United Nations World Oceans Day on 8 June 2021, celebrated at Parliament in Wellington, was the official Aotearoa launch of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. It is not surprising that many of our Author Postcards feature the ocean and the significance of our coastal environment for wellbeing and mindfulness, and as an ever-present source of inspiration for our wonderful local writers.

Recently, after a call was sent out through the local branch of the NZ Society of Authors, Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature was proud to produce a series of seven Author Postcards, to be offered at various literary events, venues and cafes around Ōtepoti. This will be an ongoing project and we are looking forward to receiving excerpts from more Ōtepoti writers in the future so we can grow the series.

The excerpts and writings all express a strong connection to Ōtepoti. Each postcard is unique and personal to the featured writer but collectively the postcards convey a consistent theme of inspiration drawn from Ōtepoti and its environs.

Writers celebrated so far are Barbara Else, Huberta Hellendoorn, Kay McKenzie Cooke, Michael O’Leary, Peter Olds, Jenny Powell and Iona Winter.