Can you believe that Petronella's Gallery Bookstore has been open a whole year! Although it's a massive cliché, the phrase "time flies when you're having fun" really is true!
As a way of celebrating we are running an Events week from the NZ Bookshop Day, the 26th of October to November 3rd, Petronella's 1st birthday! This will be great fun for all the family, friends and bookstore community. With events and competitions for everyone to enjoy with amazing prizes, this will be something not to be missed! Check out the events schedule below:
11 am: Children’s book author Harriet Bremner will read from her book and talk to parents and children. Harriet wrote Bops ‘n’ Pops after her partner was tragically taken in a farm accident. This book was followed by Be Safe, Be Seen, about farm safety. Harriet also published a Bops ‘n’ Pops Colouring and Activity book. Harriet will be the judge of a colouring competition and the winner will win a copy of all three books signed by Harriet.
2 pm: Ruth Entwistle Low will talk about and read from her newest book The Shearers, about New Zealand shearing legends. One of the legends, Mackenzie’s own Tony Dobbs will join the author and do a blade shearing demonstration right in front of the shop! 🐑 There will also be a beautiful merino fleece from Mt Hay station and anyone can enter an estimate of its weight. The closest guesser will win a copy of The Shearers signed by the author and Tony Dobbs (courtesy of Penguin Books NZ).
These two NZ Bookshop Day events are organised in conjunction with the Twizel Bookshop. Petronella’s Gallery and Bookstore and the Twizel Bookshop are proud to promote local shopping the Mackenzie.
SUNDAY 27 OCTOBER: FLASH FICTION
With our ever decreasing attention span, there is a new genre of fiction. It is not a short story, it is a very short (flash) story. Enter your flash fiction of 200 words or less on or before Sunday 27th and the winner will win Dear Life, by Canadian short story writer Alice Munro. Come and see what others wrote. The winner will be judged by Emily Naisbitt, local reader and Instagrammer of Journeyofabookworm, and will be announced on Sunday 3 November. You can email your entry. Open to all ages. Don’t forget to write your name and phone number on your flash fiction.
Labour Day commemorates the struggle for the 8 hour working day and on this day we celebrate the people who work for bosses. Nominate your favourite farmworker, cleaner, receptionist...anyone who works for a boss and tell us in 100 words why this person deserves to win the Night Sky Explorer – a complete interactive kit for the stargazer. The winner will be judged by Prue Blake, who has promised to be at her most impartial behaviour. The winner will be announced on Sunday 3 November. Make sure you have your nominations in by Monday 28 October. You can email your entry.
TUESDAY 29 OCTOBER (shop is closed)
WEDNESDAY 30 OCTOBER: THE GREAT MUFFIN BAKE-OFF
This one is for the bakers. Show off your baking skills by presenting two muffins before 3 pm on Wednesday. One muffin will be demolished, the other muffin will keep on looking pretty so we can have our muffin and eat it. These muffins will be peer-reviewed, scored on their presentation and taste. The best muffin maker will win Sophie Hansen’s beautiful book A Basket by the Door. The winner will be announced on Sunday 3 November. Open to all ages.
“You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax all you need is a book!” – Dr. Seuss
This is a day for the youngest readers. Wilma will be reading from the collector’s treasury: “The Wonky Donkey and Other Stories” by Craig Smith and Katz Cowley, from 3:30 to 4:30 pm. There will be snacks and we will give away a copy of this book to one lucky listener.
FRIDAY 1 NOVEMBER: THE FRIDAY HAIKU
Anyone can write a Haiku. Traditionally it has three lines. The first line has 5 syllables, the second line has 7 syllables and the third line has 5 syllables. Two examples (not my own): Five syllables here Seven more syllables there Are you happy now???? Or how about this one? One shark said to the other when eating a clown fish: this tastes funny Win a beautiful Dingbats Thread Bound Notebook with Deer Debossing. Have your entries in by Friday 1st November. You can email your entry. Open to all ages. The winner will be announced on Sunday 3 November.
SATURDAY 2 NOVEMBER: MYTHICAL CREATURES
Who doesn’t love mythical creatures? From the Taniwha to Medusa to the Unicorn. Draw your own mythical creature – let your fantasy go wild. Bring in your drawing by Saturday 2 November and have chance to win the glorious book Mythologica by Dr. Stephen P. Kershaw. Don’t forget to put your name and contact details on the back and let us know if you would like your artwork back. The entries will be judged by local artist TJ McConchie. This competition is open to all primary and secondary school students. The winner will be announced on Sunday 3 November.
SUNDAY 3 NOVEMBER: PETRONELLA’S GALLERY AND BOOKSTORE 1ST BIRTHDAY
From 3 pm we’d like to thank the community and all friends and customers of Petronella’s Gallery and Bookstore with bubbly and bites. Check out the results from this week’s competitions, the stories, the haikus, the drawings, the worker nominations. The winners of these competitions will be announced after 3 pm. Come and join us – we’d love to see you there.
