A man asked me last night what publishing needs to do for literary fiction to begin appealing to men again. I said, as nicely as I could, that, with over 2,000 books published every Tuesday, of which many would appeal to men, it’s not a publishing problem, it’s a men problem.
SO delighted to see @ingridhorrocks.bsky.social and @catherinechidgey.bsky.social shortlisted for New Zealand's premier literary award, the Ockhams! And a non-fiction book I absolutely adored reading last year was @naomiarnold.bsky.social's, so v happy about that too! newsroom.co.nz/2026/03/04/a...
Very cool!
interreading your Lyrical Ballads with the 1798 one, expecting to come across 'Anecdote for Fathers, Shewing How the Art of Lying May Be Taught' in 'The Tobacco Tin' -- it feels a bit like reading two beautiful volumes at once
The star of WHAT TO WEAR looked very fetching at the Lamplight Books launch last night
Helen Garner on “blowing out realism” (from the Diaries, 1987-1995)
Double Geoffrey!
Sir Geoffrey Palmer holding his new book Parliamentary Privilege in the air at his book launch.
If this photo could have sound you would hear the former prime minister bellowing CHARTRUESE at the top of his lungs.
Such is the power of design.
“Food, space, rest. Also: extra sunlight and the erotic intelligence of ferns against skin. It’s not so much to ask of a habitat.”
Great to see a substantial essay on @pipadam.bsky.social's work, "Audition" (her latest) in particular.
"Her work is now beginning to reach the US audience it deserves..."
😎
presumably because Wellington hosts the best literature academy in the universe
Analysis: One of the increased costs for the Tākaka-based regional airline was higher council landing charges. Because the Govt has told councils to charge users more, taxpayers must pick up the tab, writes Jonathan Milne.
Delighted to launch Sir Geoffrey’s new book on parliamentary privilege tonight at Unity Books.🤓
wrote about Davos, Trump, Minneapolis, Roger Casement, the rubber plantations of the Congo and Peru and Aloka the peace dog.
i use the term rubber plantation loosely
'Our absurd, yearning lives' – here's Robyn Marsack's speech from the launch of Lyrical Ballads and What to Wear, if you missed the event, or want to revisit her words.
teherengawakapress.co.nz/blogs/news/o...
🤞 tomorrow
I’m stranded in Dunedin so please party hard on my behalf. On the upside Party Boy was a smash hit at Woof! on Sunday.
Not sure what we’re all complaining about. Just look at all that blue sky!
#bluesky #rain #uk
The book cover has a soft blue and green abstract paint pattern in the background, and says 'Dinah Hawken. Peace & Quiet.'
Praise for Dinah Hawken. Includes: 'This is poetry that digs deeply into existence, life and death, peace ahead of war, the power of silence, and the power of the spoken.' - Paula Green.
Coming up in April: a new collection from one of New Zealand's most celebrated poets, who received the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement in 2025. Dinah Hawken's Peace & Quiet is powerful and illuminating. These poems show that peace, gentleness and reflection are a form of resistance.
The published poetry collection Lyrical Ballads by Bill Manhire.
The published poetry collection Lyrical Ballads by Bill Manhire.
Happy publication day to Bill Manhire and your Lyrical Ballads!
some lunchtime reading for you all!
Turning his hand to fiction, Dukes’ new novel Party Boy helped him process dark memories of Otago Boys’ High.
with bells on
‘To ensure a robust, long-lasting and more equitable literary sector, the only solution is a big increase in government funding – so long as it is independent of political interference – and sustained grants that can facilitate planning and growth.’
The problem with social media is that you’re only allowed to hold opinions in batches. If you believe X and Y, you must also believe Z, which is atmospherically similar to X and Y and believed by all the same people.
If you don’t do this, everyone hates you. It makes actual thinking impossible.
A beige background, with red writing that says, 'Join us for the launch of Leather & Chains. Tuesday 17 February, 6pm, Meow Bar, Wellington.' It features a photo of the book cover - a close up on a women using a red phone - and the logos of THWUP, Unity Books, and Meow bar.
We're having so many parties this month, and you're not going to want to miss any of them. The launch of Leather & Chains will be amazing!
⛓️ Tuesday 17 February, 6pm
⛓️ Meow bar, 9 Edward Street, Wellington
⛓️ All welcome!
More info here: www.facebook.com/share/17vrfm...
Lupu’s Schubert, Pletnev’s Scarlatti
