We are very pleased to be giving away two copies of Adrienne Jansen’s book ‘Light Keeping’, to our GrownUps members.
All you need to do to enter the draw is be a GrownUps member, make sure you’re signed up to our newsletter and fill in your details near the bottom of the page!
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About Light Keeping
Respected creative writing teacher and New Zealand author Adrienne Jansen’s sixth novel explores loss and light, storytelling and the sea.
The year is 1977 and a shocking accident sees Robert and Jess suddenly orphaned. Finding refuge with their lighthouse keeper grandparents, they begin to navigate their loss and rebuild their lives. But how secure can this new home be, with the threat of lighthouse automation and closures looming?
As adults, Jess and Robert must deal with the fallout of the tragic events of their childhood, disconnected from each other and the home that once sheltered them. Buffeted by the storms of life, they find themselves inescapably drawn back towards the world of the sea.
Light Keeping is a subtle and immersive novel drawing on the richness of family stories and their role in defining and connecting us. Set in the late- seventies and contemporary Aotearoa, the book follows parallel storylines, evoking fascinating details of lighthouse life and reflecting on the relentless social change brought by new technology.
Ultimately, this is a story of hope and reconnection – of finding, and keeping, light.
Author Note
‘This is a family story that stretches across several generations. Into this story I’ve woven bits and pieces of my own family history (the Woods/Hayward family) and stories told within the Jansen family. It’s been a great pleasure to raid family histories in this way, knowing that I could rewrite them a little to fit with this new story (it is fiction, after all!) But it means that although no one in my family has ever lived in a lighthouse, the novel has a personal feel to me. This is a story about storytelling, family, and the sea – all the things I love most.’ – Adrienne Jansen
All the lighthouses mentioned in the novel are fictitious, as are their locations, but they borrow features from many actual lighthouses around New Zealand.
The Magic of Lighthouses
Lighthouses ‘beam light into darkness and transform uncertainty into knowledge and safety.’– Helen Beaglehole Always the Sound of the Sea
Rugged coastlines, circling seabirds, crashing waves – lighthouses stir the imaginations of us all. Elegant symbols of human resilience in wild and isolated landscapes, they speak of adventure, tragedy and romance, of suffering, and of protection.
Readers and writers have for centuries been drawn to the image of the lighthouse and its resonance for our history and development. Built for strength and permanence, yet isolated and remote, lighthouses have sparked many a rich and intriguing story, as is the case with this novel, Light Keeping.
About the Author
This is Adrienne Jansen’s sixth novel, and in it she returns to two great loves – storytelling, and the sea. A long-time creative writing teacher, she founded the Whitireia Creative Writing Programme, and co-founded Escalator Press and Landing Press, a small poetry publisher that now takes most of her time.
Light Keeping was one of three novels shortlisted for the 2021 Michael Gifkins Prize. Adrienne’s previous work has been shortlisted for 2019 NZ Booklovers Awards, longlisted for the 2019 Ockham NZ Book Awards, and included in the NZ Herald’s Best Books 2016, Best New Zealand Poems 2016 and NZ Listener’s most memorable books of 2013.
Adrienne lives in Tītahi Bay, north of Wellington. She also writes non-fiction and poetry, both for adults and children.
To read an article Adrienne has written exclusively for GrownUps, click here
Terms and conditions
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- You must be a GrownUps member and receive our newsletter to be eligible to win.
- Competition closes on the 24th October 2023, winners will be notified via email by 26th October 2023.
- It is your responsibility to ensure you correctly enter a New Zealand postal address where the prize can be couriered. GrownUps will not take responsibility for prizes sent to incorrect addresses.
- Winners are drawn at random by the GrownUps administration team.
- GrownUps employees and family are not eligible to enter.
- By entering the giveaway, you approve for GrownUps to use your name on social media as winner of the competition.
- One entry per household.
- Prize is non transferrable.
- You must reside in New Zealand – the prize will only be posted within New Zealand.
- You must be over 50 years of age to enter, check your details are correct in your membership dashboard.