Category: Biography

Phenomenal Women – Celebrating International Women’s Day 2023

Kath

It’s International Women’s Day and while we like to celebrate the achievements and lives of women every day, it’s good to stop and highlight the outstanding women of the world on this special day every year.  We’ve put together this list of recent titles showcasing books by and about phenomenal women.

Hilma af Klint : a biography / Voss, Julia
“The Swedish painter Hilma af Klint (1862-1944) was 44 years old when she broke with the academic tradition in which she had been trained. While her naturalistic landscapes and botanicals were shown during her lifetime, her body of radical, abstract works never received the same attention. Today, it is widely accepted that af Klint produced the earliest abstract paintings by a trained European artist. But this is only part of her story.  Inspired by her first encounter with the artist’s work in 2008, Julia Voss set out to learn Swedish and research af Klint’s life-not only who the artist was but what drove and inspired her. .” (Adapted from Catalogue)

README.txt : a memoir / Manning, Chelsea
“While working as an intelligence analyst in Iraq for the United States Army in 2010, Chelsea Manning disclosed more than seven hundred thousand classified military and diplomatic records that she had smuggled out of the country on the memory card of her digital camera. In 2011 she was charged with twenty-two counts related to the unauthorized possession and distribution of classified military records, and in 2013 she was sentenced to thirty-five years in military prison. This powerful, observant memoir will stand as one of the definitive testaments of our digital, information-driven age.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The light we carry : overcoming in uncertain times / Obama, Michelle
“Mrs. Obama offers readers a series of fresh stories and insightful reflections on change, challenge, and power, including her belief that when we light up for others, we can illuminate the richness and potential of the world around us, discovering deeper truths and new pathways for progress. With trademark humor, candor, and compassion, she also explores issues connected to race, gender, and visibility, encouraging readers to work through fear, find strength in community, and live with boldness.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Elizabeth Taylor : the grit & glamour of an icon / Brower, Kate Andersen
“No celebrity rivals Elizabeth Taylor’s glamour and guts or her level of fame. She was the last major star to come out of the old Hollywood studio system and she is a legend known for her beauty and her magnetic screen presence in a career that spanned most of the twentieth century and nearly sixty films. Here is a fascinating and complete portrait worthy of the legendary star and her legacy.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Nuku : stories of 100 indigenous women / Matata-Sipu, Qiane
“The power of storytelling is evident in our earliest pūrākau. Stories can change the world. It is how our tūpuna passed on their knowledge, the blueprint for living well, for generations. Through telling their stories, the women in this book seek to influence the world around them. The youngest is 14 and the eldest is in her mid-70s. They are wāhine Māori, Moriori, Pasifika, Melanesian, Wijadjuri, Himalayan and Mexican.” (Catalogue)

Listen, world! : how the intrepid Elsie Robinson became America’s most-read woman / Scheeres, Julia
“At a time when it was thought that a woman’s highest calling was to become a wife and mother, Elsie hungered for a different kind of life. She dreamed of becoming a professional writer and sacrificed everything in pursuit of a career in letters, going so far as to work a California gold mine to pay the bills. Through it all, she wrote-everything from features to essays to fiction. Told with drama and cinematic detail by bestselling author Julia Scheeres and award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert, Listen, World! is the first biography of this indefatigable woman, capturing what it means to take a gamble on happiness, stumble a few times, and ultimately land on your feet.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Running up that hill : 50 visions of Kate Bush / Doyle, Tom
“Comprising fifty chapters or ‘visions’, Running Up That Hill is a multi-faceted biography of Kate Bush, viewing her life and work from fresh and illuminating angles. Featuring details from the author’s one-to-one conversations with Kate, as well as vignettes of her key songs, albums, videos and concerts, this portrait introduces the reader to the refreshingly real Kate Bush. Along the way, the narrative also includes vivid reconstructions of transformative moments in her career and insights from the friends and collaborators closest to Kate, including her photographer brother John Carder Bush and fellow artists David Gilmour, John Lydon and Youth.” (Catalogue)

