tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190Sun, 23 Nov 2025 07:42:45 +0000Bastion PointWritingShakespeareTeachingpersistencewriter's lifeAuthor angstBanquo's SonKurzulMacbethNZ Book AwardsNZ writersProtestingStarting a new novelStudentsWinningWriting advicepoliticsrejectionOnce an occasional blog home to news about my Crown of Blood and Honour Trilogy, now a blog for announcements and musings about all my writing endeavours.http://banquosson.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)Blogger383125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-9125476076824115308Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:37:00 +00002024-12-28T09:22:32.553+13:00 Here is my submission to the Treaty Principles Bill:(with thanks to Peter Sime and his submission. Those phrases/sections with quote marks are from his post, with his permission). Kia ora koutouPart 1: I wish to comment on the Treaty Principles Bill before you.Ko wai au? Some background:I grew up knowing I was Māori but embarrassed of that part of my heritage. In our family (of http://banquosson.blogspot.com/2024/12/here-is-my-submission-to-treaty.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-4114949095882799126Thu, 12 Dec 2024 22:07:00 +00002024-12-13T14:32:16.690+13:00 A lot has happened since I last wrote. My book Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature From the Sea was awarded the Margaret Mahy Supreme Winner in the 2021 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. That was incredible.Then it won an Ibby AwardAnd is to be published by French publishers Au Vent des Ïles (2025).Just recently, book 2, Charlie Tangaroa and the God of War, was released http://banquosson.blogspot.com/2024/12/hello-again.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-7718489900635543705Sun, 12 Jul 2020 03:40:00 +00002020-07-12T15:40:54.642+12:00 Below is a slightly amended report I submitted to the MKWC at the end of my two weeks writer residency: July 11th 2020 of our year of Covid-19              Tonight is my last night at the Michael King Writer Centre. I’m sitting in the Dame Chris Cole Catley Room because it’s warm but, more importantly, it’s a room filled with books. The Annette http://banquosson.blogspot.com/2020/07/writer-in-residence-michael-king.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-8757175181489007084Thu, 24 Jan 2019 19:56:00 +00002019-01-25T17:33:06.392+13:00persistencewriter's lifeWritingWriting advice I'm not good with being told what to do but these TEN things I know about what I see in the world of 'successful' writers. Here's my advice for what it's worth:  1) you've got to be good, really good, at writing. If you aren't then learn how to be - go to workshops, get a mentor, read good writing. 2) you've got to put the hours in. Mostly I hate it, this writing gig. It's exhausting, http://banquosson.blogspot.com/2019/01/advice-from-ill-disciplined-but.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-4673873438672650109Sun, 04 Mar 2018 07:42:00 +00002018-03-04T20:45:14.378+13:00Bastion PointNZ writerspoliticsProtestingStudentsTeaching What follows is a response I sent to a question asked on our English teachers' forum: "how to approach the violence in some of the texts [we're] teaching this year, so as to do more than wring hands about it; to use it as a vehicle for reflection and change." I love my job so much - I love how much I get to be involved in the lives of young people who are so amazing and curious and angry and http://banquosson.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-power-of-protest-power-of-words-to.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-2214316660017629419Wed, 16 Aug 2017 10:04:00 +00002017-08-16T22:28:59.008+12:00Bastion PointNZ Book AwardsShakespeareWinning “Some are born great,  some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em.” Malvolio, reading, from Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ (Act 2, scene 5) ‘Are you winning?’ is a question an old boss used to ask. It was a colloquial form of ‘How are you?’ but, for him, was also about whether you were winning the battle against the pile of planks to http://banquosson.blogspot.com/2017/08/winning.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-1337434146412228415Sat, 08 Jul 2017 06:28:00 +00002017-07-08T18:31:47.432+12:00A little while back, I learned my lastest novel, Bastion Point: 507 Days on Takaparawha, was shortlisted for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults - in the Esther Glen (Junior Fiction) Category. I cried. Such an honour to have my peers (the judges this year who are top of their game/know heaps of stuff about writing and reading and children's reading) say: we liked what http://banquosson.blogspot.com/2017/07/acceptance.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-6941667911913725295Sat, 08 Apr 2017 20:28:00 +00002017-04-09T08:30:30.943+12:00persistencerejectionwriter's life Even when you suspect it might come, it has way of getting a kick into your guts before you have time to put up defences. My latest rejection arrived just as I’d finished uploading a lovely selfie of my husband and me at the airport on the way to a concert in Napier to see the Dixie Chicks. The email came in on my phone. I was excited to hear from my agent. But before I could arm myself, thehttp://banquosson.blogspot.com/2017/04/rejection.