I'm absolutely blown away. Paula Green's fabulous collection The Baker's Thumbprint has debuted at number 7 in the New Zealand fiction for adults section of the Nielsen Weekly Bestsellers list for the week ending 25 May. Thank you to everyone who has bought a copy, especially all you lovely people who bought one (or more) at the two launches. And thank you to the booksellers who have stocked it – especially you fabulous independents who give so much support to local independent publishers.

I also found it heartening that there are two other poetry books on the list, at number 4 is Kate Camp's new Snow White's Coffin, which sold out at the Wellington launch/talk last Thursday (fortunately I got in and bought my copy before they ran out); and at number 8 is Elemental: Central Otago Poems by Brian Turner. Hooray for New Zealand poetry.

Before I've even had time to write about the two wonderful launches we've had for The Baker's Thumbprint (though I will very soon), the first review is out.

Auckland-based poet Siobhan Harvey has reviewed Paula Green's The Baker's Thumbprint (and Fleur Adcock's latest, Glass Wings) over on Beattie's Book Blog: http://beattiesbookblog.blogspot.co.nz/2013/05/poetry-reviews-by-siobhan-harvey.html.

You can read it yourself of course, but some highlights: Siobhan begins by saying that Paula's early collections 'were celebrations of the familial and the artistic – of relationships, gathering points, shared food, artistic connections and so forth. In this respect, The Baker’s Thumbprint, her sixth collection, is a return to the familiar authorial terrain, even though much else about the book offers a departure, such as this being her first book published by exciting boutique Wellington publisher, Seraph Press'

She goes on to very kindly say that Seraph Press 'garnered a well-deserved reputation for the beautiful production values, not to mention stunning content of their output, including Vana Manasiadis’ Ithaca Island Bay Leaves and Vivienne Plumb’s Crumple.'

She talks about some of the characters, such as Simone de Beauvoir, Jane Austen and Sylvia Plath, who turn up throughout the book: 'But rather than highbrow exclusiveness, the famous and infamous who people The Baker’s Thumbprint become identifiable characters in a vast, yet personal narrative, one which astutely manages to straddle geographical points here and overseas. The power, personality and personal nature of this deeply engaging collection shines through poems like the final section’s ‘New York’, ‘Te Reo’ and ‘Beam’.

And finally: 'Paula Green’s The Baker’s Thumbprint showcases an author who has carved out a distinct set of literary tenets for herself, and offers them – as  table laid for a Sunday get-together – for our entertainment and delight.'

We're launching Paula Green's new collection The Baker's Thumbprint in both Auckland and Wellington on the 18th and 21st of May. Come along to one or other, or both! The launch invitations are below, and the Facebook events are here for Auckland: http://www.facebook.com/events/468081233260334/ or here for Wellington: http://www.facebook.com/events/163956803780493/.