Angela Davis : an autobiography / Davis, Angela Y
“Edited by Toni Morrison and first published in 1974, An Autobiography is a classic of the Black Power era which resonates just as powerfully today. Long hard to find, it is reissued now with a new introduction by Davis, for a new audience inspired and galvanised by her ongoing activism and her extraordinary example. In the book, she describes her journey from a childhood on Dynamite Hill in Birmingham, Alabama, to one of the most significant political trials of the century- from her political activity in a New York high school to her work with the U.S. Communist Party, the Black Panther Party, and the Soledad Brothers; and from the faculty of the Philosophy Department at UCLA to the FBI’s list of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. Told with warmth, brilliance, humour, and conviction, it is an unforgettable account of a life committed to radical change.” (Catalogue)

My dream time / Barty, Ash
“It’s a tennis story. It’s a family story. It’s a teamwork story. It’s the story of how I got to where and who I am today. We all have a professional and a personal self. How do you conquer nerves and anxiety? How do you deal with defeat, or pain? What drives you to succeed – and what happens when you do? The answers tell me so much, about bitter disappointments and also dreams realised – from injuries and obscurity and self-doubt to winning Wimbledon and ranking number 1 in the world.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

They called me a lioness : a Palestinian girl’s fight for freedom / Tamimi, Ahed
“What would you do if you grew up repeatedly seeing your home raided? Your parents arrested? Your mother shot? Your uncle killed? Try, if just for a moment, to imagine this was your life. How would you want the world to react?” It brings readers into the daily life of the young woman seen as a freedom-fighting hero by some and a naïve agitator by others. Beyond recounting her well-publicized interactions with Israeli soldiers, there is her unwavering commitment to family and her fearless command of her own voice, despite threats, intimidation, and even incarceration.” (Adapted Catalogue)

Ten steps to Nanette : a memoir situation / Gadsby, Hannah
“Hannah Gadsby’s unique standup special Nanette was a viral success–and to some, her worldwide fame may have seemed like an overnight sensation. But like everything else about Gadsby, there’s more to her success than meets the eye. In her first book, the queer Australian comedian, writer, and actress takes us through the key moments in her life that ultimately led to the creation of Nanette and her startling declaration that she was quitting comedy. She traces her growth as a gay woman from Tasmania–where homosexuality was illegal until 1997–to her ever-evolving relationship with comedy, to her struggle with late-in-life diagnoses of autism and ADHD, and finally to the backbone of Nanette–the renouncement of self-deprecation, the rejection of misogyny, and the moral power of telling the truth.” (Catalogue)

Rising to the Surface – New Biographies and Memoirs

Kath

A fabulous selection of new biographies and memoirs have arrived in our collection.  Comedy and cooking, whistle blowers and writers, dynasties and dry wit are all covered in this month’s selection.

Rising to the surface / Henry, Lenny
“Rising to the Surface traces Lenny Henry’s career through the 80s and 90s. The 16-year-old who won a talent competition, now has to navigate his way through the seas of professional comedy, learning his craft through sheer graft and hard work. We follow Lenny through a period of great creativity – prize-winning tv programs, summer seasons across Britain, the starring role in a Hollywood film, and stand-up gigs in New York.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Departure stories : Betty Crocker made matzoh balls (and other lies) / Bernick, Elisa
“Elisa Bernick grew up “different” (i.e., Jewish) in the white, Christian suburb of New Hope, Minnesota during the 1960s and early 1970s. Poignant and provocative, Departure Stories peers through the broader lens of Minnesota’s recent history to reveal an intergenerational journey through trauma that unraveled the Bernick family and many others.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