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-8133794450973915225Sun, 02 Apr 2017 03:29:00 +00002017-04-02T15:29:47.198+12:00 I'm very pleased to finally announce that, Birthright, the third installment of A Crown of Blood and Honor, is available in both kindle and paperback editions. You can go here (US folks) or here (Aussie folks) or here (UK folks) to get your own copy. It's been a long wait for some and I share your frustrations at having to wait for 'the next episode' in a story. I suppose that's why I http://banquosson.blogspot.com/2017/04/birthright-is-re-born.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-7110018327325423464Fri, 27 Jan 2017 19:41:00 +00002017-01-28T08:41:37.444+13:00I'm not sure how I survive being a writer because a great deal of time is spent waiting for news of some kind: of reviews for the latest novel, editorial feedback on the current novel, rankings on lists of already published novels, whether you've got an award nomination or been successful for funding, or the results of a submission to a new publisher. Currently, I'm waiting for news of almost allhttp://banquosson.blogspot.com/2017/01/waiting-for-news.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-6213143517342580436Sun, 18 Dec 2016 22:31:00 +00002016-12-19T11:43:19.538+13:00 Kāore te kūmara e kōrero mō tōna ake reka The kumara (sweet potato) does not say how sweet he is One of the tensions I've found being a writer is the expectation to (self) promote versus the (Kiwi) cultural attitude of avoiding exactly that. I've been more in line with the American habit for 'saying it how it is' or, more to my ears 'talking myself up'. This year, as I've continued onhttp://banquosson.blogspot.com/2016/12/5-lessons-ive-learned-in-2016.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-1192931448862282341Sat, 09 Jul 2016 00:44:00 +00002016-07-09T20:17:47.537+12:00Today I begin to actually put words into the word document labeled: Bree's story/Battle of Hastings. First, though, because one of the questions I get asked a lot is how do you/I start a story?, I thought I'd share with you what I have come to recognize as MY way of starting my stories: 1) I schedule time to write. I teach high school full time and writing is my 'other' job. Even when I was on http://banquosson.blogspot.com/2016/07/seven-steps-to-starting-novel-my-way.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-3049639908207176991Sun, 05 Jun 2016 01:03:00 +00002016-06-06T16:55:25.351+12:00 Perhaps like a Hollywood studio who has a great actor needing a great script, for my next novel, I already had an interesting character needing a ‘home’:                                                              Bree, from A http://banquosson.blogspot.com/2016/06/finding-story-some-thoughts-on-how-to.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-2373910201047214913Sat, 16 Apr 2016 20:25:00 +00002016-04-17T08:25:42.697+12:00Author angstStarting a new novelWriting I can see you'all already in the water: waving; calling; saying: it's fine once you're IN! I believe you and I am envious of your splashes and happy noises; envious of those of you swimming strongly and with beauty out to the far buoy. I can do that too and have swum that swim many times but.... I am afraid. I am tired. I don't want to be like the one who is bobbing, head just http://banquosson.blogspot.com/2016/04/standing-at-edge.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-1815613561514461855Sat, 12 Mar 2016 21:24:00 +00002016-03-13T10:33:50.057+13:00Bastion PointTeachingWriting So, I'm back in the classroom.  Back in my happy place being kept on my toes by reluctant 14 year old boys who can't but help stare out the window or eager girls who have so many ideas they just. Can't. Stop. Them. Bursting out and into the chaos that is sometimes our class discussions. I'm back spending more time thinking about my students than my husband or myself or my writing http://banquosson.blogspot.com/2016/03/writing-and-teaching-teaching-writing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-9037329227394280684Wed, 06 Jan 2016 04:28:00 +00002016-01-06T17:29:57.757+13:00 I pinch myself that I got the chance to tweak Bloodlines (settle the matter of a certain horse going missing and the like) and now it's out everywhere for many other readers to get to know the characters who still linger and have hung around for almost eight years. Here's my launch speech when we released the NZ version back in 2010 (apologies for the undignified hitching up of my pants). It http://banquosson.blogspot.com/2016/01/bloodlines-launched-internationally.