THE GROOVE BOOK REPORT

Photo- Tim Gruar Last Thursday, Nick Bollinger and Sue Kedgley popped in to promote their new books.  We were on site to take a few photos.  In 'Jumping Sundays' (AUP), award-winning writer and broadcaster Nick Bollinger tells the story of beards and bombs, freaks and firebrands, self-destruction and self-realisation, during a turbulent period in New Zealand’s history and culture. Ever since 1971, when she and other students carried a coffin through Albert Park to lament the state of women’s rights, Sue Kedgley’s name has been synonymous with Second Wave feminism in this country. An activist was born that day, and her new memoir, "Fifty Years a Feminist" (MUP), tracks a dynamic life through journalism and politics, fobbing off men along the way, because ‘if we succumbed or capitulated to sex, that could ruin our marriage prospects’.   Photo - Tim Gruar Photo - Tim Gruar Phot - Tim Gruar

Tramper, software engineer and essayist, Rose Lu has been the New Zealand writer-in-residence for the past six months at Randell Cottage, working on her first novel. Currently untitled, the project follows the story of Moon, a second-generation Chinese-New Zealander, and Hsiao-Han, who migrated to Aotearoa New Zealand in her mid-twenties. “I want this book to be divorced from the expectation that POC are thinking about their race in relation to a Pākehā majority, by having the primary dialogue be between Chinese and Taiwanese characters. I also want to challenge mainstream notions of representation. We all have complicated relationships to home, family and language, and I want to write a story set across different times and generations to explore that.” Join Rose in this event hosted by the Friends of Randell Cottage as she talks about her work — her 2019 essay collection  All Who Live on Islands  and her new book. 12:10pm, Friday, 23 September National Library, We...

Commemorating the 50th anniversary of te Petihana Reo Māori In the early 1970’s it was becoming obvious that less and less people in New Zealand were able to speak Māori.   Many people were concerned by the state of decline, and signed a Māori language petition which was organised, in part, by the Te Reo Māori Society. In total, 30,000 people signed the petition, which was presented to Parliament on 14th September 1972. Strength for an endangered language comes from its status, people being aware of how to support revitalisation, people acquiring and using it and from the language having the right words and terms to be used well for any purpose. This day become recognised as Māori Language Day, and in 1975 was responsible for the formation of Māori Language Week. Māori Language Week is a week for all New Zealanders to recognise Maori as an official language in New Zealand. While learning the language is not compulsory, Te Reo is a special part of our kiwi identity. Even New Ze...

  Press release from Verb Wellington  "Every year we bring a writer to Wellington in collaboration with Katherine Mansfield House & Garden. The resident receives accommodation and a stipend for three weeks so that they can work on their lit project! It's so hard for writers to carve out paid time to work on those books that keep us inspired and interested. We are grateful to our Residency Patron, Professor John Ormiston, who supports this opportunity in memory of his wife, Professor Diana (Dinny) Lennon ONZM (1949-2018).   About Jack: Jack Remiel Cottrell is an itinerant flash fiction and short story writer with a sideline as a volunteer rugby referee. His debut flash fiction collection Ten Acceptable Acts of Arson and other very short stories was published by Canterbury University Press in 2021, and won the 2020 Wallace Foundation Award for best manuscript. Jack has had work published in the Year’s Best Aotearoa New Zealand Science Fiction and Fantasy, The New Z...

  Verb Wellington will be releasing their November Programme and Verb Writer Rijula Das will be releasing her debut novel 'Small Deaths'.  Where: Vic Books Kelburn, 21 Kelburn Parade (Easterfield Building) When: Tuesday 13 September, 5.30pm for a 6pm start RSVP:  please RSVP by Monday 12 September to info@verbwellington.nz   Parking: There is plenty of free parking after 5pm at the university campus carpark, just off Kelburn Parade.