Friday, February 24, 2006

Helen Gets Published....

Finally, a break.

Next week my first column appears in the local paper! "A Brit in the Boonies" will be a fortnightly column appearing in the Malvern News, a very small local paper, with a 4500 circulation, but it's a start!! I have also had interest from a national paper who are too wussy to give a newbie a go and want to see how it is received locally first!

What is the column about? Here's a taster.....

Why is it, that despite the plethora of information available, thousands arrive in NZ daily believing it to be the land that time forgot, a land of milk and honey? Where houses are ten a penny, it’s warm all year round, there’s no crime, the roads are safe and it’s “just like Britain in the 50’s”?

I think someone forgot to update the “What to Expect on Arrival” leaflet handed out to the passengers of the Charlotte Jane.

And just what is it that makes a pale-faced I.T geek from Slough think he is Farmer Barleymow and can easily make the transition from terrace house with postage stamp garden to a 10 acre lifestyle block on the Canterbury plains? And exactly what lifestyle do you get from a lifestyle property?

The Brit in the Boonies, a new fortnightly column, reveals how immigrants see NZ and how NZ sees immigrants. Follow an immigrant’s observation on everyday life, their cock-ups and successes, misunderstandings and steep learning curves. From housing to hoons and jam to jandals, even the mundane can be a hurdle for a Brit in the Boonies!


My two year Journalism and Feature Writing course with the London School of Journalism ends in July and by then I hope to have a couple of columns on the go. I may even get around to finishing the two books I have started!

Watch out Bryson, here I come!

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7 Comments:

At 2:03 PM, Blogger spicey pineapple said...

congratulations! hope that it is a success and kepp on bloggign you have some great work going on here

 
At 8:41 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

can you get the Malvern online?

if not are you going to post it on your blog...or open another on so we can read it..

see you soon

Kat :-)

 
At 8:13 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well done Helen, today the local rag, tomorrow the world. Can you explain some of the language please,
Lez & Caz

 
At 11:30 AM, Blogger Helen Leggatt said...

No, the Malvern News isn't currently online, although it has plans to. I may start a separate blog for the articles, watch this space!

Caz/Lez - hope you guys are well, have been getting updates from Mum. Boonies = "the sticks" Jandals = flip flops (comes from zori or "japanese sandals" hence "jandals")

 
At 4:05 PM, Blogger The Ganasons said...

Way to go, Helen!!!

Send a few copies up North!

Shagen & Vera

 
At 3:58 PM, Blogger Helen Leggatt said...

I have finally sorted out a seperate blog for the column articles - I hope you'll all take a look and I would love your comments.. good AND bad. The link to the blog is on the right hand side of this one.... ---->

 
At 8:00 AM, Blogger Debbie Wilson said...

Helen
I think your column is fantastic, really funny, well done that girl.

Debs (wilson182)

 

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