The Wounded Vine: Napier author Judi Hopkinson named in bestseller list on Amazon worldwide
Napier author Judi Hopkinson said she only expected to sell copies of her book The Wounded Vine to a few New Zealand friends.
Yet the project she spent five years working on made an appearance on the list of bestsellers on Amazon worldwide, when it hit the top three
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RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Bezos, Sanchez say 'I do' in a divided Venice
By Lisa Duso with Ella Ide in Rome, AFP Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos leaves the Aman Hotel on his wedding day. Photo: AFP / STEFANO RELLANDINI Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez have tied the knot at a sumptuous ceremony with the rich and famous on an island in Venice's lagoon, out of the sight and sound of protesters. "This city seems impossible! It can't exist and yet, here it is!" an enchanted Bezos told a La Repubblica journalist Thursday (local time) who got close to the magnate as he whizzed around the canals by boat. But protesters had a different view, wondering how long Venice can endure: While the billionaires party, activists say the fragile city is sinking, overrun by tourists, and a victim of depopulation as locals unable to pay soaring rents are forced out. "No Kings, No Bezos" read a sign in green neon projected on the St Mark's Campanile tower. Bezos and Sanchez, a former news anchor and entertainment reporter, celebrated their nuptials with guests including Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, and Orlando Bloom. Kim Kardashian (left) and Khloe Kardashian snap a selfie as they arrive at San Giorgio Maggiore on the wedding day of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos with Lauren Sanchez. Photo: AFP / MARCO BERTORELLO The tech magnate, 61, and Sanchez, 55, are staying at the Aman hotel, a luxury 16th-century palazzo on the Grand Canal with a view of the Rialto bridge. Other A-list guests are staying at the Gritti Palace and the St. Regis. The couple exchanged vows at a black-tie ceremony on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, according to Italian media reports. The wedding is thought to have taken place in a vast open-air amphitheatre on the island, which sits across from Venice's iconic St Mark's Square. The newlyweds were to be serenaded by Matteo Bocelli, son of the famed opera singer Andrea Bocelli, reports said. Michelin-starred chef Fabrizio Mellino prepared the wedding dinner, while the cake has been made by French pastry chef Cedric Grolet, the Corriere della Sera said. Sanchez is alleged to have prepared 27 outfits to wear during the festivities. Wedding guests snapped by paparazzi as they hopped into boats included Jordan's Queen Rania, French luxury goods executive Francois-Henri Pinault, American football player Tom Brady, US fashion designer Spencer Antle, the singer Usher, and Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump, and her husband Jared Kushner. The guests reportedly lunched in the gardens of Villa Baslini, on the islet of San Giovanni Evangelista. The celebrations are set to end Saturday with a party likely at the Arsenale, a vast shipyard complex dating back to when the city was a naval powerhouse. Bezos and Sanchez are donating three million euros (NZ$5.8 million) to the city, according to Veneto's regional president Luca Zaia, and are employing historic Venetian artisans. Venice's oldest pastry maker Rosa Salva is baking 19th-century "fishermen's biscuits" for party bags that will also contain something by Laguna B, renowned for its handblown Murano glass. Trump and her family visited a glass-blowing workshop on the small island of Murano, according to the owner. "They were amazed and enchanted by the magic of glass," Massimiliano Schiavon told the Corriere della Sera, adding that the family had a go at blowing glass. Venice, home to the oldest film festival in the world, is used to VIPs whizzing around in speed boats, and happily hosted the star-studded nuptials of Hollywood actor George Clooney in 2014. Some say this wedding too brings good business. Italy's tourism ministry said it expected the wedding to bring the city nearly one billion euros (NZ$1.9 billion), with about 895 million (NZ$965 million) of that estimated to come from the "media visibility" generated. But critics say Bezos, one of the world's richest men and founder of a company regularly scrutinised for how it treats its workers, is different. "Tax Billionaires", read protest signs along canals. "In the time it takes you to read this, Jeff Bezos's wealth has increased by more than your monthly salary", they read in English and Italian. Environmental activists have also pointed to the carbon footprint of the mega yachts and dozens of private jets - at least 95 - bringing the rich and famous to the city. But Samuel Silvestri, a 55-year-old salesman, welcomed the extravaganza. "Over-tourism is caused by those people who come with a backpack and their own food, and contribute very little," he said, "not those who transform Venice into a mini-Monte Carlo. This marriage helps the image of the city." Italy's health ministry has issued a red heat alert for Venice for the weekend, part of a heatwave affecting much of southern Europe. - AFP
NZ Herald
a day ago
- NZ Herald
Top 10 bestselling New Zealand books: June 28
Non-fiction rules this week's top 10 bestselling NZ books. Photos / Supplied 1. (1) A Different Kind of Power: A Memoir by Jacinda Ardern (Penguin) The former PM's memoir, the first such account since Jim Bolger, tops the bestsellers for a second week, and is unlikely to be dislodged for some time. It also made the top five on Amazon and Audible,
1News
a day ago
- 1News
What to know about Jeff Bezos' star-studded wedding in Venice
