THE GROOVE BOOK REPORT

Massey University Press have just published my new book, a must-have for all passionate Wellingtonians: Mr Ward’s Map: Victorian Wellington street by street - a fascinating and lively street-by-street social history of Wellington in the pivotal years of growth from 1890 to 1900, all documented in 88 sheets (roughly A1 in size) drawn for the city council by surveyor and engineer Thomas Ward. The map stretched from Thorndon in the north to Berhampore in the south, taking in the teeming inner-city areas of Te Aro and Newtown, the grand homes of Thorndon and The Terrace, the remnants of Māori kāinga (settlements), the Town Belt, Basin Reserve, the ‘lunatic asylum’ and hospital, the city’s emergent suburbs, reclaimed land, and every street in between. It recorded the exact footprint of every building in the city — every commercial building and every house, every garden shed, stable and outdoor toilet. As well as a building’s shape, Ward recorded the number of its rooms and storeys, and what...

Ian Jorgenson, aka Blink, has been a cornerstone of Aotearoa’s independent music scene for over 25 years. Through A Low Hum, he championed local artists, created spaces for alternative music, and redefined what live events could be. Blink’s latest project is a stunning 25-year retrospective coffee-table book, showcasing artwork from across his prolific career. It spans everything from his very first event—the 2000 Onslow College Leavers’ Ball at Pōneke’s Botanical Gardens—to designs for next year’s Camp A Low Hum, along with countless side projects and even abandoned concepts.  I treasure my copy.  It's full of amazing artwork by known and up and coming artist.  The posters surprised me, with many bands in their infancy being splashed across the headliners.  For example Disateradio or Fur Patrol made their mark as an early Blink gig.  And it goes on, with vibrant colours and incredibly professional art images.  Many, you'd want to frame.  The colouring...

This wonderfully a vivid, scholarly, yet accessible biography opens up the world of the Victorian collector, inspired by nature and a quest for knowledge. This wonderful book charts the life of one such man, one of Aotearoa's most influential naturalists. It's both a portrait of Auckland Museum's founding director and of Thomas Cheeseman himself. It delves into the cultural history of Auckland Museum and how it evolved from a modest curiosity cabinet to one of the leading scientific institution in the Southern Hemisphere. At the heart of the book lies the transformation of Auckland Museum under Cheeseman’s leadership, from a “shed of curiosities” into a respected institution with international connections. Auckland Museum was founded in 1852, beginning life in a small two-room farm cottage in Grafton. Over the following decades it grew steadily, moving into larger premises in central Auckland as its collections expanded. In 1929, subscriptions raised by Aucklanders in remem...

Oh, yes, folks, the master of 'cozy crime' Richard Osman has done it again. This is the fifth installment in his wildly popular Thursday Murder Club series. And again it's packed with both laugh-out-loud funny moments and deeply moving scenes. We open the book not long after Elizabeth's husband, Stephen, has passed away. Elizabeth is somewhat lost, despite her super spy background and training. It's great to see her vulnerable side coming through. However, it's not long before she is pulled back into the fold and re-unites with Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim for another adventure. This one begins with a wedding but quickly spirals into mortal danger. At the heart of story lies a deadly puzzle: a guest at the wedding is entangled in a sinister plot involving kidnapping, murder, and an uncrackable code. It's Joyce’s daughter, Joanna’s wedding, a joyful occasion that quickly takes a darker turn. Elizabeth, still grieving the loss of her husband Stephen, is reluctant t...

 The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (NZSA) has named children’s and YA author Fleur Beale this year’s NZSA President of Honour. The author of more than 50 titles, Beale has been shortlisted 13 times for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, said NZSA. She has won library and information association LIANZA’s Esther Glenn Award for Fierce September (RHNZ Children’s, 2010). Her title Juno of Taris (RHNZ Children’s, 2008) also won the Esther Glenn Award in 2009. Beale has received 16 Storylines Notable Book Awards, including in 2007 and 2023, and she won the Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award for a Much Loved Book for Slide the Corner and for I Am Not Esther. She received the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal in 2012 and an ONZM for services to literature in 2015, and she is the current patron of the Dorothy Neale White Children’s Book Collection at the National Library of New Zealand. “I am quite overwhelmed by the honour. The Socie...

