Crowdfunding drive to save book
A book telling the stories of more than 100 of New Zealand’s centenarians is at risk of not getting published as the author struggles to fund it.
Renee Hollis, of Nelson, set out to record the memories of 100-yearolds around the country at the start of the year.
Hollis ran out of funds to have the book published last month so turned to PledgeMe. But time is running out.
There’s just 17 days to hit the $13,777 needed and if it isn’t met the pledges of about $1000 she currently has are worthless.
‘‘I just thought about people sitting in rest homes by themselves, lonely. Some people are becoming invisible in our communities and yet they have such amazing stories to share,’’ she said.
‘‘I just feel like I’m reading a New Zealand history book but I get to ask all the questions, which is a lot of fun.’’
Hollis has met a range of characters along the way.
Aucklander Gordon Brown was particularly ‘‘special’’. Hollis said she saw him driving a Lamborghini aged 101 on TV and had to meet him.
‘‘I was just buzzing afterwards ... he was a race car driver back in the day.’’ He was a ‘‘real adrenaline junkie’’ and ‘‘so enthusiastic about life’’.
Another was a 102-year-old opera singer John Bond from Rotorua.
‘‘He’s got a repertoire of 400 songs in five languages and was a soldier in the war.
‘‘He was such a remarkable person.‘‘
This would be her 10th book – many of her books have been photographic projects including looking at people and artists of Golden Bay.
Six of Hollis’ interviewees have died since the project started.
‘‘There’s a real urgency about it with me getting around to all of these people and trying to get these stories written down and recorded.’’
In Wellington, Hollis met Michael Nicholson – an Englishborn artist and WWII veteran.
Nicholson died on July 6. Hollis said news of his death was ‘‘sad’’ however she felt ‘‘really special and privileged’’ to spend time with him to record his story.
Five of Hollis’ subjects are at Ernest Rutherford Retirement Village in Nelson.
Ben Oakes, 101, Max Sladen, 100, Lorna Moffitt, 101, Lorna Jarrett, 100 and Mary Powell who turns 100 on August 7.
Oakes is a ‘‘charmer’’, Hollis said.
Today, Oakes will celebrate his birthday. He said the best part about the book project was the pleasure of meeting up with people, ‘‘especially the ladies.’’
An interesting twist was revealed when the WWII veteran shared his life story with Hollis.
Oakes had lost touch with his brother, Joseph, after their mother’s funeral in 1982 and hadn’t seen each other in 35 years.
But the project reunited them when Joseph saw Oakes interviewed on TV in a story on the book.
Sladen was an apple orchardist in his younger years. He said it was ‘‘marvellous’’ to share his story.
‘‘Everyone in Motueka knows Max,’’ Hollis said.
Writing these stories has not come cheap. Apart from a $10,000 donation toward the project at the start of the year, Hollis said she did everything off her own back.
She has also applied for government grants through the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, with no luck.
‘‘I’ve been a one man band. I’ve gone around in a little rental car staying with family or in backpackers ... basically I kind of ran out of money.’’