Ōtepoti He Puna Auaha, Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature
The word on the street
As you wander down our beautiful newly paved George Street, take a moment to acknowledge the literary treasures that lead the way.
We were proud to contribute special words by local writers, etched into the bespoke pavers from the outset as an integral part of the design.
Heartfelt thanks to our wonderful writers for again making the world a better place.
You can find the words and locations here or just wait to discover them for yourself...
Kyle Mewburn selected by Nanjing City of Literature for its 2023 Residency Programme
The City of Literature team was thrilled that Kyle Mewburn, best known for her children’s books and more recently her autobiography Faking It, was selected as one of six writers from around the world to take part in the annual Nanjing City of Literature Residency Programme for two weeks in November 2023. There were 92 applications from the City of Literature sub-network and from other Creative Cities. The other five writers selected for the residency that is fully funded by Nanjing were from Edinburgh, Granada, Jakarta, Milan and Québec City.
This was Kyle’s first visit to China and she was:
… incredibly honoured, delighted and super-excited to have been chosen to participate.
Kyle returned
… buzzing after a full-on whirlwind of activities and a mind-blowing tsunami of sensory experiences. It was an extraordinary two weeks … there were official banquets with a panoply of weird and wonderful dishes (I tried everything but the tofu!); museum and temple visits; a night cruise on the canal network surrounding the old city; a weekend away in Xinhua (a provincial town with a mere 2 million inhabitants); and a visit to the local hot pools. We gave readings, participated in a critique group, and discussed our writing with local writers. In-between we shared so many fabulous meals full of unusual taste sensations, accompanied by effervescent conversation and loads of laughter. Everywhere we went, with extensive retinue in tow, we were wined and dined and treated like rockstars…. it's a truly fabulous city with a story on every street corner and entire novels unfolding along every laneway. Oh, the sights! The smells! The noise!! Talk about sensory overload.
You can read the article and enjoy images on the latest Residency here.
Kyle’s first novel, Sewing Moonlight (Bateman Books), is due to be launched in April this year.
Have you heard the locally produced podcast 86b?
Created by Ōtepoti’s Max Balloch, the 86b (formerly Dear Nature) podcast is a series of self-described ‘love letters to existence’, exploring a range of topics from tree communication to moon exploration to what the first human thought may have been. They're well worth a listen!
The City of Literature team was proud when Max’s Dear Nature Podcast enjoyed great success at the New Zealand Podcast Awards 2022, winning a number of prizes including Gold in the Best Independent Podcast category. The latest episodes are available on OAR FM or Spotify, Apple, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.
Max also created and ran the Dear Nature Podcast Science Writing Competition for Years 9-13 in Otago and Southland to encourage an interest in science communication.
For more details, follow facebook.com/hello86b or email dearnaturepodcast@gmail.com
Local author Swapna Haddow leads popular Festival events for tamariki
The 2023 Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival curated a selection of literary experiences based on the central theme Te Pūao — the place where the river meets the sea. Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature was thrilled to support the delightful Pakiwaitara: Children’s Storytime Sessions, a series of engaging activities hosted by much-loved local children’s author Swapna Haddow. Over three free sessions featuring a number of local children’s authors, young writers and artists were guided through interactive exercises to explore the creative power of writing and illustrating.
This was Swapna’s first year in the role of MC and she shares her top tips for hosting children’s sessions at a festival here.
Have you seen Swapna’s latest book? Little Dinosaurs, Big Feelings: 10 Mindful Stories – grab your copy now
Ōtepoti writers make the world a better place
Each year in the run-up to Christmas Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature participates in a 17-day international campaign celebrating some extraordinary local titles that illuminate the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
You can check out these great reads on Facebook using the hashtag #17Booksfor17SDGs.
Also keep an eye out for the super-sized poster proudly displayed in the City of Literature space, Ground Floor, City Library – this gets updated each year with our 17Booksfor17SDGs campaign titles, so don’t miss the latest!
Plaque unveiled for Gaelic bard
Otago Scottish Heritage Council, Dunedin Public Libraries and Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature were thrilled to celebrate the unveiling of a new Writers’ Walk plaque for Angus Cameron Robertson in the Octagon on St Andrew’s Day, 30 November 2023.
Angus Cameron Robertson was Honorary Bard of the Gaelic Society of New Zealand, which started in Dunedin in 1881. Having spent 20 years at sea, he settled in Dunedin in 1899 at the age of 32. Angus Cameron Robertson wrote many poems in both Gaelic and English including ‘Dunedin: The City Beautiful’ and was a lively and well-known singer, storyteller and piper. In 1927, he published his book Salt Sea Tang, a collection of poems and prose.
Royden Somerville from the Otago Scottish Heritage Council and Alison Thornton addressed the crowd and City of Dunedin Pipe Band piper Oe Hayward played the bagpipes during the unveiling ceremony. The City of Literature team was thrilled that five grandchildren, three great-granddaughters and one great-great-grandson of Angus Cameron Robertson attended the unveiling, some travelling from out of town.
The plaque sits proudly at the foot of the Robert Burns Statue.
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/plaque-added-gaelic-bard
Enjoy the video of the unveiling: Angus Cameron Robertson Writers' Walk plaque unveiling | Dunedin Public Libraries (recollect.co.nz)
Stories from the Cities: Recent Dunedin titles featured at Jakarta Content Week 2023
Dunedin City of Literature was happy to tangibly connect with our friends in Jakarta City of Literature during Jakarta Content Week (JakTent) from 8 to 12 November 2023. This was an opportunity to shine a light on our wonderful writers and establish meaningful connections between writers, publishers, and readers in both cities.
We purchased a selection of recently published titles to send for display, allowing Jakarta's publishers, literary agents, booksellers, writers, and readers to explore their richness and diversity and encouraging potential future partnerships, translations, co-editions and rights sales. After JakTent, the books were donated to public libraries in Jakarta, ensuring that our literary contribution remains accessible to a wider audience.
We were grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with JakTent 2023 and for their generosity in showcasing our titles on the literary stage in Jakarta, putting the books in front of tens of thousands of attendees and celebrating the literary bond between our two cities.
‘My salamander’ by Emma Neale translated for new anthology
Dunedin City of Literature was thrilled that a story by Emma Neale was selected to be part of the Leeuwarden UNESCO City of Literature anthology, Uitgesteld Geluk (Afûk, July 2023), a unique collection of stories and translations about beauty, happiness and what paradise might, should, could be, or not.
My salamander (from The Pink Jumpsuit: Short fictions, tall truths (Quentin Wilson Publishing, 2021)) was one of 100 stories included in the Happiness Delayed project in 2022 and one of 32 subsequently chosen for the anthology.
Henk Pröpper (former director of the Dutch Foundation for Literature, former director of De Bezige Bij – one of the main Dutch publishing houses – and former director of the Institut Neérlandais in Paris) chose the most notable stories to be included in the publication. Two editions were published, one Frisian language edition and one Dutch language edition. The Dutch and Frisian translations of Emma’s story were made by Jos den Bekker and Elske Schotanus respectively.
The inclusion of Emma’s story in the international anthology not only showcases our rich literary talent but also enhances a platform for diverse perspectives from around the world.