 Unity Books and Massey University Press warmly invite you to celebrate the launch of Mr Ward’s Map: Victorian Wellington street by street by NZ social and architectural historian Elizabeth Cox. "In 1891, a remarkable map of Wellington was made by surveyor Thomas Ward. It recorded the footprint of every building, from Thorndon in the north and across the teeming, inner-city slums of Te Aro to Berhampore in the south." "Updated regularly over the next 10 years, it detailed hotels, theatres, oyster saloons, brothels, shops, stables, Parliament, the remnants of Māori kāinga, the Town Belt, the prisons, the ‘lunatic asylum’, the hospital and much more, in detail so particular that it went right down to the level of the street lights." Launching in-store: Mr Ward's Maps by Elizabeth Cox From 6pm, Friday 14th November Unity Books Wellington Form the Publisher, Massey University Press (MUP)  A fascinating journey through Wellington’s history In 1891, a remarkable map o...

Everybody has a story about Chris Knox. I you went to university in the 1980’s and 1990’s then it was almost a guarantee that you’d see him bouncing around the Victoria University Orientation week stages in daggy shorts and jandals – even in the heart of winter! As a regular on Radio Active, Pōneke’s student radio, I’d frequently have Chris behind the mic promoting his latest album, gig or project. He was always welcoming, quirky, ad-hoc and unpredictable. Back then we were super conscious of swearing and profanity on air (due to the tenous nature of the student license agreement). Keeping Chris in line was always a challenge, being a ‘free speaker’. But it wasn’t just his voice and music that was a permanent fixture on campus. His cartoons appeared not only in the Listener (which we devoured up at the library) or student mags like Salient but also on gig posters around campus. At Colin Morris Records in Willis St. we’d swoop in to collect up the latest releases from the Flying Nun s...

Suzanne Lynch’s memoir, Yesterday When I Was Young, is a heartfelt and nostalgic journey through one of New Zealand’s most enduring musical careers. Co-written with broadcaster and writer Karyn Hay, the book is more than a personal reflection—it’s a cultural time capsule that captures the evolution of Kiwi pop music from the 60's to today. Her memories and reflections are particularly poignant, as she pulls back the thin curtain that shrouded our early youth industry.  Ina time when we had only one channel, when pop programmes were considered to be risque and the very notion of pop idols was a new and a  bizarre development, Suzanne Lynch was an enigma.  Albeit a self-described product of the time. Unpublished  photographs of her in early pop early shows taken by participant, himself show cool kids like Ray Columbus and Lew Prime on set.  It's not the high glamour of modern day Hollywood.  But it was our little slice of manufactured fame.  Lynch began ...

Gareth Shute’s Songs From The Shaky Isles: A Short History of Popular Music in New Zealand is a brisk, kaleidoscopic journey through nearly a century of Aotearoa’s musical evolution. With a subtitle that promises brevity, Shute delivers a compact yet vibrant account that balances historical sweep with personal insight, all in just 200 pages. Gareth Shute may fly under the radar, but his influence on New Zealand’s music scene is undeniable. As a musician, he’s played with indie favourites like The Tokey Tones, The Ruby Suns, The Brunettes, and currently performs with Fever Party and Thee Golden Geese. Offstage, Shute is a prolific writer, contributing to Audioculture and New Zealand Musician Magazine. Though he once claimed he was done after five books, he’s returned with Songs From The Shaky Isles—a fresh, insightful look at Aotearoa’s pop music history. Photo : Mieko Edwards Shute’s writing career began with the award-winning Hip-Hop Music in Aotearoa (2004), followed by titles like M...

