Dunedin Public Libraries | Kā Kete Wānaka o Ōtepoti


This issue we examine the past, meeting the ancestry gurus who can lead us through our heritage; and we look to the future, building the foundations of tomorrow's generations with language and creativity. We meet short-story writer, Alice Peterson, who writes about Dunedin from Quebec; and relish details of the new collection by local poet Cilla McQueen. There's also our usual bevy of reviews and recommendations to keep you busy on dark nights curled up on the sofa, plus poetry from Gay Buckingham, Ann Jacobson, and the winners of the 2016 Robert Burns Poetry Competition.


  1. New Zealand Music Month 2016: Rattling the Libraries' Shelves for More Than a Decade

    This is Dunedin Public Libraries' 12th year supporting New Zealand Music Month, enabling local musicians to reach a wider audience, ... Read more…
  2. Accessible Collections

    Dunedin Public Libraries aspire to be vibrant, accessible and community-focused as we work towards playing our part in making Dunedin ... Read more…
  3. What’s On

    Music, food, stories and theatre. There's no shortage of entertainment this month at your local library.  Read more…
  4. Hot Topic: Dunedin Fiction Writers

    Dunedin became a UNESCO City of Literature in December 2014.  Read more…
  5. Fiction Book Review: Absolute Beginners. Colin MacInnes

    "We'd loot to spend at last, and our world was to be our world, the one we wanted and not standing on the doorstep of somebody else's ... Read more…
  6. Alice Petersen

    Dunedin-born, Quebec-based writer Alice Petersen has written a new book of short stories. Worldly Goods will be published in Canada by ... Read more…
  7. In a Slant Light: A Poet’s Memoir

    … can’t be sure about the authenticity of memory, but by my lights it’s all I’ve got to go on. Read more…
  8. Coming Home

    Recent visitors to the field hospital display in the 'Who Cared: Otago Nurses in WW1’ exhibition at Otago Museum were invited to write ... Read more…
  9. Depression

    by Dunedin poet Ann Jacobson Read more…
  10. Robert Burns Poetry Competition Winners 

    Our annual Robert Burns Poetry Competition attracts entries from all over New Zealand, and occasionally from international writers, too.  Read more…
  11. Generosity: The New Name in Funding

    Our funding databases have changed their name, but they’re still a valuable source of funding if you are looking for ways to fund ... Read more…
  12. What's New McNab

    The latest in our New Zealand collection. Read more…
  13. A Word in Your Ear: Climbing the Family Tree

    This issue we dropped in on the Heritage Team’s Family History session for a catch-up with Senior Library Assistant, Malcolm Deans and ... Read more…
  14. Artsenta, the First 30 Years

    Written by Kath Beattie, published by the Creative Arts Trust (Otago), 2015. ISBN 978-0-473-33583-0 Read more…
  15. 10,000 stories to read with your ears

    Dunedin Public Libraries is pleased to announce the launch of an exciting new initiative with direct benefits for those in our ... Read more…
  16. Non-Fiction Highlights

    New to our shelves this issue. Read more…
  17. Refiguring Minds in Narrative Media

    How do writers represent cognition, and what can these representations tell us about how our own minds work? Read more…
  18. Teen Space

    Fiction Highlights Read more…
  19. Upon a Time: A gift from me to you

    R.L. Stedman's latest project makes a gift of a distinctly modern spin on the traditional fairy story. Read more…
  20. Kids Picks

    A selection of recommended reads for children. Read more…
  21. Building the Future

    Libraries are not only about books. These days we are the community hub, where people gather, to talk, to discuss, to use their ... Read more…
  22. Reo Pēpi

    Boost your baby’s brain function with language: Reo Pēpi Read more…
  23. Book Adventurers’ Club

    Encouraging young people to fall in love with reading is one of the key goals of the Library. Our popular after school book clubs ... Read more…