Erica

Teens need to get home from exams at midday, half an hour bus ride, akl city. Y11 waits 15 mins and catches bus straight home that takes 40 mins. Y9 gets impatient, catches bus to another suburb, hops on train for one stop, then catches another bus home, taking the same amount of time.

My three have played it and don’t like it. They’re reasonably sporty too, here and there.

That’s the kind of kneejerk dismissive advice that makes me violent. Telling people to just grow their own food is tantamount to telling them to eat cake.

So the Prime Ministers new attack on teachers is their 12 weeks of school holidays which we all know many teachers work through.

Regardless. NZ Parliament has 20+ weeks of recess each year including a far longer summer break than most professions including teaching!!!

If the curriculum ain't broke, don't fix it From Auckland University - Opinion: How much did the Govt pay for a curriculum that is so inferior to the version already mandated in our schools? And how else might we have spent that money?

650 Principals are saying 'are you fucking mad', Lord give me the confidence & ignorance of a conservative politician.

newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/21/i...

My favourite Brontë novel.

Since the election, there are 37,243 fewer 15-19 year olds in filled jobs. The jobs market for young people is as bad - if not worse - than the GFC. So adding 6% to the cost of tuition fees and halving apprenticeship boost support makes life even harder. Brilliant work National.

Map of the world showing New Zealand as one of the few countries not recognising the State of Palestine.

I'm so embarrassed for my country right now. Luxon is an empty suit, so shameful, such an unprincipled coward.

I had the most wonderful time at the Surrey last year and am very grateful to have had the opportunity. Congratulations to all on this year’s longlist!

Authors lobby Govt - good luck with that

The books sector sets out a new five-year plan.

Short story: The jeweller's replacement, by Anna Scaife When Malcolm saw his wife Susan in a burgundy bathrobe at Tony's townhouse

newsroom.co.nz/2025/09/13/s...

Story up!

Review: Kings of this World, by Elizabeth Knox SR Manssen is taken with the teenagers' quick wit and strength in Elizabeth Knox's latest YA novel KINGS OF THIS WORLD....

Lovely review in Kete of Kings of this World

www.ketebooks.co.nz/en/reviews/r...

Kelly Ana Morey: 1968–2025 – Academy of New Zealand Literature ‘I’ve always been the pain in the ass who wanted to row her own waka in her own way.’

Paula Morris farewells Kelly Ana Morey.

www.anzliterature.com/feature/kell...

Ali and Susie

Love at First Line: Poetry dating show - Una Cruickshank, Erik Kennedy, Claudia Jardine, Josiah Morgan, Chris Tse

Roimata Smail - Te Tiriti 101

The sellout Catherine Chidgey crowd.

WORD Christchurch Festival 2025 is over - what a great ride it has been! Kia ora and congratulations to our friends at #WORDChch & all the WORD workers. Thanks to the writers, and readers who came along to sessions.
Check out our coverage at
my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/word-christc...

Climate.

Data shows 'exciting' shift in Kiwis' attitudes to te reo Māori The challenge is to find "the levers" to accelerate the rate of change, an advocate says.

Data shows 'exciting' shift in Kiwis' attitudes to te reo Māori

Trans people are worth protecting. Not because we are amazing people (although we are) or because we offer a great deal to society (although we do) or because we are fine as hell (we are). We are worth protecting because we are HUMAN BEINGS, and it’s amazing how often that simple fact is forgotten.

Congratulations!

I am feeling so ill about that Erica Stamford video gleefully announcing that school students are going to be assessed by AI. Esp the bit where she says you’re 2x as likely to get an ‘excellence’ with your own teacher so they are going to iron out that ‘inconsistency’. We are fucked.

In my kid’s lacrosse tournament permission form: Can your child confidently swim 60m?

Erm yes but what sort of lacrosse will this be…?

How are you doing?

Congratulations! And boo hiss to possible pneumonia again 😢

this Ngaati Porou takataa wa is the lifeblood of so many of our takataapui works from @antzlapwood.bsky.social "Home Theatre" to Ruby Solly's "The Artist" to @tainuitillidienui.bsky.social "Poorhara" and so many more in our community and beyond. I'm so so so glad she is being recognised in this way

Poetic genius.

Nafanua Purcell Kersel named as 2025 Emerging Pasifika Writer in Residence | News | Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington The University's International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) is delighted to announce the appointment of Nafanua Purcell Kersel as the Emerging Pasifika Writer in Residence for 2025.

Yay for Nafanua! This is wonderful news 🎉 www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2025/07...

Extract: It's a Bit More Complicated Than That Zelle and Callum used to be best friends, but they haven't spoken in three years: not since the tragedy that wrenched them apart, and Zelle moved away. But now Zelle is back, and their lives are about...

a wee taster of my book to whet your appetite

#booksky #author #YA

www.ketebooks.co.nz/en/interview...

Short story: Final Notice, by Anna Scaife "Virginia found more baby spiders every day for the next week..."

Never posted this here … ReadingRoom published my creepy arachnid story late last year which made me very happy. Another coming soonish 🤞

newsroom.co.nz/2024/09/28/s...

Well, this made me feel despairing today.

The ROI on the guest of honour programme has been proven so why did MCH deny funding for NZ to be guest of honour programme at the biggest children’s book fair in the world? How can they value literacy if they don’t value the industry that makes children’s books!

www.thesapling.co.nz