Jules Older’s back in town.

The writer-editor-teacher Kiwi-Yank who spent 14 years in Dunedin and the past four in San Francisco, is spending the next five weeks in Auckland.

He and writer-photographer-broadcaster wife Effin — former co-host of TVNZ shows Of course you can do it and The Renovators — are visiting daughter Amber here and writing/shooting New Zealand travel stories.
And, says Jules, “scarfing down shortbread, Anzac biscuits, rock oysters, and all things New Zealand.”

And Bookman Beattie has been pleased to catch up with Jules again at our weekly Cabin Fever coffee meetings. Especially interesting have been his takes on the US presidential election scene and the state of the economy there.

Jules is editor-in-chief of Ski Press USA and Ski Press Canada. He's still editing here, “courtesy the Internet, a trusty MacBook, MSN, Skype and other technological marvels. We now live in a world where the office travels with us,” he says.

Both the Olders write children’s books. Effin’s include Trouble at the North Pole, My Two Grandmothers and The Silver Blades Figure 8s. Jules’ recent titles are COW, PIG and Telling Time, all published by Charlesbridge.

His first book, The Pakeha Papers, was published in Dunedin while Jules was teaching medical students during the week and hosting American Pie on 4XO on Sunday nights. He's published “about 25 books” for kids and adults since then.

Welcome back Jules.