Gecko Press Blog

Welcome to a combobulation of articles from our favourite thinkers, stories from behind the scenes, lists of good books, Gecko Press news and things that amuse us from time to time.

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In the Forbidden Forest with Ole Könnecke

Ole Konnecke

For the release his book Dulcinea in the Forbidden Forest, Ole took over the Gecko Press Instagram account to show behind the scenes of creating the story.

The books that raised me: Emma McIlroy

Emma reading at a young age

I have always loved reading, to the point where as soon as I could read by myself, I would read anything I could find, including encyclopaedias cover to cover.

Dulcinea in the Forbidden Forest: Q&A with Ole Könnecke

My previous book in Germany was a Western with a boy as the main character, so this time I wanted simply to tell an exciting story centred on a girl.

Koro/Pops and Mihi: Q&A with Gavin Bishop

In their own way these ‘little’ books are as challenging as the much bigger books I’ve been doing in recent years. They don’t take as long because they don’t

Being translated: both terrifying and relaxing

For Women in Translation month we asked Swedish writer Frida Nilsson about the translation process. Nilsson’s new book released in English is Hattie and Olaf, one of over a dozen novels she has written for children which have been published around the world. The Ice Sea Pirates, her most translated book, is available in 20… Read more »

Book list featuring single fathers

Seahorses Are Sold Out: Dad falling backwards in surprise

With the approach of Father’s Day and this month’s release of Seahorses Are Sold Out, featuring the best dad-hair Gecko Press has published, we asked Helen Wadsworth from Dorothy Butler Children’s Bookshop in Auckland to tell us what books about single fathers she enjoys recommending to customers.             Picture books Just Because… Read more »

The Tiny Woman’s Coat: Q&A with Joy Cowley

Joy Cowley portrait

Joy Cowley is one of New Zealand’s best-loved writers for children and adults, with an international reputation. She has won a multitude of awards and honours for her bestselling books, including the Prime Minister’s Award for contribution to literature. She was shortlisted for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2018.         What… Read more »

Seeds of the Hattie story: Frida Nilsson

Frida Nilsson

Frida Nilsson shares the inspiration behind her much-loved character Hattie and memories of her own school days for the publication of Hattie and Olaf.

The books that raised me: Sarah Rennie

Books That Raised Me Sarah Rennie

Sarah is our newest member of Gecko Press, having joined our marketing team this month. Sarah has fond memories of reading with multiple generations of her family growing up in the 1980s in the UK. Here are some of the classic picture books and 80s bestsellers that raised her.  When I was young, I had… Read more »

Book list for fostering empathy

Dulcinea reading to duck and dog (c) Ole Konnecke

This month’s book list has been collated by Bob Lingle from Off the Beaten Path Bookstore. The store is located in the Village of Lakewood, New York, with a focus on fostering empathy, to curate titles for the community that promote understanding, diversity, and creativity. Find Off the Beaten Path Bookstore on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter…. Read more »

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