Summer has lingered longer than usual. The Wellington region has had more warm days in a row than I remember for years. It hasn’t made me slow down or chill out.

I love sunshine, but I prefer to admire it from the shade—preferably while writing, reading or watching a good film or series on my iPad. My social life is—mildly put—restricted. I avoid having more than one person on my social radar at a time. I hate parties and small talk. Which is to say: what follows was an exception.

Tough Guy Book Club

Last Wednesday night I attended the Tough Guy Book Club for the first time, at the cosy and inviting pub, Spring and Fern in Petone. There were seven of us. All men over forty. All avid readers.

Instead of the endless yabbing about the All Blacks’ coaches—lousy or legendary—and their unrivalled success, the conversation was about books. Yes, literature. After twenty years in New Zealand, I’d almost forgotten that other men read fiction as well. I enjoyed the evening so much I even managed to smile.

I can’t wait for our next meeting on 4 March. We’ll talk about Nikos Kazantzakis’s brilliant novel, Zorba the Greek. It was a teenage favourite of mine. Unfortunately, it isn’t available on Apple Books or Kindle as an ebook, but I found a copy at a local second-hand bookshop and started reading straight away. I didn’t remember how rich and deep it is. ‘Fascinating’ is an understatement, and it’s marvellous to return to a book that hit so hard over fifty years ago.

I hope that someone who reads my books as a teenager now returns to them in fifty years and thinks, well—this was it, back when AI didn’t write novels: broken people, shaded joys, and unwavering hope for the better.

The transparency of the NZ Police, yeah nah

I’ve got about 20,000 words down for my latest, ‘The Māori Murders’. I’m writing a tad more slowly than before because there’s a lot of background research to do—drug addiction, different drugs, the NZ prison system, and the police—if I’m to get the details right.

I had high hopes last week: I’d booked a meeting with a Detective Senior Sergeant [I’ll not reveal the name of this dude], who cancelled at the last minute and instructed the police comms team to direct me to use an Official Information Act request for what I’m seeking about investigative process and policy. So much for the transparency of the NZ police—and the human touch.

I was fuming and disappointed. But then came a surprise. Some of the higher-ups from Police called me yesterday, informing me that my OIA request couldn't be processed, and he explained why. It was all very professional, and he promised to reach out to the comms team and suggest that I be given another opportunity to speak with the Senior Sergeant.

As a result, I will meet the dedective next week! But, as an old crook, I changed the plotline so the NZ police aren’t involved in solving the crime (just to be on a safe side of the storytelling); instead, five-year-old twins outsmart them and provide the evidence the police couldn’t see because it was too… evident.

But I am relieved. However, it should not have taken so much back-and-forth with emails and finally a call from somebody who had the authority to help the poor author. But hey, this is how NZ works: first comes 'no,' then comes some unnecessary pushing and pulling until you find somebody who takes the responsibility and acts.

That’s it for this week, folks. I’m off back to the next scene.

If you have anything to ask or comment on, send me an email. I will always answer—except to the ‘book promoters’ whose snake oil has no place on my hard drive.

Cheers,
Janus

Janus Lucky
www.januslucky.com

Here is this week’s video treat

The great Ian McKellen gives us a timeless performance you must watch. William Shakespeare gave us this 400 years ago and it is more relevatn today than ever.

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