THE GROOVE BOOK REPORT

  Ten years ago when cherished New Zealand author Margaret Mahy passed away at the age of 76, musician and songwriter Gerry Paul was preparing to perform a show at the Wellington Museum of City and Sea. As a tribute to the author, Gerry put the poem ‘The Fairy Child’ to music and performed it at the show. Earlier this year, Gerry connected with Margaret’s daughter Bridget, who endorsed the musical version of ‘The Fairy Child’ and subsequently, the song was recorded and will be released this July, to remember Margaret Mahy on the ten year anniversary of her passing on. ‘The Fairy Child’ is a poem that was included in the 2009 publication; The Word Witch: The Magical Verse of Margaret Mahy, a collection of 66 of her much-loved poems and stories in rhyme, gathered from school readers, collections, picture books, anthologies, magazines and edited by Tessa Duder. Gerry Paul Gerry recorded the song with his band T-Bone, who recently released their debut album which went to No. 2 in the N...

Like nothing you’ve read before, 'How to Loiter in a Turf War' is a whip-smart, lucid, genre-bending, cinematic work of fiction from one of Aotearoa’s most versatile artists. It’s a day in the life of three friends beefing with their own city, Tamaki Makaurau. With gentrification closing in and racial tensions sweltering, the girls must cling to their friendship like a life raft, determined not to let their neighbourhood drift out to sea. Fast, ferociously brilliant, crack-up funny and unforgettably true. Jessica Hansell, aka rapper Coco Solid, is one this country's most ferocious Wāhine voices, already with an impressive CV (Parallel Dance Ensemble, Badd Energy and Fanau Spa, and under her own moniker, too.)  She heads up a record label and production house, Kuini Qontrol,  co-directs the  Onehunga community space Wheke Fortress.  She's also creator of the cartoon Aroha Bridge and has lent her writing skills to shows that range from 'Wellington Paranormal' to ...

There is genuine excitement this week around the release of The Spinoff’s short documentary about Lynley Dodd, creator of our beloved and bestselling book 'Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy'  We are presenting a link to this story for your viewing pleasure. Read the full article on the Spinoff .

A stunning new crime novel our favourite crime writer digs deeper than a fatal flesh wound to investigate a cold case, uncovering a network of corruption that goes right to the top.  It’s been seventeen months since the Bloodsmith butchered his first victim and Operation Maypole is still no nearer catching him. The media is whipping up a storm, the top brass are demanding results, but the investigation is sinking fast. Now isn’t the time to get distracted with other cases, but Detective Sergeant Lucy McVeigh doesn’t have much choice. When Benedict Strachan was just eleven, he hunted down and killed a homeless man. No one’s ever figured out why Benedict did it, but now, after sixteen years, he’s back on the streets again – battered, frightened, convinced a shadowy ‘They’ are out to get him, and begging Lucy for help. It sounds like paranoia, but what if he’s right? What if he really is caught up in something bigger and darker than Lucy’s ever dealt with before? What if the Bloodsmit...