Hi I'm Elena,
I write stories and poems and sometimes even story-poems. I like quirky plots and characters - an evil blender; a kleptomaniacal cat; a girl with an insatiable appetite for adventure and red berry jelly, all make an appearance in my stories. This website gives you some more information about the kinds of things I write and a bit about myself as well. Be warned, there is nothing realistic about my stories whatsoever!
FaBo Story
In 2010 a group of 9 New Zealand children's writers had a facebook conversation which resulted in Fabostory, a popular online junior fiction novel written side by side with New Zealand children.
Each year since then Fabostory has reinvented itself, from Planet Fabo to the Titanic Games and invited children to join them in the Fabo writing adventure.
Listen to a recording of a ballad I wrote for the Fabostory2 poetry challenge, read by Kathy White.
I have wanted to be a writer
forever, it just took me a long time to figure it out. It all started at age three, when I had my first poem published in the children's pages of the local paper....
More than forty years later:
One day I came home - without wild riches and a little dejected - after competing in 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire,' which I had been, sadly, trying to get on for the last two years. I needed a new goal – preferably one that didn't involve a TV game show. For a long time I had known I wanted to do something creative, but what? Serendipitously, a friend had just enrolled in a children's writing course; I decided to put my name down as well and have never looked back.
I live with my family in Auckland and have been writing for children since 2004. I have had a number of stories, poems, plays and readers published by educational publishers in New Zealand, Australia and the United States. My lucky break came in 2008 when Mt Eden illustrator, Brian Lovelock, put forward my text for "The Rain Train" to Walker Books in Australia.
Published List
The Rain Train (illustrated by Brian Lovelock) – Walker Books Australia, 2010
Ophelia Wild, Secret Spy (illustrated by Tracy Duncan) – Walker Books Australia, release date February 2012
Awards
1st - Auckland City Libraries Poetry Competition 2008
NZSA Mentor programme 2009/2010
1st - The Manawatu (New Zealand) International Poetry for Performance Competition 2010
The Rain Train – finalist CJ Korean 3rd Picture Book Awards 2010
2010 Todd New Writers' Bursary – towards writing a collection of children's poems. Thanks to Creative New Zealand and the Todd Corporation Ltd.
The Rain Train - Storylines Notable Picture Book 2011
Articles
Writing in rhythm and rhyme
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Biography printable version |
For me, writing poetry is pure pleasure. I love playing with the words until I find exactly the right ones to make the rhythm, form, tone and feeling all come together to work as a whole. Several of my poems, like the one below, have been pubished in the School Magazine.
In 2011, thanks to the Todd New Writer's Bursary, I was able to devote a large amount of my time to writing children's poems. I enjoyed every moment and now, a folder full of nearly 70 poems is sitting, expectantly, on my publisher's large pile ...
Waxing and Waning
Your face of silver
lights the sky
a perfect plate
of pale moon pie
and if I took
a bite of you
then I'd be full
and you'd be new
The School Magazine, Countdown, March 2008
Although I had always enjoyed reading, the first book that really swept me away into another world was "A Wrinkle in Time," by Madeleine L'Engle.
In 2010 - under the guidance of my wonderful mentor, Barabara Murison - I have finished writing the first draft of a fantasy novel for ten to twelve year olds, through the New Zealand Society of
Authors Mentor Programme. This is an ongoing project of mine.
"The Rain Train," illustrated by Brian Lovelock, is my first picture book. This was followed, in 2012, by "Ophelia Wild - Secret Spy," an illustrated fiction title. Ophelia Wild's next adventure, will be on the shelves in early 2014.
Imprint: Walker Books Australia
Binding: Hardback
Release Date: August 1, 2010
New Zealand RRP: $29.99
The Rain Train
The next time the rain is thundering down on the roof at night, climb aboard the mysterious Rain Train - have your ticket clipped by the conductor, listen to the rhythm of the wheels and the sounds of the crossings, leave the lights and houses behind, and journey on into the dark, dark night.
Author's Comment
The Rain Train was written in one go (with many later revisions of course) one late rainy night, when the rest of the house was asleep. It was inspired by the overnight train journeys I made as a child with my parents, to visit my grandparents in the Wairarapa. I loved falling asleep to the sound and feel of the train clacking over the tracks. But, I also loved falling asleep to the sound of the rain on the roof. If only the two could be combined...
Excerpt
When the rain fingers drum out a dance on the pane
When the windows are foggy enough for my name
When it's thundering down on the roof, in the lane
From the storm comes the call...
"All Aboard the Rain Train!"
Reviews
I love being nestled under the covers in our attic bedroom, listening to the rain arriving in the middle of the night. Through the sloped ceiling, just a few feet above my head, I can hear the first few drops of rain tap on the roof, and then a few more. Gradually it builds into a steady staccato, and then into gusts and torrents, and I pull the covers tighter against my chin and smile... read more
Richie Partington, February 2011
The Rain Train is a beautifully illustrated picture book that follows the journey of a train journey through the wintery night. As the train speeds through the dark night we see not only the rain beating down but also the cosy people within. The story is told through rhythmic text, which reinforces the sounds of the train, giving the story a momentum of its own. The dark and energetic illustrations complement the text to create a constant feeling of movement and sound that will appeal to children from the age of two and up.
... The Rain Train will make a great addition to any child's bookshelf and is an entertaining combination of rhythmic text and vivid illustration that is sure to delight.
Natalie Crawford is a children's bookseller and freelance reviewer (from Bookseller + Publisher, August 2010)
Imprint: Walker Books Australia
Binding: Paperback
Release Date: February 2012
Ophelia Wild, Secret Spy
Ophelia is a feisty girl with a kind heart, a quirky imagination and a wicked sense of humour. Join her and her friends on three "Wild" adventures.
Author's Comment
On the very first writing course I ever did, the tutor asked the class, as an exercise, to make up the name of a character. This turned out to be a very valuable exercise because the name that popped into my head was "Ophelia Wild," and she seemed to arrive with a fully formed personality. Ophelia's story has undergone many changes since she was first dreamed up, but she remains my favourite character.
Excerpt
Ophelia wakes to the rustle of trees,
the whirring of washing, a cloud scudding breeze.
"I can feel it," she says, "to the roots of my hair,
the static is crackling, there's change in the air..."
Reviews
Here is something completely unexpected: a chapter book written completely in verse! Perhaps even more unexpected is that it works incredibly well ... The verse is a joy to read. It is uncomplicated and flows well. The exploration of theme of friendship and the highs and lows of friendship adds depth to this fun detective story ... Highly recommended.
KF, Reading Time (Children's Book Council of Australia) Vol 56, No. 2, p.31
Visit the Walker Books page for Ophelia Wild, Secret Spy, where you can download fun activity sheets.
I have had a Reader's Theatre script and a number of readers published. Not long ago, I had fun writing a sequel to one of my earlier readers, for Rainbow Reading's next "Toxic" series. Here's a small taste of "Gran's Growing Potion" -
Gran's potion was gross as it slid down my throat - it tasted like cats pee and faintly of goat; it looked like an oil slick and smelled badly strange -
KEEP TAKING it said 'TIL YOU NOTICE SOME CHANGE!
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