Lockdown was no barrier for award-winning Port Chalmers writer and illustrator Kathryn van Beek, who has two new books available for pre-order from Thursday 18 June.   
 
“Lockdown didn’t make too much of a difference to me because I would have spent my evenings and weekends inside working on the books anyway,” Kathryn says. “Being a bit of a nerd worked in my favour!”
 
Both books will be launched in August in collaboration with The University Book Shop – but that’s where the similarities between them end. 
 
Bruce Goes Outside is an illustrated children’s book. The second in a series about Dunedin’s most famous cat (Bruce, who has 74,000 online fans), the book shares messages of kindness and standing up for what’s right. The first book in the series, Bruce Finds A Home, was selected for the Little Landers Literature programme with The Highlanders, and is described by NZ Booklovers as “a wonderful addition to any child’s bookshelf”. Quality approved by the children at Port Chalmers School, Bruce Goes Outside promises to be just as delightful, and can be pre-ordered here on the Kickstarter website.  
 
Kathryn admits she never thought a story about going outside would be so topical.
“After lockdown I think we can all relate to Bruce’s joy, fear and excitement as he explores the big, wide world.”
 
Pet is an illustrated collection of literary short stories that is definitely not for kids. Described by Steve Braunias as, “Hectic, chatty, very modern New Zealand, very, very readable,” the dark and humorous stories explore our relationships with children, lovers, and other animals. Pet can be pre-ordered here on the PledgeMe website.
 
Kathryn has been honing her craft as a short story writer for years – winning the Mindfood Short Story Competition and the Headland Short Story Prize along the way.  
 
“It seemed strange not to acknowledge the global pandemic in the collection, so at the last minute I sneaked in a micro story about lockdown,” Kathryn says. “In a nod to all the birdsong I’d been hearing, I illustrated the story with a soaring welcome swallow.”
 
Kathryn says that both Pet and Bruce Goes Outside have been labours of love.
“I’d actually started working on Pet before my life was turned upside-down by finding Bruce as a day-old kitten on the side of the road almost five years ago,” Kathryn says. “I’m thrilled that I’m finally able to share both of these books with the wider community.” 
 
Exclusive rewards are on offer for those who pre-order, including quality art prints and beautiful book plates (printed locally in Port Chalmers by DigiArt and Design). People can also choose to donate copies of Bruce Goes Outside to support the fundraising efforts of the Cat Rescue Network Dunedin, a charitable trust committed to helping stray and abandoned cats and kittens.
 
Get your copy 

• Bruce Goes Outside Kickstarter page (video filmed at Dunedin City Library)
• Pet PledgeMe page (video filmed at Otago Museum) 

Bruce Goes Outside is proudly supported by Pet Doors R Us, Olive’s Kitchen’s Moggy Daily, and BlackCat Education. 

Just when I thought my birthday haul couldn't get any better, a copy of Bonsai: Best small stories from Aotearoa New Zealand was slipped into my letterbox. My story Women's Studies is among the 200 or so short, short stories featured in the anthology, which also includes work by Tracey Slaughter, Leanne Radojkovich, Zoe Meager, Owen Marshall and many other of my favourite authors. 

​Wow!

Also - how much am I looking forward to reading Baby, The New Animals and Hera Lindsay Bird?

Heaps!

Thank you so much to everyone who came to the Dunedin Bruce Finds A Home book launch. I had a fabulous morning getting to know these little creatures, which at the time I thought were cats but upon closer inspection look rather fox-like. 

I ran a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign to help fund the book, and as part of the campaign 73 people donated books to the Animal Rescue Network Dunedin. Today I was proud to deliver the 73 books to the network, and I hope they assist with fundraising. 

Bruce Finds A Home is now available in all good New Zealand book shops. You can also buy it online here:

• Dorothy Butler Book Shop
• University Book Shop
• Time Out Bookstore
• Bruce the Cat website
• Fishpond

Thank you so much to everyone who came along to the Auckland book launch for Bruce Finds A Home - and to everyone who helped me organise it. An extra big thank you to the lovely ladies at The Dorothy Butler Book Shop who made the experience so special. 

I'm looking forward to the Dunedin book launch this Saturday 17 February at the University Book Shop from 10.30am. All welcome!

We've succumbed to Jacindababymania over here at Bruce HQ, and put a little something in the post for the PM and her first bloke. 

There will be TWO book launches for Bruce Finds A Home in February 2018 - one in Auckland and one in Dunedin. 

Bruce Finds A Home: Auckland book launch
11am, Sunday 11 February ​
Dorothy Butler Children's Bookshop
1 Jervois Road, Ponsonby
Join the event on Facebook.

Bruce Finds A Home: Dunedin book launch
10.30am, Saturday 17 February 
UBS (University Book Shop)
378 Great King Street, North Dunedin
​Join the event on Facebook.

Both events are free, and everyone is welcome to attend.

At both launches, free activities for kids will include colouring-in and face-painting. And of course, copies of the book will be signed and pawtographed.

​I hope to see you there!