki. It will end in Whakatane on Saturday 16 February.
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Creative New Zealand supports the New Zealand Book Council with annual funding ($175,000 in 2008) for its programme of activities.
