Door to dream opens with Keys

Sacha Cotter reads Keys/Nga Ki at its launch at the Wellington City Library. Photo / Supplied

New author Sacha Cotter has had a dream come true.

Her first book, Keys, with the te reo Maori version Nga Ki, was launched at the Wellington City Library recently, to an enthusiastic audience of children from local kohanga reo and kindergartens.

For Cotter, who grew up in Kawerau, the launch was the climax to a year that has been a dream come true.

"The night before I barely slept a wink. Huia Publishers made the event so very special, it's something that I will remember for the rest of my life," she said.

She also met the book's illustrator, Josh Morgan, for the first time. "I finally got to meet Josh and tell him face to face how much I adore his illustrations. Since then I haven't been able to thank him enough. I love his style and the way he breathes something quite magical into his work."

After the launch presentation and karakia (prayer) Cotter read her book to an excited group of children. "It was the first time that I had ever read a story of mine to a group of children - it was really quite surreal. But right from the very first page they were engaged. They helped me spot the mischievous cat and they joined in to help me make the keys sing. One little boy was completely taken by the 'space noodles'. I kept hearing him say, 'space noodles, space noodles' when we were looking at the pictures on that page."

Cotter has always wanted to write stories. "When I was 7 years old I had an amazing teacher at Kawerau South School. Her name was Mrs Coles and it was in her class and with her encouragement that I discovered the magic of writing stories. When Huia Publishers decided to take on Keys/Nga Ki, it felt like that childhood dream had finally been realised. I felt like I had won Lotto.

"Even more, the story that would be my first published book was a story based on my earliest childhood memory of my Dad arriving home and his keys jangling in the door. Every time I read Keys I get to relive that feeling; the excitement I felt to see my dad and the way I thought he was so clever and strong, like he could do anything."

Cotter is a librarian at Victoria University and will be spending part of her Christmas break performing a special reading to more excited children back home at the Kawerau Library. Keys/Nga Ki is available in all bookshops.