Writer's notes snatched from car - Stuff.co.nz

A renowned author says he might give up on his latest novel if the notes that were taken from his car aren't returned.

Ron Riddell has been writing all his life and has published 20 books.

But the manuscript for his latest story was stolen as he helped a friend renovate a house in Randwick Park.

Mr Riddell had written about 20 pages of notes in a red 2B5 exercise book, which he had left in his car inside a black imitation leather bag.

The sedan was parked on the front lawn of the house on Shifnal Dr and was hidden from the road by a tall wooden fence.

But that didn't stop whoever took the bag from sneaking in and making off with it.

Mr Riddell says the loss of his manuscript is a big blow.

"I hand-write my work and then I type it up and I hadn't typed up much yet - maybe the first two pages," he says.

"Maybe if I don't get that book back I'll think that project wasn't meant to be because there are a lot of ideas about the structure that are in there."

The writer is a senior member of the New Zealand Society of Authors and the founder of the Wellington International Poetry Festival. He has performed his poems all over the world and teaches writing to kids in both New Zealand and Latin America.

There isn't much money in writing but it's a labour of love, he says.

"I don't do it for the money, I just do it to share something with people. It's a cruel irony that someone has stolen something that was being prepared as a gift."

Theft of property from a parked car is one of the most common types of crime in the Counties Manukau police district. There were 3304 incidents recorded in the district in the year to June 30, police statistics show.

But that number is the lowest recorded in the past 15 years - more than 500 fewer than in 2011-12.

Mr Riddell says the papers will be of no value to anyone else and the worry is that they might have been dumped. He's offering a small reward for their safe return and says no questions will be asked.

A similar thing happened to him in central Auckland about 20 years ago, he says.

"The notes actually ended up on my doorstep in a brown paper bag."

He knows it's unlikely he'll be as lucky this time around but hopes going public with his plea will encourage thieves to think differently.

"It would be really neat if people thought about these things and how it affects others when you do something thoughtless. We don't think about how our actions can impact others.

"If we go around doing thoughtless things we all suffer in the end."

Call Mr Riddell on 027 677 8376 or email riddell.ron@gmail.com if you know anything about the contents of the bag.

- © Fairfax NZ News