NZEDGE News — New Zealand through the eyes of the world's media

Top shelf Wellington author

Lloyd Jones has won the Commonwealth Writers Prize overall best book award for his novel Mister Pip. The NZ $27,400 cheque was presented to Jones at the Calabash Literary Festival in St Elizabeth, Jamaica,…

Loft vision

NZ-born architect David Howell’s vision for a disused Manhattan loft space earned a full-page feature in the New York Times. Located near Gramercy Park, the 35-by-20-foot rectangular space with 11-foot high ceilings dates from…

Cinema Success Story

Auckland-based Vista Entertainment Solutionshas become one of the world’s leading cinema software providers since its launch in 1995. Vista’s systems, which run entire movie theatres from selling tickets to calculating studio royalties, are used in nearly 600…

Top of His Game

New Zealander Bob Hayward has found success in the highly competitive US film industry. Based in Los Angeles, Hayward is the Chief Operating Officer and founding partner of Summit Entertainment, an independent distribution company…

Doyen of deconstructivism

NZ architect Mark Wigley is name-checked in Dwell magazine’s monthly Architectural Movements 101 section. Wigley’s famous Deconstructivist Architecture exhibition, with Philip Johnson, forms the basis of Dwell’s May article devoted to the…

Small fish hits big time

Greymouth singer-songwriter Steve Edwards has become a star in the UK without even releasing an album. A copy of One By One, a song from his upcoming Fish out of Water album, was…

Peace of Mind

NZ has been named the world’s second most peaceful country in the inaugural Global Peace Index, a study commissioned by Australian IT entrepreneur and philanthropist Steve Killelea and sponsored by peace advocates such as…

Killer opportunity

Annie Crummer has been handpicked by the surviving members of Queen to sing on the remake of their best-selling single Another One Bites the Dust. The NZ singer caught the attention of Brian…

New Zealander Heads Microsoft Innovation

NZ software architect Nigel Keam has spearheaded the development of Microsoft’s new Surface technology, the subject of much excitement and speculation in the computing industry. Surface is a tabletop PC device with a touch interface that uses…

In the frame

Scottish author Andrew O’Hagan’s inspiring opening address at this month’s Sydney Writers’ Festival included mention of NZ literary great, Janet Frame. The author of Living in the Maniototo, The Edge of the Alphabet and…

Skim Straight from the Cow

Scientists in NZ have found cows that produce skim milk naturally, a discovery that could potentially revolutionise the dairy industry. If researchers can identify the genes responsible for skim milk production, they could breed cows that produce…

Xero on the Money

A NZ online accounting software company has won the inaugural International Technium Challenge, a business planning competition sponsored by International Business Wales. Wellington-based Xero beat 19 entries from five other countries, winning the opportunity to open…

You Say Fish, I Say Fush

An Auckland University of Technology (AUT) study has found that the NZ accent has grown broader and less British over the past few decades. The change is most obvious in broadcasting, where newsreaders…

Fletcher Nets Formica

NZ manufacturing company Fletcher Building has bought the iconic Formica Corporation for US $700 million. Fletcher Building already owned the rights to Formica products in Australia and NZ – chief executive Jonathan Ling said the latest…

Aotearoa on the Cheap

The Bangkok Post takes a budget tour of NZ “that in some countries could easily pass for luxury”. Spending just fifty NZ dollars a day, the travel writer visits Wellington’s Botanic Gardens, Te Papa,…

Piece of Cake LA

Times food writer Amy Scattergood introduces Americans to the humble pavlova: “a dessert with an unexpected, rustic elegance.” As well as providing a step-by-step recipe, Scattergood details the historical and cultural background of the…

Pixel perfect

Hamilton-born Nick Craven was one of a 35-strong team of animators working on the third Shrek instalment. Fellow New Zealander Andrew Adamson, who wrote and directed the first two films, provided the story…

Pub weirdo finds his voice

South London-based NZ writer Paul Ewen has released his first book, London Pub Reviews. Ewen set up his own publishing company, Shoes With Rockets, to make sure the collection of humorous fictional reviews…

What Makes NZ Sav Blanc so Special?

The NZ government and members of the wine industry are funding a multimillion dollar research project to examine the distinctive qualities of the country’s prized Sauvignon Blanc. The six-year NZ $16.9 million project is being carried out…

Conchords viral captures US

Flight of the Conchords, the HBO series based on the NZ comedy act of the same name, has premiered in the US. HBO launched the series with a headline-grabbing viral campaign, which allowed…

First in Flight

Nelson’s Ngati Koata has become the first Maori tribe to venture into the airline industry. The iwi aims to launch a Nelson-based passenger charter service in the next three to four months, and…

The Rings Effect Continues

NZ features in a new weekly video series on international branding practices by British marketing guru Martin Lindstrom. In Altering the Brand of a Country: How Movies Hurt Columbia and Help New Zealand, Lindstrom…

On and off-screen success story

Anna Paquin’s career has soared to new heights since her starring role in the blockbuster X-Men franchise. Her upcoming films include Margaret and Trick r’ Treat, and she stars in (and executive produces…