README.txt : a memoir / Manning, Chelsea
“While working as an intelligence analyst in Iraq for the United States Army in 2010, Chelsea Manning disclosed more than seven hundred thousand classified military and diplomatic records that she had smuggled out of the country on the memory card of her digital camera. In 2011 she was charged with twenty-two counts related to the unauthorized possession and distribution of classified military records, and in 2013 she was sentenced to thirty-five years in military prison. This powerful, observant memoir will stand as one of the definitive testaments of our digital, information-driven age.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Bryce Courtenay : Storyteller / Courtenay, Christine
“Bryce Courtenay was a born storyteller. The success of his extraordinary debut The Power of One made publishing history, and in the years that followed Bryce continued to entertain and inspire thousands of devoted readers around the world with his sweeping epics and larger-than-life characters who embody the strength and triumph of the human condition. When Christine Courtenay began penning her own memoir during lockdown, she found herself increasingly drawn to the remarkable story of her late husband’s life and reflecting upon his astonishing literary legacy.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Managing expectations : a memoir in essays / Driver, Minnie
“A charming, poignant, unfiltered, laugh-out-loud memoir in essays from beloved actor and natural-born storyteller Minnie Driver, chronicling the way life works out even when it doesn’t.” (Catalogue)

 

 

Growing up Getty : the story of America’s most unconventional dynasty / Reginato, James
“Oil magnate J. Paul Getty, once the richest man in the world, is the patriarch of an extraordinary cast of sons, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Through extensive research, including access to J. Paul Getty’s diaries and love letters, and fresh interviews with family members and friends, Growing Up Getty offers an inside look into the benefits and burdens of being part of today’s world of the ultra-wealthy.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Do let’s have another drink! : the dry wit and fizzy life of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother / Russell, Gareth
“This collection of one hundred and one anecdotes about Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, features amusing and fascinating vignettes from her long life, including her coming of age during World War I and the 1936 abdication of her brother-in-law.” (Catalogue)

 

Until further notice : a year in pandemic time / Kaler, Amy
“Until Further Notice is a real-time personal account of the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic through the prism of one woman’s consciousness. An internal seismograph of living through a global emergency, Amy Kaler’s book documents a series of jolts to her thoughts, perceptions, emotions, and habits. Reflexive and relatable, Until Further Notice captures fine-grained, everyday experiences from an extraordinary year.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Insulin : the crooked timber : a history from thick brown muck to Wall Street gold / Hall, Kersten T
“Before the discovery of insulin, a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes was a death sentence.  This book is the result of the author’s own shocking diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes and its story reminds us all of what technology can – and cannot do – for us.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

Local : a memoir / Machado, Jessica
“Born and raised in Hawai’i by a father whose ancestors are indigenous to the land and a mother from the American South, Jessica Machado wrestles with what it means to be “local.” Interwoven with a rich and nuanced exploration of Hawaiian history and traditions, Local is a personal and moving narrative about family, grief, and reconnecting to the land she tried to leave behind.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

Too much / Allen, Tom
“‘Happily settled in a new relationship and with a dream house of his own, comedian Tom Allen had finally moved on from the arrested development of millennial life and could at last call himself an adult. But when his father died suddenly in late 2021, Tom’s newfound independence was rocked by a fresh set of challenges, and he began to find solace in the past (and his new vegetable patch). With moving honesty and wit, Tom writes beautifully about those days, weeks and months following his family’s loss, and about how bewildering the practicalities of life can be in the wake of an upheaval – those moments, really, when everything can start to feel a bit too much… ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

It’s a shame about Ray / Seidler, Jonathan
“It’s a Shame About Ray is an extraordinary and powerful memoir about family, love and the power of music. What tracks combine to make a family album? What do we carry from one generation to a next? What is the difference between leaning on and letting go? Blackly funny and frequently devastating, this memoir traverses death, hope, love, family, survival, compassion, and the deep relationship we can develop with music throughout our lives when all else is simply not enough.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

For more new titles in the collection, go to: What’s new & Popular / February 2023 (wcl.govt.nz)

Getting Lost: New biographies and memoirs

Kath

It’s a new year and we have new biographies hitting the collection, including: a female politician from Afghanistan, a much-loved novelist, an actor and of course some royals, among others. There’s a little something for everyone in this collection.

