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See galleries below for the launch of Pip’s latest book, Song for Rosaleen, Pip and Pat’s life in Timor-Leste, and the parliamentary launch of Pip’s second book, The War That Never Ended: New Zealand Veterans Talk about Korea.

Song for Rosaleen

Song for Rosaleen was launched at Unity Books in Wellington in April 2018 in front of a big crowd of family and friends, and Hastings Library a week later.

Marion Castree of Unity Books starts proceedings

Publisher Nicola Legat of Massey University Press

Pip listens to the speakers

Pip’s brother Matt commends her on her perseverance, compassion and writing..

Matt ushers Rosaleen’s brother Des up to officially launch the book.

The book is launched to great applause.

Des and Pip launch ‘Song for Rosaleen’

Des and Pip share a hug

Rosaleen’s brother Des and her cousin Laurette meet after many years.

Pip thanks everyone: ‘It takes a village to raise a book.’

Pip’s family support her while she speaks.

Pip reads from her memoir

Tasi, Gloria and other guests listen to the speeches

Small jars of Rosaleen’s tamarillo chutney to give away

Pip signs books while Marion Castree and Jacqui Brokenshaw attend to the complete sell-out of books on the night.

Former VSA volunteers Claire McFarlane, Chris Delaney and Pip

Nicola Legat looks on as Sean Rangiwhetu gives Pip a hug

Pip and old family friend Philip Walker remember their mothers

Pip signs a book for Matilda Newland, a fellow singer in the Wellington Community Choir.

Joce Chalmers, Margaret Jarrold and Glenys Samways realised they are related.

Pip’s sister Rose and her whanau enjoy time with Des

Annie Coughlan, Nayda Te Rangi and Jane Stevens from Aroha Trust enjoy launching a book they’re not in.

Pip’s sister Liz, organiser of a local launch of ‘Song for Rosaleen’ at the Hastings library.

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Guests at the Hastings launch

Horiana Nuku and Matt at the Hastings Library launch

Paul Scott and Anna McKenzie

Prue Todd, Anne Dykes and Jenny Will

Liz’s book club buddies, Alison Kerr and Ros Stewart

Life in Timor-Leste

Read about our Timor experience in our blog Dili Dally. We returned home to New Zealand in April 2015 after two years on a VSA assignment mentoring Timorese in communications skills and teaching creative writing (click on the photos to enlarge and for captions).

Pip at the launch of her book on creative writing, the first such guide ever published in Tetun.

Pat is presented with a tais at a ceremony to open a new water system.

Pip is farewelled by students at Timor’s national university where she coordinated a programme of free English classes.

Pat worked alongside World Vision workmate Mateus (pictured) and other staff to show them communication skills ranging from story writing to web publishing and photography.

You have to be an all-rounder in Timor. Here Pat uses his rented 4-wheel drive to help pull a truck out of a ditch.

Pip exercises her negotiating skills in the Maubisse vege market.

Children in front of our house celebrate the monsoon rains arriving after four months of no rain.

Pat chats with a local in the inland town of Maubisse.

We got around Dili on our trusty Honda Scoopy – a great way to travel in the warm tropical air.

Timorese were fascinated by our photos of family and friends back in New Zealand

Pat with fellow Kiwi volunteer, Del Bovill, on top of Timor’s highest peak, Mt Ramelau, at sunrise.

A pre-Christmas celebration with other Kiwi volunteers in Dili.

Mentoring takes many forms…Pip shows some local kids picture books from New Zealand.

Sharing a joke with local lads at the south coast town of Suai.

Pip made new friends at a tree-planting ceremony in the eastern district of Bobonaro.

Korean War book launch

Pip’s book, The War That Never Ended, was launched at Parliament on 5 March 2013. Veterans Affairs Minister Michael Woodhouse, Ministry for Culture and Heritage chief historian Neill Atkinson and Pip addressed a large gathering of Korean War veterans and their families, RSA members and Defence Force personnel (click on the photos to enlarge).