Packing a punch, nonviolently — interview with Raymond Huber

This time next week I'll be winging my way to Dunedin for the launch of Raymond Huber's Peace Warriors, a book that packs a nonviolent punch. He wrote it with intermediate-aged children in mind, but in fact it's a though-provoking anecdotal handbook for anyone wanting to zest up their thinking on this salient topic: the making of peace and the ending of violence and war.

Mākaro Press have made a beautiful job of the hard copy publication and Rosa Mira is privileged to be converting their book to digital. I asked Raymond a few questions.

What was the initial inspiration for Peace Warriors? As a child I loved stories about humble heroes (such as Hobbits) facing great evil. The idea for a book of true stories about non-violent resistance came after reading We Will Not Cease by Archibald Baxter. I was amazed I’d never come across this inspiring story when I was a teacher – there were children’s books about war heroes but none about peace heroes. I discovered many exciting stories of peaceful resistance in wartime, during dictatorships, and of people-power movements.

Do you have a favourite story from the book? It’s those electrifying moments when brute force is dumbfounded by love: the Jewish children hidden under the noses of the Nazis; Maori girls stopping the army with skipping ropes; helicopter gunships grounded by Filipino people power; the Chinese man with grocery bags halting a column of tanks.
 

Peace Warrior Raymond Huber has now and then been mistaken for Tintin. Image by Hugh Todd who was once cartoonist for the ODT.

Did you find common themes in the lives of the people you interviewed or researched? Yes. They were mostly ‘ordinary’ people who took a stand against oppression; they all had a fierce determination to see things through; and they believed, as one said, that ‘it matters what every single one of us does’.

Has working on the book altered the way you see the world? I have more hope for the future when I read about people who’ve stood up to dictators; and see that people-power campaigns have been more successful than military solutions.

What would be the best possible outcome of having your book out in the world? That it would encourage young readers to debate war and peace, and realise that violence is not the greatest human force in the world. That our government would champion non-violent conflict resolution and welcome more refugees here.

Do you want to mention anybody involved in the publishing process? A grant from Quaker Peace and Service Aoteraoa kept the project alive (after several rejections) until Mary McCallum (Mākaro Press) embraced the book.  I’m very grateful to author David Hill for his encouraging endorsement. I love the ‘handbook’ style design by Paul Stewart and the cover by Hugh Todd which expresses the essence of a Peace Warrior. About $1.25 from each sale goes to Oxfam NZ who are active in peace-making and disarmament issues. This donation is an important part of the ‘people power’ spirit of the book, that every small act contributes to change.

Cover image and design by Hugh Todd (yes, my brother)

10,000-word submissions sought

The rat's gone AWOL. I tried to rustle him up the other night but the pen ran amok, creating flaccid ratoids with too-long limbs, bread-board faces and doorstop tails. So, for now, here's a cousin — Rat Ascendant who brought birthday wishes across the Tasman last week from my brother Hugh, creator of the Rosa Mira Books website.

This week has seen some happy work on Rosa Mira's next two books (a memoir and a short collection of short stories). Actually, the stories are the first of the slim ebooks (if 'slim' can be applied to digital texts) that I'll call the 10K series. I plan to publish writings of around 10,000 words, whether that be three or four short stories, a piece of fiction, memoir, or an essay.

I'd like to receive submissions. It might be a potent extract from a novel that would otherwise not see the light of day; it might be the writer working over some matter they feel strongly about; the story of a relationship, or a meditation on the contents of the top drawer. Really, the sky's the limit — but I'd love to see some terrific writing. In the first instance, I'll ask for three lines in synopsis and three pages of writing. If in doubt, send me a query. Use the email link under Submissions on this page.

Pass it on.

In my next blog, I'll tell you about the up-coming story collection.

Genesis Chapter Two

'Thus the heavens and the earth were finished . . .' Phew, God did a lot in a single chapter. I'm a slow coach. When the idea of publishing ebooks first occurred to me, I approached friend and colleague Carolyn McCurdie. She was immensely encouraging; heard me out, made sensible contributions; came with me to a digital conference in Christchurch. But nothing was quite fitting into place. It all seemed awkward and too hard.
    Carolyn went off to write a novel (which I'll be eager to read; her debut YA The Unquiet is delicately written and quietly powerful speculative fiction: 'There's only one planet that weaves into its spinning the wild thread of imagination. It touches everything we know.' ) And I went back to work, but keeping my antennae out, waiting for the time to ripen.
    It's certainly riper now, and I've taken July off to attend to editing, copy-writing, calling for stories, nutting out a contract and making lists. My brother, cartoonist and designer Hugh Todd in Sydney is creating the website.
    My greatest challenge will be marketing, especially to the US  where people actually own reading devices (now there's a topic for another day). 'Viral',  'social', 'personal', seem to be the buzzwords for the new methodology.
    I'm learning, I'm running to keep up, and mostly it's fun. I believe in the work I'm going to send out there.
    Some of you have tried and failed to send comments. I think I've fixed the problem so if you're with me still, please try again. Thanks!