What I’m reading — Erica Stretton
Meet Erica Stretton, writer, reviewer, Takahē Board Co-chair and Kete’s new Editor! Erica joins Kete on an interim basis until September — find out more. Read on to find out what she’s been reading, her pick of the book events she’s been involved in and whether it’s ever okay to read the last page of the book before you get to the end…
What’s on your reading pile right now?
I’ve been so busy lately that my reading pile (by the bed) is towering over my head and threatening to murder me in the night! Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad way to go. I’ve just finished romesh dissanayake’s When I open the shop and it’s so compelling, with a great sense of humour. Pip Adam’s Audition is up next (the only one of the Ockham fiction finalists I’ve not yet read).
For non-fiction, Hine Toa: a story of bravery has captured my attention; the strength of the author shines through on each page. I’m also very keen to read The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour and Jude Dobson as the extract we’ll be publishing on Kete this week is gripping!
I picked up a copy of Kate Duignan’s The New Ships in The Open Book in Ponsonby a couple of weekends ago. Tsitsi Mapepa’s Ndima Ndima is here too; I’ve read it, but it’s still percolating in my mind.
In an alternate universe with no books (the worst timeline), what would you be doing instead?
Before I learned to read, I was never, ever still, and quite a menace, I think, even though we lived rurally. Not the sort of child you would want in a quiet room. So perhaps I’d be perpetually travelling? Or a tour guide, because I like to talk? I’m fascinated by the character of places and how they change, shift, and move with time.
What do you think about people who peek at the last page of a novel before they're anywhere near the end?
I do this very occasionally, if I feel like I want to break the tension. Don’t tell! I think people can do as they like, if they’re still going to enjoy the book. I would like to think there’s a book out there in the world for every reader, and however they like to consume it is up to them.
What's the best book related event you've ever been involved in or attended?
It would be impossible to give you just one! I’m a massive fan of the Streetside events that the Auckland Writers Festival run, especially when they were up on K Road. The bite-sized author readings are heady, and the small book venues busy and stuffed with ideas. I love the multiplicity of it all.
I also love the way Auckland Libraries championed local authors last year in their Read Auckland events. I was lucky enough to interview Fiona Sussman and Megan Nicol Reed in a session called Suburban Secrets, and it was such a great experience and thoughtful exchange of ideas between the authors. I wish I’d been able to get to more of the programme!
Launch events for takahē are a favourite because it’s such a privilege to hear our writers read their work, especially those emerging voices that are so fresh and new.
Oh, and I LOVE a good book related quiz. Why are there not more quizzes?
About Erica
Erica Stretton is a writer and reviewer who reviews fiction and poetry for the Aotearoa New Zealand Review of Books, Kete, and the Listener. In the not-distant past she has been the Reviews Editor for the New Zealand Poetry Society and the Coordinator of National Poetry Day. Her own short fiction can be found at Headland, takahē, Mayhem, Flash Frontier, and others. She has a masters in Creative Writing from the University of Auckland and is lucky to be Co-Chair of the Board of the Takahē Collective Trust.
Erica’s reading list includes:
Audition by Pip Adam
Hine Toa: a story of bravery by Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku
The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour and Jude Dobson
Ndima Ndima by Tsitsi Mapepa
The New Ships by Kate Duignan
When I open the shop by romesh dissanayake
Meet our new Kete team — read more here.