Pure and Simple

NZ mineral water Antipodes was reviewed by Michael Mascha, author of Fine Waters: A Connoisseurs Guide to the World’s Most Distinctive Bottled Waters, in the LA Times. “The soft, light bubbles (it’s artificially…

Campion speaks out for women in film

Jane Campion has spoken out about the lack of female filmmakers while being honoured for her own achievements at the Cannes Film Festival. The New Zealander was one of 35 high-profile directors – the…

The Sweet Sound of Success

NZ company Marshall Day Acoustics has won the contract to design a $400 million concert hall in Paris. Marshall Day, together with French architect Jean Nouvel, beat 97 international design teams for the…

Te Kuiti Hero Immortalised in Bronze

A statue commemorating a NZ WW2 hero has been unveiled in the Scottish village of Cowie, where he died. Flight Lieutenant Carlisle Everiss of Te Kuiti lost control of his Spitfire over Cowie in…

Surfers Give Back to Mentawai Islands

NZ doctor Dave Jenkins’ SurfAid International charity is having a profound effect on the inhabitants of Indonesia’s Mentawai Islands. The picture-perfect beaches are a playground for wealthy Western surfers, yet locals have continued to suffer high death-rates…

Finn spreads the word

Tim Finn talks about future recordings with brother, Neil, being made an Officer of the British Empire, and the recent spate of band reunions (Spilt Enz and Crowded House included) in an interview with…

Lord of the Rigs Honoured in NZ

Wade Thompson, US-based chairman, president and CEO of the world’s largest recreation vehicle company, is to receive an honorary Doctor of Commerce degree from Victoria University. Thompson, 66, completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at Victoria in…

Clean, Pure, Natural Cosmetics to France

NZ cosmetics companies Trilogy, Skinfood, Art a Face, Living Nature and Antipodes have presented their ranges to 50 French retailers and beauty journalists at the NZ ambassador’s residence in Paris. The May 14 breakfast event received a…

Risky Business

A viral advertising campaign by NZ’s Prodigy Films has caused a stir online. Created for Irish skincare line Elave (Ovelle Pharmaceuticals), Prodigy’s “Nothing to Hide” clip is a risqué parody of the countless cosmetic or personal hygiene ads…

Tintin gets Jackson treatment

Dream Works has hired Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg to direct and produce three feature films based on the popular Tintin comic series. According to Variety, each filmmaker will direct one of the movies,…

Kate Webb: War Correspondent

A New York Times article reminisces about Kate Webb, the NZ-born war correspondent who died of cancer in May 2007. Webb narrowly escaped death back in 1971, as a 28-year-old bureau chief for United…

“Substantial Miscarriage” in Bain Case

Britain’s Privy Council has quashed the convictions of alleged mass-murderer David Bain, set down by the New Zealand Court of Appeal in 1995. The Council ruled that a “substantial miscarriage of justice”…

Speaking Out for Sudan

Oxfam activist Ingrid MacDonald is helping to raise awareness of her organisation’s work in war-torn Darfur, Sudan. The Waiuku-born aid worker is currently based in Chad, where camps have been set up to house…

A Life Lived Large

NZ-born war correspondent Kate Webb has died of cancer aged 64. Described as a “modern day Annie Oakley, packing pens instead of pistols”, Webb bore witness to some of the most important events in…

Digging for Gold in Antarctica

A team of Victoria and Massey University scientists has been recognised for their development of portable nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology in Antarctica. Massey’s Robin Dykstra, Professor Paul Callaghan of the MacDiarmid Institute, Dr Craig Eccles of Magritek…

NZ Judge Finds PM Blair Guilty

Retired NZ Supreme Court judge Ted Thomas has published an article condemning outgoing British PM Tony Blair for his “immoral and illegal” invasion of Iraq. The essay, which is written as a judicial…

Pole Position

Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ) has won the Louis Vuitton challenger series, crushing American rival BMW Oracle Racing by 1m 34s. The victory gave ETNZ the right to choose its opponent for the best-of-nine semifinals. Skipper

New Voice in US Media Marketplace

NZ-born advertising executive Antony Young, US CEO of Optimedia, is about to publish his first book in America. In Profitable Marketing Communication he offers US marketers a fresh perspective on the media marketplace, based largely around successful…

DreamWorks nets Jackson

DreamWorks SKG has won a week-long Hollywood bidding war for Peter Jackson’s latest film. Jackson made his screen adaptation of Alice Sebold’s novel The Lovely Bones available on the open market last week,…

NZ Pathologist Testifies in Canada

NZ-based pathologist Dr James Ferris has given evidence in the most high-profile murder case in recent Canadian history. Ferris, a veteran of 40 years forensic investigation, has testified at the trial of Robert William…

The Players’ Player

Former NZ Maori representative Glen Jackson has won Britain’s Professional Rugby Players’ Association (PRA) player of the year award, calling it “the greatest achievement of my rugby career”. The 31-year-old Saracens fly-half, who previously played for Waikato…