Tag: Author event

Katherine Mansfield centenary: Author talk with Redmer Yska

Tess

**Update:** Unfortunately our organised NZSL interpreter is no longer able to be at this event.

We apologise to anyone in our Deaf community who had been planning to attend — we will be recording and uploading this event to our YouTube channel, and providing subtitles for anyone who wishes to watch at a later date.

Join us for a special event on iconic writer Katherine Mansfield at Karori Library on Thursday November 30th, 6-7pm. (Facebook event)

Redmer Yska, author of ‘Katherine Mansfield’s Europe: Station to Station’ will be joined by our Local & NZ History Specialist Gábor Tóth to deep dive into Mansfield’s words, travels and her local Karori connection. Hear how Yska traced and pulled together letters, journals and research to compile this fascinating insight into Mansfield that acts as part travelogue, part literary biography, part detective story and part ghost story.

Redmer Yska is an award-winning writer and historian based in Wellington. ‘Katherine Mansfield’s Europe: Station to Station’ is Yska’s second book on the iconic writer, his first book on Mansfield ‘A Strange Beautiful Excitement: Katherine Mansfield’s Wellington’ was shortlisted for the 2018 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.

Gábor Tóth is the Local & New Zealand History Specialist at Wellington City Libraries. He conducts research for both library customers and council staff as well as developing history resources such as the library’s heritage platform, Wellington City Recollect.

We anticipate this event will be very popular and will be seated on a first-come first-served basis, please arrive early to avoid any disappointment.

The spirit of Diwali at Newtown Library

Tess

Happy Diwali!

To celebrate Diwali, Newtown Library recently hosted a fun-filled family storytelling event, where guest author Rajorshi Chakraborti treated the multi-generational audience to a special introduction of ‘Diwali Words‘, an original work written for the event. His words eloquently encapsulated the spirit of Diwali and the importance of every person striving to bring light into our world. Raj then dove into an animated reading of the Pasifika book ‘Dharma’s Diwali‘. Our librarian Asha captivated the young ones with a lively sing-along to ‘The Wheels on the Tuk Tuk’. Then, the experts got to work with a sari-draping demonstration as children and adults alike donned colourful saris and posed for instant photo prints. Check out some of the fun moments from the event that also included enjoying local Indian sweets, chai and impromptu Bollywood dancing! Raj has kindly let us share his original words on Diwali below.

Continue reading “The spirit of Diwali at Newtown Library” →

Diwali Celebration at Newtown Library! Wednesday 1 November

Tess

Join us for a special Diwali celebration at Newtown Library!

We’re hosting a family storytelling event, with guest author Rajorshi Chakraborti reading their favourite stories about Diwali. Learn how to drape a sari and pose in our themed photobooth! Join us at Newtown Library on Wednesday November 1st, 3:15-5pm to celebrate Diwali.

This is a free, family-friendly event- bring your elders and your kids!

Event on Facebook

Rajorshi Chakraborti was born in Kolkata and grew up there and in Mumbai, and now lives in Wellington with his family. He has published six novels and a collection of short fiction, and his latest work is a novel for young readers co-written with his daughter, Leela, and it is called – The Bad Smell Hotel. You can find out more about Raj’s books at www.rajorshichakraborti.nz.

New Podcast! The Meow Gurrrls ”Famdamily“ poetry launch

Neil

Recently at Te Awe Brandon Street Library we were delighted to do a very special launch event celebrating the release of Famdamily, the latest poetry collection by iconic Wellington poetry collective The Meow Gurrrls.

The Meow Gurrrls are a group of Wellington and Kāpiti Coast poets, named in part after Meow Café and Bar in Wellington where the group meet, who for some time now have been sharing poetry, wine, food and fine company.

This fabulous event featured readings from many of the collective and was hosted by the wonderful Mary McCallum from Makaro Press and The Cuba Press.

It proved to be an evening of unmissable new poetry from these acclaimed wordsmiths. The evening featured readings from six of the group, and was full of feats of verbal gymnastics and poetic daring.

If however you did miss it, do not fear!  The Meow Gurrrls gave us permission to record the proceedings and we are now proud to present a podcast of the evening for your enjoyment.

The poets who read at this very special event were Janis Freegard, Kirsten Le Harivel, Mary Jane Duffy, Mary Macpherson, Abra Sandi King and Sudha Rao. We wish to extent our heartfelt thanks to The Meow Gurrrls and Mary McCallum.

You may now listen to that podcast below, or by following this link!

