Phil Butler
Can't stop telling stories and so I've had a go at writing books, the first of which is The Living Time. It was popular amongst some family members, reducing them to tears, otherwise it was a flop. However, it provides a rich seam of tales from the past for what is now my budding career as a novelist. I have finished editing the manuscript of my first novel about forbidden love. It is with an assessor after a reputable publisher showed interest. I'm awaiting the sentence. I have joined the New Zealand Society of Authors as an apprentice. It's time to learn all about it.
Genre:
- Adult Fiction
Skills:
- Novelist
Branch:
Canterbury
Location:
Christchurch
Publications:
The Living Time and The World Beyond
The Living Time is a yarn about families that have contributed to my DNA. It is about an emerging middle class in NZ living first in Hokitika and then Wellington in the 1890's and early 1900's. War comes visiting and kills brothers, cousins and sons. Their stories are tragic and very public. The yarn also focuses on the women in the families - strong personalities limited primarily by society's expectations and norms. The twist in the book is that at the end of each chapter the ancestors meet in The World Beyond and review what is written about them. There is a copy of the book in the Westland Libray and the National Library. A taste of what is in it can be found on www.westcoast.recollect.co.nz - search on the name Greville ( my maternal grandmothers name) and start with the Album The Greville Girls.