Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature Collection
Across the Pass: A collection of New Zealand tramping writing, selected by Shaun Barnett
This is a great anthology for those who have a penchant for the great outdoors, literature about tramping with writing spanning nearly two centuries. The stories selected by Shaun Barnett range from epic tales and feats to pleasurable strolls. Some writers tell of facing obstacles and pushing themselves to the limit, while others revel in the environment around them.
There is something for everyone here as we are treated to stories, poetry and songs, journals and newspaper pieces, magazine articles and books. Tramping in New Zealand has a rich history and all areas of our magnificent country are covered. For those of you wanting to immerse yourself and imagine being away from it all, then this is a great place to start!
Can’t Get There From Here André Brett (Maps by Sam van der Weerden)
This great book will appeal to train buffs and traces the expansion and eventual reduction of New Zealand’s passenger rail network over the last century. Part of the appeal within the pages is the argument André Brett makes that this scenario could be very different and the potential exists to recreate a more efficient and sustainable passenger rail service for the future.
Dunedin’s Sam van der Weerden is a mathematician, mapmaker and transportation planner. His maps throughout the book show how many rail services were available throughout the decades and chronicles when services were suspended.
Peppered with photos together with an examination of the amazing rail infrastructure that is still in place to this day, this book creates hope that we could one day see a return of New Zealand passenger rail services.
Human Rights and the Internet Joy Liddicoat
Anyone with a passing fascination about the Internet and how it relates to the world around them, and to human rights, will enjoy delving into this book. Written in two parts: Part 1 charts the history of human rights online, while Part II canvasses some of the new challenges of the digital age.
“As individual users, we can happily use the Internet while being entirely unaware of its complex ecosystem.”
The past decade has witnessed unprecedented use of the Internet for both advancing and suppressing human rights. With increasing concerns about non-regulation of our digital environment, Joy Liddicoat (LLM) who in her prolific career is a former Human Rights Commissioner and Assistant Privacy Commissioner, provides a thorough examination of the challenges ahead. Lots to absorb here!
Joanna Margaret Paul: Imagined in the Context of a Room Dunedin Public Art Gallery 2021
What a wonderful tribute to Joanna Paul’s craft this book is. Beautifully produced on the most exquisite paper that brings richness to the colour reproductions throughout and is so tactile it is hard not to stroke the pages.
Highly regarded as a woman who presented the world as it appeared from her point of view, her works are beautifully crafted and have a wonderful intimacy about them. Everyday settings, interiors, tables, windows, views, her daily life is on display throughout the book. Drawings add to the creativity of Joanna Paul’s talent, and her white spaces create a sense of calm, quiet reflection and offer the opportunity to get lost in the imagery.
Written contributions from Pascal Harris, Lauren Gutsell, Greg Donson, Lucy Hammonds, Joanna Osborne and Emma Bugden provide insight into the artist’s motivations; time, place, history; and these words strengthen the illusion we are reading Joanna Paul’s diary or viewing her personal photo albums. Highly Recommended!
Torn Apart: The Partition of India by Swapna Haddow
In the aftermath of India’s independence from British rule in 1947, British India was split into Pakistan and India. Despite centuries of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs living for the most part peacefully alongside each other, this division forced underlying tensions between the different religious groups emerge. The partition led to one of the largest and deadliest mass migrations as Muslims cross the border to Pakistan and Hindus and Sikhs crossed to India.
This is the backdrop for this powerful tale told through the eyes of two young boys, Ibrahim, a wealthy young Muslim and Amar, who lives on the street and is Hindu. Together they must navigate an unfamiliar and hostile environment to survive.
Ibrahim and Amar are beautifully drawn characters and as a reader I was totally immersed in the perils they faced, and the gradual respect and trust that developed between them. Although written for a young reader (and I am old), I was totally captivated by this story and the absence of syrupy sentimentality added to my enjoyment of it. Beautifully written this is a great book that moved me to tears and still does when I think about it!
Tussock Bruce Hunt
The tussock grassland is a landscape unique to Aotearoa and has been used in numerous paintings by Dunedin-based artist Bruce Hunt. Now in “Tussock” a book of his photography, he captures the immensity of the land and sky in these stunning mainly black and white photographs.
Throughout the book the light that has been captured is remarkable and although these landscapes emit a feeling of vastness, look closely and you may be able to see signs of human occupation. As well as the grandeur of the big scenes there are some wonderful peep hole images, looking through an old barn window or door. This wonderful book will instil pride that we have such beautiful landscapes on our doorstep. No surprises that Otago is becoming a magnet for movie makers!
Wai Pasifika: Indigenous Ways in a Changing Climate David Young
As an author and journalist David Young has been a consistent advocate for environmental justice over many decades. In this magnificent book, he focuses on the increasingly endangered status of freshwater, and what so-called developed societies can learn from indigenous voices of the Pacific.
Blending indigenous traditions with his own personal encounters, and a selection of modern studies, Young presents a human face on the key issue of water.
His journey is documented in chapters that relate to a specific island or region in the Pacific where we get to appreciate how important the freshwater ecosystem is to sustain communities and wellbeing. David Young shows a deep respect for place and people and this makes the book compelling reading. Beautiful photographs by renowned photographers Richard Sidey and Aliscia Young add to the appeal of this book. Highly recommended.