Recently at our Karori Library, in conjunction with Auckland University Press, we staged a very special celebration event forHiwa: Contemporary Māori Short Stories with authors Whiti Hereaka (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa) and Jack Remiel Cottrell (Ngati Rangi).
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. Edited by Paula Morris and consulting editor Darryn Joseph.
Photo of Whiti Hereaka(c)2021 Tabitha Arthur Photography
In this vibrant showcase of contemporary talent, Hiwa explores the range of styles and subjects in the flourishing world of Māori fiction. For our Karori event, we were honoured by the presence of two of the book’s contributors Whiti Hereaka (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa) and Jack Remiel Cottrell (Ngati Rangi)
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 Aotearoa and overseas.
As part of Te Wiki Kaumātua Seniors’ Week we’re hosting a special talk at Karori Library, Stories of Dementia. Join us on Saturday 7th October, 2-3pm as we’re joined by authors Kristen Phillips, Charity Norman, Pip Desmond and Anne Schumacher of Dementia Wellington. This talk is for anyone interested in learning more about dementia, dementia experiences and what steps to take if yourself or a loved one are affected.
Here we highlight the work of the speakers, all of whom have personal and/or professional experiences dealing with the differing journeys dementia can take, and the effects it has on carers and whānau.
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.
Witi Ihimaera, Michelle Elvy, Tina Makereti, Pip Adam, Harry Ricketts, Gregory O’Brien, Ya-Wen Ho and Noa Noa von Bassewitz
A Kind of Shelter Whakaruru-taha is a major anthology of new writing featuring some of Aotearoa’s most eminent writers, artists and thinkers as they consider what our shared future might hold. The book is a series of rich conversations that discuss our world in the second decade of this century. Just a few of the hot button topics the authors look at include decolonisation, indigeneity and climate change. A Kind of Shelter Whakaruru-taha, itself, is arranged according to the principles of whaikōrero.
The anthology, co-edited by Witi Ihimaera and Michelle Elvy, embraces a wide spectrum of voices. It creates a multiplicity of views for readers to consider. The writers included also hail from a wide variety of artistic and professional practices, including: poets, anthropologists, fiction writers, architects and academics. The resultant final book is a luminous hui, a book to return to time and again.
Witi Ihimaera photo by Colin McDiarmid
As co editor Witi Ihimaera says of the book – “It incorporates all types of writing, positions Aotearoa New Zealand as a marae for the future and it empowers so many voices from so many places to speak out to the world with strong and vigorous kōrero. It has built for itself a truly unique and innovative marae from which to hui from.”
This Wellington launch event will include Witi Ihimaera, Michelle Elvy, Tina Makereti, Pip Adam, Harry Ricketts, Gregory O’Brien, Ya-Wen Ho and Noa Noa von Bassewitz. It promises to be unmissable, and also provide an important and valuable contribution to the conversations about our collective future.
Please note we anticipate that this event will be very popular and seating will be on a first come, first served basis.
A Kind of Shelter Whakaruru-taha : An anthology of new writing for a new world order / Ihimaera, Witi
“Sixty-eight writers and eight artists gather at a hui in a magnificent cave-like dwelling or meeting house. In the middle is a table, the tepu korero, from which the rangatira speak; they converse with honoured guests, and their rangatira-korero embody the tahuhu, the over-arching horizontal ridge pole, of the shelter. In a series of rich conversations, those present discuss our world in the second decade of this century; they look at decolonisation, indigeneity, climate change . . . this is what they see. Edited by Witi Ihimaera and Michelle Elvy, this fresh, exciting anthology features poetry, short fiction and creative non-fiction, as well as korero or conversations between writers and work by local and international artists. The lineup from Aoteraoa includes, among others, Alison Wong, Paula Morris, Anne Salmond, Tina Makereti, Ben Brown, David Eggleton, Cilla McQueen, Hinemoana Baker, Erik Kennedy, Ian Wedde, Nina Mingya Powles, Gregory O’ Brien, Vincent O’ Sullivan, Patricia Grace, Selina Tusitala Marsh and Whiti Hereaka. Guest writers from overseas include Aparecida Vilaç a, Jose-Luis Novo and Ru Freeman.” ( Adapted from Catalogue)
A rare opportunity to hear three of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most outstanding crime writers: Renée, Jennifer Lane and Anne Harré in conversation with Louise Dowdell, and help us launch Renée’s new book Blood Matters.
We have a very special (and FREE!) event in store for fans of all Aotearoa fiction, and especially for fans of mystery and crime fiction.
We will be launching two stunning crime novels from our own fair shores; featuring the multi-award winning authors Renée (Ngāti Kahungunu) and Jennifer Lane, who will be talking about their new books Blood Matters and Miracle, respectively, as well as debut crime-writing sensation Anne Harré, whose novel The Leaning Man was released last year to huge critical acclaim.
Registration is not required, but highly suggested. This is likely to be a well attended event and we may need to turn people away if Newtown Library reaches full capacity. Secure your spot for free here via Eventbrite.
Author Photo Credit: (C) Doug Lilly.
Iconic New Zealand author Renée was born in 1929 in Napier and has so far written over twenty highly acclaimed plays — many of them works that humanise and centre working-class people and feature women in leading roles. She has also published (so far) ten fiction works including The Wild Card, which was shortlisted for the 2020 Ngaio Marsh Awards. Her latest work is Blood Matters.
