Tauranga Writers For Children
Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
A brief history...
Tauranga Writers for Children was established in 1990 as a support group for local writers writing for children. Over time, members have worked with community groups when invited and in schools to encourage a love of reading and writing stories, and to help children develop their imagination.
In 1998, the Bay of Plenty Times asked members to provide a story each week for Storyline, a free dial-a-story phone call for children in the free-call phone area, hosted by the paper and sponsored by the local educational bookshop. TWC took the challenge and provided an original story each week for four years, each one read by its writer. Calls were heading for 2000 rings in its very first week! Verbal feedback from grandparents and parents reflected how well it was received. This facility stopped when the BOP Times could not meet the cost of mending the equipment. One sponsor approached explained it was simply because there was no visual advertising to be gained from it as we see with, say, rugby televised from a sport’s ground.
Members continued publishing their collections in the Stories for Kiwi Kidz series with bright covers; green, red, yellow, blue, purple. Covers and kiwi characters were drawn by local artist, Caren Glazer, and Caren drew the illustrations for book four. Local primary school pupils drew amazing illustrations for the other four books.
With stories no longer needed for Storyline, TWC provided scripts gratis over several years for the BOP Times Summer Holiday Programme running daily from Boxing Day to Auckland Anniversary Day. When a new editor arrived, the 28-story collection for that year was put into a drawer, unread and forgotten. But that did not stop TWC members. They published book four, The Book with No Name, the title suggested by Papamoa Primary School pupils. Book five in its purple cover ended a decade of publishing.
TWC was awarded a grant for book one and sales met the costs of publishing successive books. What members happily contributed was their love of writing. TWC is not-for-profit. Books have gone to local primary schools where teachers used them in reading programmes, especially after stories were recorded by local drama students. A story tape reached children via the Royal NZ Foundation for the Blind which society asked if they could turn it into Braille. TWC was most happy to agree! One thousand went to Pacific Island schools taken by Mercy Ships NZ out of Tauranga, and to charities working with children such as CCS. With the support of Local Rotary and Lions groups, books went to 24 schools in Christchurch after the earthquakes. Members took part in Children’s Day events organised by Tauranga City Council, running a colouring-in competition, in Expos and other public functions, and writers have spoken to service groups and in schools.
Members (left to right) are Jan Pendergrast, Jean Anderson, Etheljoy Smith and Gaye Hemsley (2019).
TWC members comprise published authors and would-be authors.
In 2024 TWC is in remission.
