June 24, 2014
Bus bug found Bugs voice
Writer Whiti Hereaka has won a special honour award from the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults 2014 for her young adult fiction book.
The section was won by Elizabeth Knox for Mortal Fire, but the judges said Bugs deserved extra recognition because of its emotional impact and the way Hereaka captures the teenage voice.
Heraka says in part that comes from eavesdropping on teenagers on the bus, and also letting the characters speak to her.
"So I was trying to write a story about a teenager and couldn't really get into it. Things weren't flowing and then I came up with the nickname 'Bugs' and from there the voice just came out really strong and I just followed the story along with Bugs telling it to me," she says.
The Maori language award went to Keri Kaa and illustrator Martin D Page for Taka Ki Ro Wai.
FOR THE FULL INTEVIEW WITH WHITI HEREAKA CLICK ON THE LINK
http://www.waateanews.com/play_podcast?podlink=MTk0MzE=
Copyright © 2014, UMA Broadcasting Ltd