Interview: Angie Belcher talks about The Big Boil-Up

Angie Belcher is a writer and a teacher. Her love of outdoor adventure, including diving, caving, and hiking, provides Angie with exciting writing prospects and has become the catalyst for many children’s books. Most of her books, written for educational publishers, can be found in New Zealand schools, but her favourite stories originate from her home at Māketu in the Bay of Plenty. Angie talks to NZ Booklovers.

Tell us a little about The Big Boil-Up?

The Big Boil-Up is a joyful celebration of the simple activity of preparing food to share with friends and family. At some stage, all children like to help with food preparation, whether it’s cracking eggs, washing vegetables or rolling cookies. In many households, the kitchen is where all the conversation starts, and the wee jobs that signal being part of a household often begin. The Big Boil-Up is also a story about resourcefulness, gathering food that has been grown, collected, and shared. The recipe is not always written, but something that is handed down from generations. The child in the story is of an age where she would be expected to help at the marae and family gatherings. She has a longing to be part of the wider whānau and instinctively knows that now is the time for her to help. With eagerness, she joins Mumma as they prepare a feed for all the whānau.

What inspired you to write this book?

After writing Pipi Dance/ Te Pikari Pipi (Published by Scholastic 2024), I started to think about what other iconic New Zealand foods might be interesting to write about. Of course, there is hāngi, but for many New Zealanders, a boil-up is not often thought about; however, for Māori, it is a favourite food. In many ways, because of the way it connects family and friends, the simplicity of the recipe, which is most often not written and the ability to adapt the recipe depending on whatever is available. Of course, there is always the bonus of adding a few more vegetables to the pot, depending on extra people arriving. It’s the long, slow simmering which gives the Boil-up its flavours and of course, those favourite dough-boys of which there are never enough.

What research was involved?

To be honest, cooking a boil-up is not something I am really familiar with. The ones I have made never have the flavours that I taste in those made by kaumātua who have cooked them for years. I think I’m probably a bit too impatient to cook a good boil-up. So, a bit of research was needed. I reached out to our local community via its Facebook page, asking for any recipes, family stories and reasons why boil-up is a favourite. There were many answers: it’s affordability, easy access to greens like pūha and watercress which can be gathered free, the strong connection to cultural identity, how the smell brings back memories of home, family and special events providing a sense of comfort and belonging and the fact that the recipe can be adapted according to individual preference and the availability of ingredients. Others commented that it was just an easy dish to prepare if lots of people were coming for a meal. I also did a Google search and watched many YouTube clips of how to prepare a great boil-up. I was staggered by the number of views these clips had.

How did you work with illustrator Zak Ātea?

I didn’t know Zak Ātea, nor was I familiar with her art. Scholastic New Zealand couldn’t have chosen a better illustrator to bring my story to life. I wanted the images to reflect everything I love about Maketū and about living in a small, predominantly Māori village. Her integration of Māori design throughout the story, the many hidden elements, and her clear familiarity with the concept make the illustrations perfect.

When Zak asked if there was anything in particular I wanted to include in the story, I was over the moon—no illustrator had ever asked for my personal input before. She then asked me to take photos around the village of things that inspired me or meant something special. I knew exactly where I’d go: the marae, the estuary, the church, the playground with its big pōhutukawa, and of course, the diving board where all the local children go through their rite of passage—jumping off with squeals and laughter all through the year. I absolutely love seeing some of these things hiding within the chaos and colour.

What did you enjoy the most about writing this book for children?

I love the opportunity to use bouncy, rhythmic, catchy language so writing this story followed many of the same language principles that I had used in Pipi Dance, repetition, rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, and some familiar te reo. The book has been translated into te reo by Pānia Papa and I am in awe of how difficult it must be to translate and keep the integrity of the language structure. My te reo is limited to one year of a two-year open Polytech certificate and I’m still struggling with just the basics. An enormous amount of teamwork goes into creating a book, in fact it’s like a big-boil, all the ingredients and a long slow simmering until it is ready to be presented. I’m so grateful to the team at Scholastic for choosing to publish The Big Boil-Up.

What did you do to celebrate finishing this book?

There is always great excitement when a finished manuscript has been accepted but the real excitement comes with the launch celebration. Of course, this launch at Te Puke Public Library will involve cake (because every celebration needs cake) and of course….a big boil up! For many people who will come to the launch, it will be their first introduction to what a boil up is and how it tastes. I’ve asked the kuia who is making it to make sure there are plenty of doughboys, and at her suggestion, we will also have fresh rewana bread (another favourite) to make up for those who miss out on the doughboys.

What is the favourite book you have read so far this year?

Asking me to choose the favourite book I have read this year is like asking me to pick my favourite chocolate. I read a lot and I love New Zealand authors. I particularly enjoyed reading Cristina Sanders’ book, Mrs Jewell and the Wreck of the General Grant. I scuba dived for many years, always having a fascination with wrecks and knowing many of the divers who had set their dreams on locating the wreck of the General Grant. When my husband at the time joined a documentary group to the Auckland Islands, he came back with many photographs and stories about castaways and the mystery behind the General Grant. It held a fascination for me, and I always thought it was great fodder for a novel. Cristina Sanders' book was exactly how I had imagined it, so naturally I loved the book for many reasons.

What’s next on the agenda?

I have a few children’s book manuscripts with publishers but there is so much going on in my life now: very sick family members, elderly friends and seven wonderfully boisterous grandchildren that I can’t find the time or space in my head to develop the stories that interrupt my sleep and pervade my everyday life. The only important thing now is to make my time available for those who need me, and hopefully, when things slow down, I can be successful in getting a residency or attending a writers' retreat to get my creativity moving again.

Scholastic NZ