The novel’s central character Puti is a runner, but she doesn’t feel safe anymore – especially when she discovers her grandfather has been murdered with a Judas mask on his face and another biblical mask has gone missing. She’s also the guardian of ten-year-old Bella Rose, who wants to be a private investigator when she grows up. Puti and Bella Rose try to solve the murders and find out who took the mask.
Jennifer Lane’s debut novel, All Our Secrets, established her as an author to keep a close eye on; quickly gaining rave reviews, the book went on to win the much-coveted Best First Novel Award at the Ngaio Marsh Awards in 2018. Find more info on Jennifer Lane here. Her second novel Miracle has just been released.
The novel, set in small-town Australia, centres around events at a crematorium. The book’s central teenage character “Miracle” is a fabulous creation; funny and totally believable and who also has a colourful family in tow. A compelling and enjoyable crime mystery read that will be enjoyed by both young adults and adults alike.
Author Photo Credit: Jane Harris.
Anne Harré’s debut novel The Leaning Man is a gripping, suspenseful page-turning thrill ride of a book (you are very likely to stay up very late to see what happens next). It is set in our very own windy Wellington and in some respects is a love letter to the city with its perfectly visualised, vivid, and evocative descriptions of the capital. And to top it all, one of the locations in the book is our very own Te Awe Library, with accompanying fictional librarian. The book gathered glowing reviews from the likes of The Listener and The Dominion Post, as well as RNZ.
Renée, Jennifer Lane and Anne Harré will be interviewed by our very own Louise Dowdell. This is a rare opportunity to hear three of the best crime writers in the country talk about their latest crime novels and their work. This is an opportunity not to be missed by anyone interested in New Zealand literature.
We wish to extend our most heartfelt thanks to authors Renée, Jennifer Lane, Anne Harré and Cuba Press for making this very special and totally unmissable event happen .
Blood Matters / Renée
“Puti loves to run, but she doesn’t feel safe anymore – especially when she discovers her grandfather has been murdered with a Judas mask on his face and another mask has gone missing. She’s also the guardian of ten-year-old Bella Rose, who wants to be a private investigator when she grows up. Puti and Bella Rose try to solve the murders and who took the mask.” ( Adapted from Catalogue)
Miracle / Lane, Jennifer
“Born in the middle of Australia’s biggest-ever earthquake, Miracle is fourteen when her world crumbles. Thanks to her dad’s new job at Compassionate Cremations — which falls under suspicion for Boorunga’s spate of sudden deaths — the entire town turns against their family. She fears for her agoraphobic mother, and for her angelic, quake-damaged brother, Julian. When Oli plays a cruel trick on Miracle, he sets off a chain of devastating events. Then her dad is arrested for a brutal attack. How can she convince the town of her dad’s innocence?” ( Adapted from Catalogue)
The leaning man / Harré, Anne
“Wellington. The land dips and rolls, the wind has a life of its own. It’s Saturday night down on the wharf. Celebrations are in full swing for the Westons’ fortieth wedding anniversary. Their daughter Stella has returned from London to attend. She’s now a private investigator in London, reduced to filming errant husbands for court cases. She doesn’t want to be home. Later that night her best friend Teri is found dead in a lane in the central city. Her phone is missing. It looks like suicide, but Stella won’t believe it. The race is on between those who want the phone, the homeless man who’s pocketed it, and Stella.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
The wild card / Renée
“Ruby Palmer has been dealt a rough hand. She was left in a kete at the back door of the Porohiwi Home for Children when she was a baby, and then at seven she discovered that Betty – who stopped the bad stuff happening to Ruby at the Home – has drowned. Now in her thirties, Ruby suspects her friend was murdered – her only lead is a notebook that uses the symbols on playing cards to tell a story she can’t understand, but there are other clues too. As Ruby goes deeper into the mystery of Betty’s death she starts to find answers to questions about herself that she hadn’t dared ask before.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
All our secrets / Lane, Jennifer
“A girl called Gracie. A small town called Coongahoola with the dark Bagooli River running through it. The River Children – born in the aftermath of the infamous River Picnic. They begin to go missing, one after another. Gracie Barrett is the naively savvy spokesperson for her chaotic family, for the kids who are taken, for the lurking fear that locks down the town and puts everyone under suspicion. Coongahoola is where hope and fear collide, where tender adolescence is confronted by death, where kindness is a glimmer of light in the dark.”(Adapted from Catalogue)
These two hands / Renée
“Renee Paule lives in Otaki and teaches her Your Life, Your Story and her Poem a Week workshops there. This is just one version of her life, her story, told in patches, like a quilt.” ( Adapted from Catalogue)
Wednesday to come : trilogy / Renée
“‘Wednesday to come’ (a play for 6 women and 2 men) shows the effect of the Great Depression on four generations of women from the same family. In ‘Pass it on’ (a play for 3 women and 3 men) the teenager Jeannie from ‘Wednesday to come’ is now a young woman in her 30s dealing with the 1951 Waterfront Lockout. The final play in the trilogy goes back in time to life in Victorian Dunedin: ‘Jeannie once’ (a play for 6 women and 3 men) looks at this world through the eyes of Jeannie’s great-grandmother, Granna in ‘Wednesday to come’.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
