The holidays are over. 2016 awaits, and here’s what’s coming this year in Matthew Wright land. I’ve got a lot planned for this blog – the usual science posts, weekly writing contest, my regular weekend writing posts and more. This year is also filled with writing projects and some exciting publishing developments – starting with the full print-and-ebook launch … More OK, holiday over – here’s what’s ahead for 2016
This week Auckland writer Bev Robitai tagged me to join in the ‘Lovely Blog Hop’ – a round-robin of general all-round fun in which authors outline seven things that got them writing. My story starts in 1970, when I was 8. Lots and lots and lots and lots of books. As a kid, I was surrounded … More Oh, what a lovely blog hop!
The other day I was blown away to discover someone was trying to sell one of my books, new on Amazon, for $4896.01. Plus shipping. The Reed Illustrated History of New Zealand has been out of print nearly a decade, and I’m not sure where the vendor got their stock from. I don’t see a cent for it, … More In which I discover someone’s selling a book of mine for $4896.01
I went into single combat with Google the other week. They’ve persistently credited all my books to a lecturer in Classics at Exeter University who has the same name as me. To their credit, Google came back promptly with an informative answer which I’ll be acting on by way of getting the gaffe fixed. I’m … More The hazards of my popular name – and my book about someone else who had one
For me a new year always seems to bring a sense of anticipation. We cannot know our future – but we can influence what happens, have direction, and hold to our dreams. That, for me, is the promise of a new year. And it seems to me, as climate change becomes a pressing reality and … More Welcome to 2015, and hope for a wonderful year to come
Every so often a year rolls by that has an impact on those who lived through it – an impact so intense that the year becomes iconic, legendary. Like 1914, the year that the First World War began – a trauma that divided the old world from the new and set the current shape of … More Wrapping up the year by the numbers
I’ve got three books being published between now and February. Here’s a preview of Living On Shaky Ground: the science and story behind New Zealand’s earthquakes. It’s being published by Penguin Random House on 26 September. My advance copy arrived a few days back. And after thirty years and over 50 books, I have to say that the … More Living On Shaky Ground
I’ve refurbished my blog this week – added a new header, new background and changed some of the colours. The header’s from a photo essay I took in late February in Napier, New Zealand. It features the upper parts of the 1932 Masonic Hotel building on the right, in early streamline style, and the 1936 T & G … More Refurbishing with colour and deco
The night before last, and all day yesterday, people were telling me I’d been on TV. They didn’t mean last week’s interview slot on TV3’s breakfast show. This was something else. Apparently I was part of a programme promo. Which, inevitably, I missed, because I don’t actually watch TV. I mean, I really don’t. It’s … More How I ended up on national TV without noticing
A couple of weeks back I promised I’d reveal some exciting news. Last year, print book sales dropped by 15 percent in New Zealand, nailing a down-trend that’s been happening for a while. I watched that start several years ago and decided to do something about it. Downturn apart, writing’s a business, and reinvention is … More The news. Exciting for me. And you too, I hope
