Wellington Writers Walk: Iris Guiver Wilkinson, aka Robin Hyde

To celebrate the 21st anniversary of the fabulous Wellington Writers Walk, we’ve taken a closer look at just a few of the authors represented. In this blog we take a look at Iris Guiver Wilkinson’s, aka Robin Hyde’s, typographical sculpture, which features a quote taken from ‘Words’ in Young Knowledge: The Poems of Robin Hyde, ed. Michele Leggott, Auckland University Press, 2003

Yet I think, having used my words as the kings used gold,

Ere we came by the rustling jest of the paper kings,

I who am overbold will be steadily bold,

In the counted tale of things.

In the video below, local authors and Wellington Writers Walk Committee members Philippa Werry and Maggie Rainey-Smith explain Hyde’s work, to be found on a shaded bench overlooking the bay at the back of Te Papa Tongarewa / Museum of New Zealand. They provide a fascinating insight into Robin Hyde’s short, complex and eventful life, and also celebrate her astounding body of work and connections to Wellington.

Young knowledge : the poems of Robin Hyde / Hyde, Robin
“Familiar to many for her fiction and her life story, after publication of “The Book of Iris”, “The Book of Nadath” and the reissue of “The Godwits Fly” in recent years, prolific writer Robin Hyde’s first and best love was actually her poetry. “Young Knowledge: the Poems of Robin Hyde” presents for the very first time a substantial collection of Hyde’s powems, set as a choronological record.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The book of Iris : a life of Robin Hyde / Challis, D. A.
“It is a gripping and profoundly moving story about a “short, tumultuous, incredibly productive, sad and doomed life. It suggests comparison with both Mansfield and Frame . . .”. A dramatic and densely packed story, including appalling accounts of hidden pregnancies, life as a solo mother, drug dependency, intimate acquaintance with sexism and poverty, mental breakdown, and an extraordinary trip in China during the Sino-Japanese war.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The godwits fly / Hyde, Robin
“”By the time Robin Hyde wrote The Godwits Fly she was an experienced and prolific poet, journalist and novelist with an emerging international reputation. She could write with precision and edge. She was alert to different ways of seeing and voicing experience, intense and independent-minded. She stood for the underdog and for the cause of humanity. Her own brief life – thirty-three years, 1906-39 – was a roller-coaster of successes and deep despair. But she held her own line passionately against all odds, and she took the consequences of living hard – recklessly at times – with bravery and spirit.” (Adapted from Catalogue) Also available as an eBook.

Nor the years condemn / Hyde, Robin
“‘They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.'” “The line from the Anzac verse provides the title for this novel, in which Robin Hyde shows the predicament of returned servicemen and women after the First World War. Through the story of Douglas Stark, we see the many ways in which New Zealand was failing their expectations. It was not the ‘land fit for heroes’ they had fought for, but a changing society moving through the tough times of the twenties and thirties.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The book of Nadath / Hyde, Robin
“The Book of Nadath is a long prose poem by well-known poet and novelist Robin Hyde which has remained unpublished for 60 years. Written in 1937, Hyde’s last year in New Zealand, it is a sounding device for all the concerns which mark The Godwits Fly, A Home in this World and Nor the Years Condemn. It is arguably the crowning achievement of her poetry. It expresses dilemmas of identity, race and gender still current at the end of the century; but the moment of 1937 is its primary focus, the problem of how to articulate crisis – which writing voice best serves political and spiritual truth – is its enduring fascination.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Iris and Me / Werry, Philippa
Philippa Werry’s  latest novel Iris and Me looks at Robin Hyde’s  entire life touching on her both her childhood and final days , but the book is primarily focussed on her time in China and her journey there. Including her time as a War correspondent during the Sino-Japanese War.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

The uppish hen & other poems / Hyde, Robin
“A previously unpublished collection by Robin Hyde, one of NZ’s finest authors/ journalists, written for her son, Derek Challis. Richly illustrated by Glenorchy artist Dïne.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Meet the panel: Michelle Elvy

Coming soon to Newtown Library we have a very special launch event for the new anthology, A Kind of Shelter Whakaruru-taha.

The panel for this event features some of Aotearoa’s most acclaimed authors, poets and artists. Leading up to the launch, we thought we would place a spotlight on just a few of the stellar writers who will be in attendance.