To see what else is new in our collection, go to what’s new & popular (wcl.govt.nz)

Zarifa : a woman’s battle in a man’s world / Ghafari, Zarifa
“Zarifa Ghafari was three years old when the Taliban banned girls from schools, and she began her education in secret. She was six when American airstrikes began. She was twenty-four when she became mayor–one of the first female mayors in the country–and first of Wardak, one of the most conservative provinces in Afghanistan. Written with honesty, pain, and ultimately, hope, Zarifa describes the work she did, the women she still tries to help as they live under Taliban rule, and her vision for how grassroots activism can change their lives and the lives of women everywhere.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Comrade : Bill Andersen: a communist, working-class life / Locke, Cybèle
“Bill Andersen was one of the most significant figures of the twentieth-century trade union movement in New Zealand. In this biography, Cybèle Locke reveals the relationship between communism and working-class trade unionism during the Second World War and the following decades. Writing with insight and empathy, Cybèle Locke provides a highly readable account of a communist union leader navigating the social and political turmoil of the twentieth century.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Getting lost / Ernaux, Annie
“Getting Lost is the diary Annie Ernaux kept during the year and a half she had a secret love affair with a younger, married man, a Russian diplomat. Getting Lost is as strong a book as any that she has written, a haunting, desperate view of strong and successful woman who seduces a man only to lose herself in love and desire.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

The secret heart : John Le Carré : an intimate memoir / Dawson, Suleika
“The astonishing portrait of the master of spy fiction, by the woman he kept secret for all of his life. The Secret Heart is the account of Suleika Dawson’s enduring love affair with John Le Carre. A thoughtful, artfully written and intimate biography, the book aims to shed a new light on one of the greatest British writers of the 20th Century and offer an alternative measure of the man over the literary legend.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Camilla : from outcast to Queen Consort / Levin, Angela
“A compelling new biography of Camilla, Queen Consort, that reveals how she transformed her role and established herself as one of the key members of the royal family. Angela Levin uncovers Camilla’s rocky journey to be accepted by the royal family and how she coped with her brutal portrayal in Netflix’s The Crown. Most of all, Levin tells the story of how Camilla has changed from a fun-loving young woman to one of the senior royals’ hardest workers. She has retained her mischievous sense of humor, becoming a role model for older women and an inspiration for younger ones.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Cover Image for Illustrated Black HistoryIllustrated Black history : honoring the iconic and the unseen / McCalman, George
“A gorgeous collection of 145 original portraits that celebrates Black pioneers–famous and little-known–in politics, science, literature, music, and more–with biographical reflections, all created and curated by an award-winning graphic designer.  Beautifully designed with over 300 unique four-color artworks and accessible to readers of all ages, this eye-opening, educational, dynamic, and timely compendium pays homage to Black Americans and their achievements, and showcases the depth and breadth of Black genius.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Cover image for All Veils Are OffAll veils are off / Heding, Marguerette
“Qatar? It sounds like a bad lung condition! was Marguerette Heding’s first reaction to her husband about moving there.  ‘All Veils Are Off: The True Housewives of Qatar’ is Marguerette’s extraordinary, hilarious, though at times devastating account of her 8 years living in Qatar. Not only did she have to navigate the tricky expat community, but also the secret and fiercely protected world of the Qatari women – a world very few outsiders, particularly a wine-loving, dog owning Australian infidel are ever privy to.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Playing under the piano : from Downton to darkest Peru / Bonneville, Hugh
“A moving, laugh-out-loud memoir from one of today’s best-loved British actors, whose credits include Downton Abbey, Notting Hill, and Paddington.  Whether telling stories of his B&H-smoking, G&T-drinking, horse-race-addicted grandmother, or working with an invisible bear with a penchant for marmalade, this is a richly entertaining memoir.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

Revenge : Meghan, Harry and the war between the Windsors / Bower, Tom
“Meghan Markle’s trajectory from unknown actress to world icon is remarkable. After a childhood spent on Hollywood film sets, she fought hard for stardom. But even when she landed her breakthrough role, her lifelong dream of celebrity remained elusive. In 2016 she created the ultimate fairy-tale ending: she captivated her very own prince. Yet, within one tumultuous year, the dream became a nightmare. In the aftermath of the infamous Megxit split and the Oprah Winfrey interview, the Royal Family’s fate seems persistently threatened.” (Catalogue)