The Randell Cottage Writers Trustees, in conjunction with the Embassy of France in New Zealand, are delighted to announce that our next French writer-in-residence will be Katia Astafieff.  Katia is a travel writer, novelist, and children’s author. She has a particular interest in botanical history and popularising scientific subjects. Her wide-ranging publications include the bestseller  How to travel alone when one is petite, blonde, and adventurous . For her special project during the residency, Katia plans to explore the story of Marianne North, an Englishwoman who travelled to Australia and New Zealand in 1880 on the advice of Charles Darwin, and painted remarkable illustrations of indigenous flora. Marianne is recognised for the scientific accuracy with which she documented plant life before photography was a practical option. Katia hopes to draw inspiration from Marianne’s life for a work supported by research and observations during her stay in New Zealand. Learn more h...

Applications are now open for one of New Zealand’s top writing residencies: the 2026 Randell Cottage Writers Fellowship. The fellowship comprises a generous stipend, currently set in the order of $32,000, and six months’ rent-free accommodation in one of Wellington’s oldest heritage homes. The residency will run from July to December 2026. “We’re incredibly proud to be offering New Zealand writers an extended period of time to devote to their work, a stipend, a comfortable home for six months, a peaceful garden, and proximity to Wellington’s research institutions – and to be able to welcome our residents’ families and partners as well,” Trust chair Christine Hurley says. The fellowship is open to mid-career New Zealand writers, meaning any writer with a growing body of published work.  The Trust is particularly interested in hearing from mid-career and Māori and Pasifika writers. Click here to learn more.

Rhonda Hāpi-Smith spent nearly 20 years on the front lines of New Zealand’s prison system—and she’s got scars to prove it. In a motu where Māori are over represented in prison and politicians are keen incarceration, her memoir is a gritty and unfiltered.  It's and account of life behind the wire.  And she tells it from the coalface of control with passion, and restraint. Coming from whānau with a strong whakapapa in the prison service, Hāpi-Smith’s journey begins with training and quickly dives into the hard realities of the mahi.  She was the first wāhine to join the riot squad, known for stepping into chaos when others stepped back.   She earned a reputation for being “hard arse”, in violent confrontations.  But, as I've learned working with similar individuals, she also became a maternal figure to the younger tane.  Some even called her “mum.” The book doesn’t shy away from the emotional toll.  Long hours, constant vigilance, exposure to trauma...

Dominic Hoey’s 1985 is a punk-hearted, street-smart coming-of-age tale set in the chaos of mid-80s Auckland. The story kicks off as the Rainbow Warrior is bombed, sending shockwaves through the country—and through the life of twelve-year-old Obi, who’s already navigating a world of dysfunction, poverty, and survival. Obi lives in a rundown Grey Lynn flat with a sick mum, a poet dad allergic to work, and a sister tangled up with a local thug. His days are spent dodging beatings, raiding fridges, and hustling coins for the spacies parlour with his best mate Al. When they stumble across a treasure map in a bag left by Gus—an ex-con and one of his dad’s dodgy mates—the boys set off on a wild hunt across Auckland, chasing dreams, danger, and maybe a way out. With his mum’s health deteriorating and the threat of losing their home looming, Obi enters a gaming tournament with a $500 prize, hoping to save the house and buy Al a movie camera. But the treasure hunt quickly takes over, and the sta...

  “The journey of the women graduates of Otago Medical School from 1896 to 1967 is a story of resilience, progress and enduring impact. These pioneering women did more than just break into a male-dominated profession; they redefined it. Their legacy is one of perseverance, hard work and the pursuit of equality, and it continues to guide women in medicine today” (the Authors) In 2025, the year Otago Medical School celebrates 150 years, 50 per cent of graduates are women. Back in 1891, by contrast, when Emily Siedeberg, who would go on to become the school’s first woman graduate, applied for entrance it was not at all clear that it would be granted. Aotearoa's medical world has been in crisis almost my whole life.  No matter what government or how much money, there are never enough doctors.  And you wonder why.  Is it perhaps because the world of medicine is so hard to get into.  Is it a world that has economic or academic boundaries.  Are there boundaries ba...