Michelle Elvy is one of the co-editors of this fantastic anthology, Michelle is a writer, editor and teacher of creative writing. Her books include the everrumble and the other side of better, and she has co-edited, among others, the anthologies Ko Aotearoa Tātou | We Are New Zealand (with Paula Morris and James Norcliffe, and Breach of All Size: Small Stories on Ulysses, Love and Venice (with Marco Sonzogni). Michelle is also the founder of Flash Frontier: An Adventure in Short Fiction and National Flash Fiction Day; she is also managing editor of the annual Best Small Fictions anthology and is currently editing, with Vaughan Rapatahana, a collection of New Zealand multilingual microfiction. She grew up on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and now lives in Ōtepoti Dunedin.

Michelle Elvy is one of our honoured guests  at our unmissable A Kind of Shelter Whakaruru-taha event, which will have conversations and readings from some of Aotearoa’s finest writers.

Our other honoured guests include Witi Ihimaera, Pip Adam, Tina Makereti, Harry Ricketts, Gregory O’Brien, Ya-Wen Ho and Noa Noa von Bassewitz.

Book launch event on Facebook

Friday 26th of May,  6-7pm

Newtown Library

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)

Interview: creator Ruby Solly on her new book, The Artist

The Artist, by Ruby Solly on the library catalogue

The Artist is Ruby Solly’s stunning new verse novel (published by Te Herengawaka University Press), which vividly and evocatively brings to life histories of our Southern iwi through the whakapapa of its characters and the rich world they and their ancestors call their tūrakawaewae – their place to stand, their place to sing. It is heavily rooted in a spiritual place that encompasses various times and realities and has a strong mythic quality. The book also illustrates in a deep way how legends and folklore tales have a fundamental importance to us in our present time in terms of understanding both ourselves and the world around us. As a novel, it is deeply evocative – cave art leaps from walls, pounamu birds sing, legends become reality, and history becomes the present. The book also uses Ruby’s own unique take on tarot within its creation and content.

Ruby SollyRuby Solly (Kāi Tahu, Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe) is a writer, musician and  taonga pūoro practitioner living in Pōneke. Ruby describes herself as someone who “writes things, sings things and plays things”. While true, it doesn’t take much work to discover that this description doesn’t quite capture the scale – or indeed success – of Solly’s projects, publications and accomplishments.

Ruby’s first poetry collection Tōku pāpā gained rave reviews and was longlisted for the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry. Other poetic works  have been published in The Spinoff, Landfall, Sport, Ōrongohau / Best New Zealand Poems 2019 and more.

Ruby’s musical achievements are equally impressive and include playing with artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Whirimako Black, Trinity Roots and The New Zealand String Quartet. In 2020, Ruby released her fabulous debut album Pōneke. Amongst her many other musical projects, Ruby is a key member of the Tararua collective whose albumBird Like Men was released on Oro Records, again to ecstatic acclaim — it was described in Songlines Magazine as “totally mesmerising” and “truly magnificent”.

As if that wasn’t enough, Ruby is also  just about to complete a PhD in public health, focusing on the use of taonga pūoro in hauora Māori. So, when the opportunity to interview Ruby about The Artist and her creative practice arose, we jumped at it! We wish to extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Ruby, for taking the time to answer our questions; for providing such an illuminating insight into her creative life, world and work; and also, for giving us permission to use snippets from tracks from her fabulous solo album and images of her artwork in the interview.

All music and art in this interview is used with kind permission and strictly copyrighted.

You can watch the video of our interview below or on our YouTube channel, and further below you will find links to some of Ruby’s creative works we have in the library collection. Enjoy!