Continue reading “New Podcast! The Meow Gurrrls ”Famdamily“ poetry launch” →

The Meow Gurrrls Poetry Launch Event 7 September

Neil

The Meow Gurrrls poetry launch: Te Awe Library event.

Iconic Wellington poetry collective The Meow Gurrrls are launching their latest poetry collection Famdamily, and we are lucky enough to be hosting their launch!

Te Awe Library

Thursday 7 September

6.00pm -7.00pm

Facebook event listing

Join us for an evening of unmissable new poetry from these acclaimed wordsmiths. The evening will feature readings from six of the group, and promises to be an evening full of feats of verbal gymnastics and poetic daring.

The poets who will be reading at this very special event are:

Janis Freegard

Kirsten Le Harivel

Mary Jane Duffy

Mary Macpherson

Abra Sandi King

Sudha Rao

The Meow Gurrrls are a group of Wellington and Kāpiti Coast poets, named in part after Meow café/bar in Wellington where the group meet, who for some time now have been sharing poetry, wine, food and fine company.

Their first joint collection of poems called Meowing. Part 1, The Meow Gurrrls’ little book of poetry is also available at the library.

Continue reading “The Meow Gurrrls Poetry Launch Event 7 September” →

Hiwa: Contemporary Māori Short Stories Author Talk 31 August

Neil

Join us for a very special event at

Karori Library 

on Thursday August 31st, 6 – 7 pm

Hiwa: Contemporary Māori Short Stories is a vibrant collection of contemporary Māori short stories, featuring twenty-seven writers working in English and te reo Māori. The writers range from famous names and award winners – Patricia Grace, Witi Ihimaera, Whiti Hereaka, Becky Manawatu, Zeb Nicklin – to emerging voices like Shelley Burne-Field, Jack Remiel Cottrell, Anthony Lapwood and Colleen Maria Lenihan. Edited by Paula Morris and consulting editor Darryn Joseph.

In this showcase of contemporary talent, Hiwa explores the range of styles and subjects in the flourishing world of Māori fiction.

Named for Hiwa-i-te-rangi, the ninth star of Matariki which signifies vigorous growth and dreams of the year ahead, this anthology reveals the flourishing world of Māori writing today in Aotearoa and beyond. The event promises to be unmissable.

Writers who will be speaking at this very special event are:

 Whiti Hereaka

 Jack Remiel Cottrell

Whiti Hereaka (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa) is an award-winning playwright, novelist and screenwriter. Whiti’s books include The Graphologist’s Apprentice, which was shortlisted for Best First Book in the Commonwealth Writers Prize South East Asia and Pacific 2011, Bugs which won the Honour Award, Young Adult Fiction, New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, 2014, Legacy, which won the award for Best Young Adult Fiction at the 2019 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults and  Kurangaituku, winner of  the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction at the 2022 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. When not writing multi award-winning books, Whiti is a barrister and solicitor. She has held a number of writing residencies and appeared at many literary festivals in New Zealand and overseas.

Jack Remiel Cottrell (Ngati Rangi) grew up in Wellington and now lives in Auckland. His flash fiction collection was awarded the Wallace Prize for best manuscript in the University of Auckland Master of Creative Writing class of 2020.  Other than fiction, his main passion is sport. He has been a rugby referee for ten years and his latest project is a novel set during a cricket game.

This event will be hosted  by our very own Louise Dowdell.

We anticipate that this event will be very popular and seating will be on a first come, first served basis. We recommend arriving early to get a good seat! See our Facebook event listing here.

Hiwa : Contemporary Maori Short Stories
“An essential new anthology of our best Māori short fiction. Hiwa is a vibrant, essential collection of contemporary Māori short stories, featuring twenty-seven writers working in English or te reo Māori. The writers range from famous names and award winners – Patricia Grace, Witi Ihimaera, Whiti Hereaka, Becky Manawatu, Zeb Nicklin – to emerging voices like Shelley Burne-Field, Jack Remiel Cottrell, Anthony Lapwood and Colleen Maria Lenihan. A showcase of contemporary talent, Hiwa includes biographical introductions for each writer’s work, and explores the range of styles and subjects in the flourishing world of Māori fiction. Named for Hiwa-i-te-rangi, the ninth star of Matariki, signifying vigorous growth and dreams of the year ahead, this anthology reveals the flourishing world of Māori writing today, in Aotearoa and beyond.” (Adapted from Catalogue) Also available as an eBook.