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-1928496620383288589Fri, 11 Dec 2015 20:06:00 +00002016-01-06T08:16:37.531+13:00I recently had a few weeks of far too much excitement. I'm sure it is true that one has a certain allocation of happy/good/exciting things for any one stage of life and that perhaps I've gone into overdraft. Hei aha tāu! I'm not complaining. Firstly, Banquo's Son received a wonderful review from the Historical Novel Society. The reviewer said: "Banquo’s Son is superb historical http://banquosson.blogspot.com/2015/12/ch-ch-ch-changes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-8301725622979078941Sun, 11 Oct 2015 20:04:00 +00002015-10-12T09:04:46.663+13:00Banquo's SonKurzulMacbethShakespeare I was very excited about going to see the newest outing of William Shakespeare's Macbeth by Justin Kurzul because the trailer looked amazing. Yes, the acting is brilliant (no question) and the scenery breathtaking. Visually all wonderful. But the rendering, the STORY, that's what delighted me so. Kurzul directed as well as wrote the screen play which is what I really want to talk about. http://banquosson.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-latest-macbeth-film-and-banquos-son.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-1024833334172467807Mon, 17 Aug 2015 23:51:00 +00002015-08-18T12:22:55.299+12:00I've been an English teacher for a long time and I don't recall a time I wasn't able to tame a class of wild animals year 10 boys or disinterested Y12 girls with a story read out loud. In fact, I have read the entire book of To Kill A Mockingbird at least 15 times, scores of Shakespeare's plays (with accents when I can though I usually hand the job over to more capable readers) as well as http://banquosson.blogspot.com/2015/08/audio-book-of-banquos-son-aka-post.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-5822563144541918900Tue, 28 Jul 2015 21:31:00 +00002015-07-29T09:31:34.891+12:00In less than 20 days, Fleance and his adventures will become available to readers in the UK and the US. In anticipation, my publisher Thomas & Mercer are offering a Good Reads giveaway  It's been very satisfying having the chance to tweak the books but also interesting to see how much I have 'grown' (read: improved) as a writer. When the advance copies arrived (all the way from Seattlehttp://banquosson.blogspot.com/2015/07/count-down-to-international-release-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-3494766667842554149Fri, 08 May 2015 20:21:00 +00002015-05-09T08:21:49.627+12:00The release of books one and two (Banquo's Son and Bloodlines) is approaching and rapidly. Book one has had a thorough review and tweaking and book two is now about to get a good going over. Here are the new covers of the novels and I'm utterly delighted. Go here to pre-order in kindle, hardback, paper back and/or audio. Publication date August 16th http://banquosson.blogspot.com/2015/05/a-crown-of-blood-and-honour.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-3399966858085301620Wed, 11 Feb 2015 23:18:00 +00002015-02-12T12:19:21.179+13:00 It's been a very long wait but my faithful agent never gave up and has now found the perfect international home for my boy, Fleance, and his friends. Here's the press release: General Fiction, Digital Longtime New Zealand best-selling author T.K. Roxborogh's 2010 New Zealand Award winning BANQUO'S SON, beginning ten years after Macbeth; following Fleance, who escaped the chaos in the http://banquosson.blogspot.com/2015/02/banquos-son-novels-go-international.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-4836909574570936057Thu, 05 Feb 2015 00:57:00 +00002015-02-05T13:57:03.393+13:00I haven't written on this blog because there has been no new 'news'. Very soon, however, there WILL be NEWS about Banquo's Son's next adventure. Before that happens, I have some thoughts about the logistics of writing as an occupation to generate a living income. In my immediate past life, I wrote in the gaps between my 'real job' as an English teacher. In 2014, I was a student again thanks to ahttp://banquosson.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-uncomfortableness-of-workingwriting.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-5919336543710315640Sun, 24 Nov 2013 17:09:00 +00002013-11-25T06:09:54.270+13:00 This review appeared on Beattie's Book Blog this morning. “Birthright”, by T. K. Roxborogh (Penguin NZ) is the final in Tania Roxborogh’s Shakespeare inspired Banquo’s Son Trilogy, which tells the story of Fleance, son of Banquo from Macbeth. In Birthright, Fleance is the now beleaguered king of Scotland, fighting to save his crown, his people, his family, and his love. It is a fitting http://banquosson.blogspot.com/2013/11/first-official-review-of-birthright.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6328686830983048190.post-3429363870407769199Wed, 20 Nov 2013 04:42:00 +00002013-11-20T17:42:50.784+13:00Last night, we launched Birthright officially out into the world. Here is the evidence: Me signing My eldest, Mackenna and my hubby, Phillip My youngest, Brianna and a friend Flowers from my dept and school. Cupcakes made by Dunedin Cupcake Company. You can watch the presentations here (Kay Mercer of Dunedin Public Libraries introducing me and then reading a letter from my http://banquosson.blogspot.com/2013/11/birthright-born.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (TK Roxborogh)0