News, what's new & more
While we look forward to ComicFest 2024, meet Isobel Joy Te Aho-White in this “5 minutes with” interview.
What first got you interested in comics?
I grew up reading the Asterix and Tintin series, both were staples in New Zealand libraries in the 90s. My twin sister and I would get stacks of them and swap them after we’d done reading.
Continue reading “ComicFest 2024: 5 minutes with Isobel Joy Te Aho-White”
It was a delight to read that Huia Publishers have been announced as winners of the Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publishers of the Year, Oceania, at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in Italy. It does not seem like 30 years since the Huia Publishers appeared on the landscape of New Zealand publishing, and I well remember those early days of the deeply dedicated mahi of Robyn and Brian Bargh, and later, Brian Morris, as well as their (as always) deeply committed staff.
Read about their big win over on The Spinoff, and find out more about Huia here.
Kia kaha, kia maia, kia manawanui – (always) be strong, be brave, be steadfast in your mahi (now and forever!)
Our Katūīvei Pasifika Poetry Readings event is almost here, so we thought we’d introduce you to some of the talented poets who will be reading at the event! Join us on Friday at Te Puna Waiora Newtown Library, 6-7pm for a dynamic night of contemporary poetry readings to celebrate the launch of this exciting new book (published by Massey University Press) hosted by former Poet Laureate and editor David Eggleton.
Karlo Mila MNZM is a Pasifika writer and poet of Tongan (the villages of Kolofo’ou and Ofu), as well as Samoan and Pākehā descent. Her first collection, Dream Fish Floating (Huia, 2005) won the NZSA Jessie Mackay Best First Book Award for Poetry at the 2006 New Zealand Post Book Awards. She has subsequently published two further poetry collections, also with Huia: A Well Written Body (2008) and Goddess Muscle (2020).
Maringikura Mary Campbell lives in Pukerua Bay in the old family home with her whānau. She is the mother of three sons and four mokopuna. Identity, loss, tūpuna and wairua are common themes in her writing. She is not a prolific writer, but rather writes when a poem is given or there is fire in her belly.
Rob Hack was born in Invercargill and is of Cook Island and Kiwi heritage. He had an awesome childhood on Niue and after several forays around Australia now lives on the Kāpiti Coast. He runs two weekly creative writing classes at Te Ara Korowai in Raumati Beach and hosts a monthly radio show on Te Pae called Not at the Table: Poetry and Stuff. He is researching and writing about the life and times of Papa (Sir) Tom Davis.
Continue reading “Meet the Poets: Katūīvei launch this Friday at Newtown!”
While we look forward to ComicFest 2024, meet Lily Duval in this “5 minutes with” interview.
What first got you interested in comics?
From about the age of 5, I was obsessed with Tintin. I loved the clean lines of the drawing style and his wild adventures. Captain Haddock is a terrible role model for a child but I loved him the most. He was often drunk, had a seemingly endless supply of creative obscenities (some of which are terrible to read now) and was altogether pretty hapless. I even cut my hair like Tintin in my early twenties (shaved all over with a ‘party at the front’) and made Tintin-esque clothing.
Continue reading “ComicFest 2024: 5 minutes with Lily Duval”
Daniel Clowes is one of the great alternative comic book writers of all time, with titles such as Ghost World and Like a velvet glove cast in iron. He has returned after 7 years with a new book called Monica, about a woman searching for her freewheelin’ parents who abandoned her when she was a child. If Daniel Clowes is not your thing, we also have a great selection of other new graphic novels such as a new Hellboy title and a memoir by Ai Weiwei.
If you love comics and graphic novels, don’t miss ComicFest on 4th May at the National Library! It will be a fun day of workshops, talks, comic giveaways, and live drawing with some incredible artists!
Monica / Clowes, Daniel
“A dazzling, spectacular tapestry of interconnected narratives that together tell a life story. After being abandoned by her freewheelin’ parents in childhood, succeeds in clawing her way to the top – only to lose it all in a stroke of bad luck. She lives out the rest of her days in search of her parents, encountering a cast of eccentric characters who help to piece together her story. Mysterious, uncategorisable and quintessentially Clowesian, here is a multi-layered masterpiece born of a lifetime of inspiration.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Zodiac : a graphic memoir / Ai, Weiwei | ebook available
“Ai Weiwei and Italian comic artist Gianluca Costantini present Zodiac, Ai Weiwei’s first graphic memoir. Inspired by the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac, Ai Weiwei masterfully interweaves ancient Chinese folklore with stories of his life, family, and career. They will find not only a personal history of Ai Weiwei and an examination of the sociopolitical climate in which he makes his art, but a philosophical exploration of what it means to find oneself through art and freedom of expression.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Hellboy in love / Mignola, Michael
“Ghosts, ghouls… girlfriends? Love blooms between Hellboy and archaeologist Anastasia Bransfield – when they aren’t busy chasing goblins through the UK, fighting shadow ghosts in Turkey, and investigating film sets haunted by unsettled spirits in India, that is! This volume collects three stories of Hellboy and Anastasia’s misadventures, plus bonus material!” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Continue reading “New Book by Daniel Clowes: Recent graphic novels”
These new books critically examine how dominant ideas and power dynamics have influenced our interpretation and application of shared concepts. They question established paradigms and power structures, offering a range of perspectives from sexual wellness and psychology to the history of emotions and the intersection of philosophy, politics, and drug use. They delve into how external forces, such as psychological studies or the experience of grief, can shape one’s sense of self. They also primarily challenge or reframe common beliefs, assumptions, and narratives around these subjects, encouraging us to think critically about the forces that shape our personal and societal narratives.
Come Together: The Science (and Art) of Creating Lasting Sexual Connections / Nagoski, Emily
“A leading sexual wellness educator, tackles the often misunderstood topic of sex in long-term relationships. Challenging conventional wisdom and harmful assumptions, she explores what truly fulfilling sex looks like through inclusive stories and examples. The book aims to help pairs overcome obstacles like relationship conflicts, gendered beliefs about sex, and body image issues. With insight, humor, and empathy, it offers a radically transformed approach to sex and desire, empowering readers to create lasting, fulfilling sexual connections in their long-term relationships.” (Adapted from catalogue)
Data Baby: My Life in a Psychological Experiment / Breslin, Susannah
“In Data Baby, Susannah Breslin recounts her extraordinary childhood as a research subject in a renowned 30-year study of personality development at UC Berkeley. Decades later, grappling with an abusive marriage and breast cancer, she investigates how being raised under scrutiny shaped her identity and choices. Her compelling, provocative quest uncovers long-buried secrets behind the study, raising profound questions about whether it truly understood her better than she knew herself. With brave honesty and wit, her universal story explores the tension between allowing technology to define us and discovering our authentic selves in an era of increasing data-driven self-optimization. Her life-changing journey as one of history’s most studied individuals illuminates why we turn out the way we do.” (Adapted from publisher and catalogue)
Grief is For People / Crosley, Sloane
“Sloane Crosley’s poignant memoir explores loss and the complexities of mourning after her closest friend’s death by suicide. With disarming wit and empathy, Crosley embarks on a quest to understand grief, upending conventional narratives and offering a category-defying elegy that resonates deeply in our grief-stricken times. Hailed as one of the most anticipated books of the year, it’s a suspenseful and moving portrait of friendship, family, and the struggle to hold on to the past without being consumed by it.” (Adapted from catalogue)
Continue reading “Deconstruction and Reconstruction – New Personal Growth Books”