Generous. That's the perfect word to describe the wonderful Kate De Goldi who I was so lucky to meet at a NZ Book Month event in March. Kate was so generous with her time (she spoke for almost 90 minutes!), with her knowledge, her enthusiasm and her passion for writing and children's literature and she shared many hilarious and fascinating anecdotes and tips as well. She totally inspired me and made me want to swallow down the crippling fear I have and attempt to write (confession: I still haven't). She's such an amazing talent and a very deserved finalist in this year's NZ Post Children's Book Awards for "The ACB With Honora Lee" which I adored. (She's my pick to win just quietly which is a big call since I LOVE the other nominees especially David Hill and Rachael King).
It's funny how connected I feel to Kate's books, how much they speak to my own life experiences. Dementia, the main theme in The ACB With Honora Lee, is a subject very close to me after losing my Nana to it over a decade. And before that, Frankie in The 10pm Question was reminiscent of my childhood nightly terrors.
1 comment:
I met Kate de Goldi when we got her to host a session for parents at our school's Book Week many years ago. She was fabulous and related so well to everybody in the room because, in her words, she is a parent first and an author second. Her message was consistent with us as teachers: any reading your child does is good reading and should be encouraged. We loved her!
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