Details of the wedding between Amazon multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are sketchy, but it's certainly causing a storm, not least in Venice, where they're set to tie the knot this weekend. Here's a guide by the numbers: His net worth: US$231 Billion, that is. That's the net worth of Jeff Bezos, according to real-time data from Forbes, making him the fourth-richest person in the world behind tech bros Elon Musk, Larry Ellison and Mark Zuckerberg. Not bad, considering that he founded Amazon out of his garage in Seattle in 1994, with not much more than a desk, a fax machine and a long orange extension cord that was needed to supply the room with additional power. ADVERTISEMENT Kim Kardashian, center, and sister Khloé Kardashian, arrive in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press) From its origins as an online bookstore, Amazon's tentacles are now felt all around the world. If you want anything, it'll likely be for sale there. Amazon also now produces movies, runs the Whole Foods grocery chain and has become the leader in voice-activated speakers. Bezos stepped down as chief executive of Amazon in early 2021, citing the desire to devote more time to philanthropy and other projects, including The Washington Post, the newspaper he bought in 2013 and his rocket company, Blue Origin. But Bezos still has broad influence over Amazon as executive chair and the company's biggest shareholder, though his stake has diminished over the years to under 10%. Times down the aisle: 2 This is the second time that Bezos — and Sanchez — will be walking down the aisle. Usher arrives in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press) ADVERTISEMENT Bezos, 61, was married to MacKenzie Bezos for 25 years until their divorce in April 2019. TV anchor Sanchez, 55, also divorced her first husband of 14 years, talent agent Patrick Whitesell, in 2019. The divorce came at a high price for Jeff Bezos. Only the divorce of Bill Gates and Melinda Gates has been more expensive. As part of the settlement, MacKenzie, who has taken her middle name Scott as her new surname, received 25% of Bezos' stake in Amazon. According to Forbes, she is worth a cool US$30 billion (NZ$49 billion), easily placing her in the world's top 100. US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, center, waves as she and her husband Jared Kushner, right, arrive in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press) The hotel room price: €2456 According to travel website Kayak, that's the euro price (NZ$4735) for the next available room at the Aman Venice, the hotel where the couple are believed to be staying during their three-day wedding extravaganza. A gondola sails past the Aman Hotel in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press) ADVERTISEMENT The hotel is a grand spectacle in a city of spectacles. Like Venice itself, the hotel blends mystery and grandeur, opulence and solitude. The rooms are decorated with works by a number of Italy's greatest artists, including 16th-century architect Sansovino and 18th-century painter Tiepolo. Given his wealth, Bezos would be expected to reside in one of the suites. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, inside boat, pass by the San Giorgio Maggiore Church on their way to their pre wedding reception, in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press) The 97sq metre Grand Canal Suite would surely meet the moment. According to the hotel, it "beguiles with views of the Grand Canal and an abundance of light". Or how about the Alcova Tiepolo Suite? It is slightly bigger at 103sq metres, which allows guests the opportunity to stay among 18th-century frescoes by Tiepolo. Venice's population: 48,000 Or thereabouts. That's the approximate population of Venice's historic centre, which is composed of over 100 islands connected by footbridges and traversed by its famed canals. ADVERTISEMENT And it's clear not everyone is thrilled by the arrival of Bezos, his wife-to-be and their 200 or so guests, which are expected to include Mick Jagger, Ivanka Trump, Oprah Winfrey and Leonardo DiCaprio, to name just a few. Oprah Winfrey, centre right, arrives in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press) And it doesn't seem as though the protesters will stay silent. About a dozen Venetian organisations, including housing advocates, anti-cruise ship campaigners and university groups, have united to protest the multi-day event under the banner "No Space for Bezos," a play on words that refers to Sanchez's recent space flight. Protesters display a sign "No Kings No Bezos" in St. Mark's Square, in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press) To many Venetians, overtourism has made the city increasingly unliveable, expensive and crowded. The resident population has dwindled over the decades, leading to the corresponding reduction in services. Residents complain nothing is being done to encourage other types of economic activity, creating a culture of monotourism. This photo released by Greenpeace shows a large banner against Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' planned wedding, in St. Mark Square, in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press) Number of private jets: 90 ADVERTISEMENT That's the number of wedding-related private jets that are expected to land at Treviso and Venice airports. Veneto Governor Luca Zaia reckons the Bezos wedding is all worth it and has a price tag of around US$50 million, generating revenue for the city and a celebrity quotient that would "bring visibility and promotion" to Venice worth more than five American Super Bowls. A gondolier tours tourists along the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press) Celebrities already spotted in Venice ahead of the nuptials are Kim Kardashian sister Khloé, Domenico Dolce, Usher, Oprah Winfrey, and Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump with her husband Jared Kushner.