‘Break forth into joy!’: Handel’s Messiah

Corrina

Saturday 10 December sees the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Wellington’s Tudor Consort perform Handel’s Messiah. Although now a fixture of the Advent and Christmas seasons, Messiah was first performed 280 years ago on Good Friday, 13 April 1742, in Dublin. Conceived as a Lenten piece, the second part of the oratorio offers a meditation on the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ, before Part III’s message of redemption and victory over sin and death. However, Part I, with its Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah’s birth and the New Testament annunciation texts, is now firmly associated with Christmas.

Whether you’re attending Saturday’s performance, or if you make listening to Messiah an annual event at home, this is a great opportunity to explore some of the books about Handel’s life and music in our collection, alongside some CDs of Messiah.

Messiah : the composition and afterlife of Handel’s masterpiece / Keates, Jonathan
A detailed and authoritative study of the most frequently performed pieces of Western art music. Keates, a renowned biographer of Handel, explores the background of Messiah, the circumstances that led to its composition, the collaboration and conflicts between Handel and his librettist Charles Jennens, the social context of early performances, and how our understanding of spirituality in Messiah has changed between the eighteenth and twenty-first centuries.

Messiah Dublin, 1742 / Handel, George Frideric
The Edinburgh-based Dunedin Consort, presents a stylish and expressive Messiah, reconstructing the version and performing forces that would have been found at the oratorio’s first performance in Dublin on 13 April 1742. The Dublin version of Messiah contains some music that is only rarely heard in performances today, offering a new perspective on Handel’s original conception of the oratorio.

Handel : the man and his music / Keates, Jonathan
This is a revised and updated version of Jonathan Keates’s ‘masterful’ biography of Handel that first appeared in 1985; the new edition reflects new research into Handel’s life and music that occurred in the 1990s and early 2000s. The result is a scholarly yet readable account of Handel’s life, set out alongside commentary on his works.  Keates’ use of correspondence and other primary sources also helps to bring alive the world in which Handel lived, whether in Germany, Italy, or London.

Handel, who knew what he liked / Anderson, M. T
This humorous yet detailed biography of Handel is accessible and informative for children and enjoyable for adults as well. The author skillfully weaves together memorable incidents in Handel’s life to illustrate how the composer overcame difficulties in his childhood, and obstacles in his later professional life to realise his ambition and practice his art. M.T. Anderson and Kevin Hawkes make this book a witty and accessible introduction to Handel and the eighteenth century.

The Cambridge Companion to Handel
The collection of essays in the Cambridge Companion to Handel provides a fascinating guide to the life and work of the composer, as well as the social context in which he lived and worked. The chapters on Handel’s sacred music  and oratorios explore how Handel’s own faith and theology shaped and reflected the music he wrote. Donald Burrowes also discusses the performances of Handel’s oratorios during his lifetime, offering a tantalizing glimpse of the sometimes-chaotic premieres and revivals of Handel’s music.

Handel in London : a genius and his craft / Glover, Jane
Conductor and scholar Jane Glover charts the growth of Handel’s career in London, the city where he made his home. Glover’s very readable text examines Handel’s composing life, the challenges, rivalries, and feuds of the music business, and Handel’s interactions with other composers, singers, the nobility, and the public. Glover’s understanding of, and love for Handel’s music reverberate throughout the book.

Messiah / Handel, George Frideric
Emmanuelle Haïm directs the choir and orchestra of Le Concert d’Astrée and four outstanding soloists in this 2014 recording of Messiah. Haïm’s interpretation provides diverting contrasts to the approach taken by John Butt and the Dunedin Consort. The musicians of Le Concert d’Astrée’s orchestra play impeccably, and Haïm emphasises the dramatic, almost theatrical elements of Handel’s score. The vocal soloists are outstanding, delivering eloquent accounts of the most expressive moments throughout the oratorio.