143:. She teaches creative writing workshops for adults and children, blogs on writing and the writing life and is a frequent speaker at schools, libraries and other literary events. With a group of other writers, she runs an online writing initiative for children called FABO Story. and is one of the presenters of the āWrite like an authorā school holiday writing camps.
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Melinda's surname (pronounced 'Shi-manic') is Polish, and her Polish family history has always been very important to her. She took part in the
Celebrating Everything Polish Festival in Wellington in 2014. Her novel
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is based on the story of her father's boyhood in Poland and what happened to his family during World War Two, when they were captured by the
Russians and sent to a Russian work camp in the country.
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Melinda was a judge for the 2016 New
Zealand Children's and Young Adults Book Awards and has appeared at writersā festivals across New Zealand, including Storylines Festivals and panel discussions, the
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Melinda began writing seriously when her children were small. As well as novels and picture books, she has written short stories that have appeared in anthologies and in the
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Melinda
Szymanik was born on 26 December 1963 in Auckland, where she grew up and still lives. As a child, some of her favourite books were
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79:, born 1963, is an author from New Zealand. She writes picture books, short stories and novels for children and young adults and lives in
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634:"Young Adult Writers' Panel with Melinda Szymanik and Sandy McKay, with Bridget Schaumann (Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival 2014)"
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for a Master of
Science in zoology. Later she also completed a Diploma in Business Studies, a Bachelor of Arts in English at
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838:"The University of Otago College of Education/Creative New Zealand Children's Writer in Residence - Previous Recipients"
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663:"Exciting Tales and All Right Release, and Creating Worlds, at WORD Christchurch, Saturday 30 August"
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University of Otago
College of Education / Creative New Zealand Children's Writer in Residence
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Her books have won or been shortlisted for several awards and several have been named as
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for Junior
Fiction at the 2014 LIANZA Awards, and won the Librarians' Choice Award.
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NZSA The New
Zealand Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc) Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa
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The New
Zealand Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc) Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa
172:. She was the recipient of a University of Otago Wallace Residency at the
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205:(ill. Donovan Bixley) was a 2017 selection for a White Ravens book.
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won the
Children's Choice Award in the picture book category of the
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ill. Joy Te Aho-White, translated by PÄnia Papa (Scholastic, 2023)
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In 2014, Melinda Szymanik lived in Dunedin for six months as the
888:"Congratulations to 2014 LIANZA Children's Book Awards winners"
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ill. Dominique Ford (Scholastic, 2014) (published in MÄori as
427:"The Treasury Interviews: Lily interviews Melinda Szymanik"
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New Zealand Book Council Te Kaunihera Pukapuka o Aotearoa
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Christchurch City Libraries Nga Kete Wananga-o-Otautahi
609:"Panel Discussion - what young people like to read"
453:"Why New Zealand literature deserves your support"
431:Poetry Box: a New Zealand poetry page for children
731:"Get the Full Story: the 2014 Festival Programme"
255:ill. Gabriella Klepatski (Duck Creek Press, 2012)
217:, illustrated by Malcolm Evans (Scholastic, 2006)
191:in 2009 and was a Sakura Medal finalist in 2010.
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587:Dunedin City Council Kaunihera-a-rohe o Otepoti
787:"Celebrating Everything Polish 25-26 Oct 2014"
229:, ill. Sarah N. Anderson (Scholastic NZ, 2008)
126:and a Diploma in Children's Literature at the
842:University of Otago Te Whare Wananga o Otago
315:, ill. Malene Laugesen (Upstart Press, 2021)
866:Melinda Szymanik: I should be writing but..
512:Melinda Szymanik: I should be writing but..
267:ill Greg Straight (Duck Creek Press, 2013)
685:WORD: 2014 Writers & Readers Festival
583:"Best-Dressed Bears to Bring Books Alive"
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261:(Tale-Spin Media, 2012) (e-book only)
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243:The Half-Life of Ryan Davis (
149:Dunedin Writers Festival 2014
759:"Love Story: 16-21 May 2017"
335:(Penguin Random House, 2023)
164:Awards and residencies
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681:"Programme: Wednesday 27th"
233:The House That Went to Sea,
98:Little House on the Prairie
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939:"Two White Ravens for NZ"
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706:"True Stories Told Live"
181:Storylines Notable Books
128:University of Canterbury
265:While You Are Sleeping,
239:Duck Creek Press, 2011)
197:was a finalist for the
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299:(The Cuba Press, 2019)
271:A Winter's Day in 1939
195:A Winterās Day in 1939
157:A Winter's Day in 1939
120:University of Auckland
984:on Storylines website
176:, Auckland, in 2015.
115:, among many others.
108:The Moon in the Cloud
562:Write like an Author
307:Nikki Slade Robinson
103:Laura Ingalls Wilder
967:Melinda Szymanik's
398:"Szymanik, Melinda"
319:My Elephant is Blue
118:She studied at the
710:Festival of Colour
483:"Melinda Szymanik"
309:(Scholastic, 2020)
293:(Scholastic, 2016)
277:The Song of Kauri,
273:(Scholastic, 2013)
223:(Scholastic, 2008)
16:New Zealand writer
945:. 19 October 2017
817:Otago Daily Times
329:Lucy and the Dark
303:Sharing with Wolf
281:Te Waiata o Kauri
199:Esther Glen Medal
124:Massey University
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533:"About FABO"
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949:13 November
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339:Sun Shower/
85:New Zealand
52:New Zealand
49:Nationality
992:Categories
898:6 November
872:6 November
847:5 November
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771:6 November
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715:5 November
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643:6 November
618:6 November
613:Storylines
593:6 November
567:5 November
542:5 November
537:FABO Story
517:6 November
492:5 November
462:6 November
436:6 November
408:5 November
377:5 November
350:References
215:Clever Moo
41:Occupation
91:Biography
66:.blogspot
139:and the
81:Auckland
36:Auckland
331:, ill.
321:, ill.
305:, ill.
289:, ill.
57:Website
508:"Home"
373:. 2010
44:Writer
762:(PDF)
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