Carolyn Lagahetau
“Our children’s books begin in various ways. These can be an email submission, a phone call, a chance meeting,
or when we seek out a particular person to work with us…
While many of our authors and illustrators are people we’ve published with previously, we often work with first-time authors and illustrators too.
Writing and illustrating involves a huge amount of creative intelligence and I’m ever mindful of this. My job as an editor is to help improve a story while retaining the author’s voice. As well as reviewing the words on each page, I project manage the processes that turn a manuscript into a book, including design and printing. I also talk with authors about how their book is likely to be perceived in the market and whether there is anything to change or amplify to make it more attractive to readers. A picture book is a meeting of words and images and matching an illustrator with an author is another part of the job that requires care.
The best books show children familiar experiences, suspend their disbelief, tempt them to fall into fits of laughter, or grow their curiosity about their world. We strive to make books that do all of these things.
I’m proud of our books that show New Zealand children’s lives and step outside convention when it comes to format or content. Tim Tipene’s Rona Moon, for example, is a remarkable synthesis of a traditional Māori story and modern-day setting. Darryn Joseph’s Whakarongo ki ō Tūpuna is a story written in te Reo Māori. To bring it into our bilingual list the story had to be translated into English. A central challenge was working out how the English language could reflect tikanga and authentically tell the book’s story about respect, love and environmental circularity.
Books written and published in Aotearoa are special because they’re able to describe the uniqueness of the world our children are experiencing. At the same time they help grow children’s understanding that they exist within a community of shared experiences and that other people see and do the same things as them. This sense of recognition contributes to resilience and can enhance a child’s confidence to pick up a book on an unfamiliar topic.
I believe this means local publishers play a pivotal role in expanding our children’s world view, piquing their curiosity and encouraging them to be open to ways of being that exist outside of their personal experience.”
Carolyn Lagahetau is Editorial Director at Oratia Books.