The Artist / Solly, Ruby
“At first there is nothing but black sand, then something begins to grow; a gentle song emerges so bright that sound becomes sight… And so from the black the world is sung into being, not for us, but for itself, but for the song. In a Southern land, where the veil of time and space has worn thin, twins with otherworldly ways are born to a stone carver and his wife. As they grow into themselves, the landscape and its histories will rise up to meet them and change their whānau forever. Cave art leaps from walls, pounamu birds sing, legends become reality, and history becomes the present in this verse novel by Ruby Solly (Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe, Kāi Tahu). The Artist brings to life the histories of our great Southern iwi through the whakapapa of its characters and the rich world they and their ancestors call their tūrakawaewae – their place to stand, their place to sing.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Tōku pāpā / Solly, Ruby
“Serves as a map of survival for Māori growing up outside of their papa kāika. These poems look at how we take knowledge we are given by our ancestors and hide it beneath our tongues for safekeeping. They show us how we live with our tūpuna, without ever fully understanding them. This book encompasses a journey spanning generations, teaching us how to keep the home fires burning within ourselves” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Atua wāhine : a collection of writings by wāhine Māori
“Contains the following works : Machine-generated: He Whakaaro Noa Iho: Goddesses and Grandmothers / by Jessica Maclean — Hinetītama’s Unbroken Song / by Ariana Sutton — Atua Wāhine and Mana Wahine / by Ataria Sharman — Hine-nui-te-Pō / by Tayi Tibble — Hinewai / by Isla Reeves — With Teeth / by Cassie Hart — Hinepunui-o-Toka / by Ruby Solly — Hineteiwaiwa / by Stacey Teague — Hine’s Moko / by Ataria Sharman — Rua Tekau Mā Waru / by Nicole Titihuia Hawkins, edited by Karlo Mila — uwha / by Miriama Gemmell — Papatūānuku / by Saskia Sassen — About the writers.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Out here : an anthology of Takatāpui and LGBTQIA+ writers from Aotearoa
“A remarkable anthology of queer New Zealand voices. We became teenagers in the nineties when New Zealand felt a lot less cool about queerness and gender felt much more rigid. We knew instinctively that hiding was the safest strategy. But how to find your community if you’re hidden? Aotearoa is a land of extraordinary queer writers, many of whom have contributed to our rich literary history. But you wouldn’t know it. Decades of erasure and homophobia have rendered some of our most powerful writing invisible. Out Here will change that. This landmark book brings together and celebrates queer New Zealand writers from across the gender and LGBTQIA+ spectrum with a generous selection of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and much, much more.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

A game of two halves : the best of Sport 2005-2019
“This book looks back through the fifteen issues of Sport from 2005 to 2019. In 600 pages it presents fiction, poetry, essays and oddities by 100 of our best writers, from leading lights like Bill Manhire, Ashleigh Young and Elizabeth Knox, to emerging glow worms like Tayi Tibble, Ruby Solly and Eamonn Marra.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Covid colab : a NZ lockdown music collaboration
“A Covid lockdown fundraising album created by some of New Zealand’s finest musicians remotely during lockdown. Featuring: Borne aloft / Al Fraser, Ruby Mae Hinepunui Solly, Michelle Velvin, Milo Meldrum, Nikau Te Huki — Defy / Maz Hermon, Nikita Tu-Bryant, Johnny Lawrence, Deanne Krieg, Johnathan Nott — Glass mountain / Benjamin James, Caroline Bay, Tom Watson, Annabel Alpers, Samuel Scott — Counting down the days / Ryan Prebble, Erika Grant, Ben Lemi, Estère Dalton, Flo Wilson, Cass Basil — The phone call / Samuel Scott, Caroline Bay, Stef Animal, Anita Clark, Benjamin James — Disguise / David Randall Peters, Peter Hamilton, Ayrton Foote, Rachelle Eastwood, Letitia Mackenzie — Precipice / Brooke Singer, Anna Edgington, Ben Lemi, Deanna Krieg, Grayson Gilmour.” ( Adapted from Catalogue)

Solar eclipse / Clear Path Ensemble
“DIY contemporary jazz meets electronic production from some of New Zealand’s most revered musicians in the Wellington scene. (Adapted from Catalogue)

Kaleidoscopes in the Dark: Our interview with Bethany G. Rogers

Bethany G. Rogers debut short story collection Kaleidoscopes in the Dark is a collection of twisted fairy tales and more modern dark themed tales that primarily draw on the English gothic tradition.

The book is full of black humour, macabre events and radical reimagining’s of traditional folktales. Her work has been compared to the writing of Angela Carter, the adult work of Roald Dahl (especially his Tales of the unexpected series) and even the darker elements of Dickens. Many of the more modern stories will also enchant fans of the TV show Black Mirror. Readers can expect unexpected twists and turns at every juncture and to be surprised and drawn into each tale. It is a delightfully, frightful short read.

The collection took eleven years to write and was helped to completion by Creative New Zealand and The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (PEN NZ) Inc’s mentorship programme for emerging writers.

Bethany G. Rogers lives in Queenstown and originally hails from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK. Many of the stories are influenced by her Northeast England upbringing.

So, when we got the opportunity to interview the Bethany G. Rogers about her Kaleidoscopes in the Dark, we jumped at it!

We wish to extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Bethany G. Rogers for taking the time to answer our questions about Kaleidoscopes in the Dark and her writing practice, and for providing such an illuminating insight into her world and work.

You can watch this fascinating and insightful interview below,  or by visiting our YouTube channel here.

Kaleidoscopes in the Dark / Rogers, B. G
“Bethany G. Rogers debut short story collection Kaleidoscopes in the Dark is a collection of twisted fairy tales and more modern dark themed tales that primarily draw on the  English gothic tradition. Full of black humour,  macabre events and radical reimagining’s of  traditional folktales. Her work has been compared to the writing of Angela Carter,  the adult work of Roald Dhal’s (especially his Tales of the unexpected series)  and even the darker elements of Dickens,  many of the more modern stories will also enchant fans of  the Black Mirror TV show.” ( Adapted from Catalogue)

Meet the panel: Tina Makereti

Coming soon to Newtown Library we have a very special launch event for the new anthology, A Kind of Shelter Whakaruru-taha.

The panel for this event features some of Aotearoa’s most acclaimed authors, poets and artists. Leading up to the launch, we thought we would place a spotlight on just a few of the stellar writers who will be in attendance.

Tina Makereti holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Victoria University of Wellington, which “used indigenous literature and perspectives to explore ideas of identity and how this is understood and transmitted following colonisation.”

Her fabulous fourth book The Imaginary Lives of James Poneke was shortlisted for: The New Zealand Heritage Book Awards and Longlisted for Ockham New Zealand Book Awards and the International Dublin Literary Award.

Tina is one of our honoured guests  at our unmissable A Kind of Shelter Whakaruru-taha event, which will have conversations and readings from some of Aotearoa’s finest writers. Our other honoured guests include Witi Ihimaera , Michelle Elvy, Pip Adam, Harry Ricketts, Gregory O’Brien, Ya-Wen Ho and Noa Noa von Bassewitz.

Book launch event on Facebook

Friday 26th of May,  6-7pm

Newtown Library

Please note that we anticipate 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)

Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts: Our May eBook Club pick!

Big Library Read: Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts, by Josie Shapiro

Welcome to the WCL eBook Club, where each month we highlight a popular eBook in our digital collection and give access to an unlimited number of downloads on Libby. That means no waiting in long reserves queues- you’ll get instant access to our monthly popular pick!

From May 20 – June 2, our eBook Club title is the stunning, unforgettable debut novel from Josie Shapiro — Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts.

It’s a heart-warming coming-of-age story about overcoming adversity. At its centre is Mickey Bloom who is bullied at school and dyslexic who doesn’t think of herself as special, until she discovers her talent for running. Initially she becomes a star, but eventually the pressure to succeed becomes too much and her dreams collapse in tatters. The plot then skips forward a few years — Mickey is now in a dead-end job with a drop-kick boyfriend and a seriously ill mother. After nursing her mother she begins to realise that the only way to find herself again is to run.

The novel is about the glory and pain of putting everything you have on the line to find yourself. An uplifting and inspiring story about a young woman overcoming some big hurdles, it also plunges the reader into the gruelling world of the long-distance runner.

Josie states that the initial idea for the novel came from the idea of “a woman, about to embark on something immensely difficult”. The book was inspired by events from Josie’s own life, and from other athletes she’d heard about.

About Josie Shapiro

Josie Shapiro, larger imageJosie Shapiro has a master’s in creative writing from the University of Auckland, where she was awarded a Wallace Arts Scholarship for her work. Her short stories have been published online and in literary journals and her work is included on the anthology Ko Aotearoa Tatou: We are New Zealand. In February, Josie was awarded a Michael King Writers Centre residency.

Her stunning debut novel won the Allen & Unwin Commercial Fiction Prize, and although the book has only just been released it has already featured heavily on many hot, must-read lists. We loved the book so much we decided to make it our eBook club title pick. You can read for free about what all the excitement is about yourself by joining us on our Libby app as we offer unlimited downloads in May of this fabulous newly released title, Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts by Josie Shapiro.

Watch our interview with Josie:

Unlimited downloads will be available through Libby from May 20th!

Reviews

Josie Shapiro’s accomplished debut novel has the compulsive forward motion of a world-class race. You don’t have to be a runner to get the high, just read this book!’

-Kirsten McDougall, author of She’s a Killer

The stunning debut novel by the winner of the Allen & Unwin Commercial Fiction Prize. If you loved Lessons in Chemistry and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, you will adore Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts.

-OverDrive Description