Latest news with #TePapaTongarewa
Scoop
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Writers On Mondays Returns To Showcase Acclaimed And Emerging Literary Voices In Wellington
It's that time of year again! Writers on Mondays is back, with a series running from 7 July to 29 September 2025. Run by the International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) in conjunction with Te Papa Tongarewa and Circa Theatre, these lunchtime events are the perfect opportunity to come in out of the winter weather and listen to vibrant conversations about some of Aotearoa's best writing. And the entire programme is free! Award-winning books and authors feature heavily in this year's programme. Damien Wilkins, winner of the 2025 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction, will be joined by last year's winner Emily Perkins to chat about his bestselling novel Delirious, which Newsroom declared 'the book of the year' in 2024. Michelle Rahurahu, fresh from winning the Hubert Church Prize for Fiction at the Ockham Book Awards, will be joined by fellow debut author Gina Butson to take us on a whirlwind tour of their novels Poorhara and The Stars are a Million Glittering Worlds. Many of the authors in the programme are traveling from across New Zealand and even further afield. With Verb Wellington taking a pause on their fantastic readers and writers festival for 2025, Writers on Mondays offers Wellingtonians a unique opportunity to hear literary stars discuss their work this year. Chris Price, co-ordinator of Writers on Mondays, says, 'High-flying Wellington writers are in the spotlight alongside writers from across the motu and beyond: Nina Mingya Powles on a flying visit from London; Mikaela Nyman, fresh from her standout Auckland Writers Festival appearance, making the journey from Taranaki; and poet Nafanua Purcell Kersel traveling from Hawkes Bay. Several Auckland writers will also be in town for especially for the series.' Don't miss your chance to see these writers in Wellington! Randell Cottage Writer in Residence Saraid de Silva and journalist-turned-fiction-writer Michelle Duff will be in conversation with Tina Makereti to explore their stories about multi-generational women and how we excavate the past to inform the present. de Silva's Amma has had international success, longlisted for the Women's Prize, while another featured writer, Jennifer Trevelyan, has had huge international success with her debut novel A Beautiful Family. She caught the attention of a renowned literary agent who secured her a worldwide publishing deal and Allen & Unwin has published her book in NZ. Duncan Sarkies and Brannavan Gnanalingam will be in discussion about their new novels, and why political satire is more important than ever in current times. It wouldn't be Writers on Mondays without poetry and we have plenty of conversations and readings with poets from the freshest to our most revered. Poetry offerings include Nick Ascroft hosting poets from his edition of Ōrongohau | Best New Zealand Poems in a reading, a conversation between Mikaela Nyman and Nafanua Purcell Kersel, and poet laureate Chris Tse talking to poets about how poetry might be reinvented. Anna Jackson, Associate Professor at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, will speak about her new collection of poetry which has been described as 'extraordinary, in both concept and form'. The events feature many writers who previously studied at the IIML, including MA graduates Gina Butson, Michelle Rahurahu, Michelle Duff, Nafanua Purcell Kersel, Jennifer Trevelyan, Nina Mingya Powles, Chris Tse, Gregory Kan, Cadence Chung, Jiaqiao Liu, Rachel O'Neill and Amy Marguerite, plus Mikaela Nyman, who completed her PhD with the Institute. Damien Wilkins, who is Director of the IIML as well as this year's Acorn prize winner, says, 'It's a thrill to see so many writers on the programme with strong connections to the IIML taking their work to the world.' For a glimpse of the further talent soon to emerge from the IIML's MA workshops, scriptwriting students will have their words brought to life in lunchtime performances at Circa Theatre, while the next wave of novelists, poets, and creative nonfiction writers will read in special evening events at Meow. Writers on Mondays will run from 12.15—1.15 pm each Monday from 7 July to 29 September 2025 at Te Papa Tongarewa and Circa Theatre, with two special evening sessions at Meow. Admission is free and all are welcome. The series is supported by the Letteri family. The full programme can be viewed celebrate Aotearoa writers with us at Writers on Mondays – we look forward to seeing you there.
Scoop
13-06-2025
- Scoop
Historic Taonga Tūturu Returns To Paekākāriki For Exhibition
A section of what is believed to be a late 17th century waka will be on display at the Matariki & Early Paekākāriki History Exhibition and Talks over the three day Matariki weekend at St Peter's Hall in Paekākāriki. On loan from Te Papa Tongarewa, the historic treasure was found at the mouth of the Wainui Stream in Paekākāriki in 2006 and has since gone through a conservation treatment process. It will be on display for the first time for the public to view. It will take pride of place in the exhibition at St Peter's Hall over Friday 20 to Sunday 22 June from 11am to 4pm each day. Found by local Paekākāriki resident Aurelian Campbell, the piece of waka resembled driftwood sticking out of the sand but fortunately Mr Campbell recognised its significance and contacted the Historic Places Trust. 'It was exciting to have found this part of the waka after it had been in the stream for so long and I'm very happy it's coming back to the village for a visit. 'I have wondered if there are people living in Paekākāriki who are descendants of the makers or owners of the waka who may have used it to travel between Paekākāriki and Kapiti Island, or to fish from, hundreds of years ago.' The exhibition and talks will give a glimpse of the rich cultural heritage of the area through stories, speakers, displays, poetry and film. Don't miss the series of talks by local historians and experts, sharing their knowledge and insights. Speakers include archaeologist Andy Dodd, history teacher Thane Maxwell, Miria Pomare (Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Mutunga, Rongomaiwahine, Rongowhakaata), 6th generation Kapiti Coaster Karl Webber, Poet/storyteller/musician Apirana Taylor, and Queen Elizabeth Park park rangers John Tesoriero & Jordan Clear.
Scoop
09-06-2025
- General
- Scoop
An Important Guide To Patterns For Traditional Māori Designs Comes Back Into Print After Many Years
Press Release – Oratia Books The handy guide provides a detailed exploration of important patterns used in Mori architecture and textiles, focusing on the intricate designs of rafter carving, tniko weaving and tukutuku panels. In the more than 80 years since Māori Rafter & Tāniko Designs first saw the light of day, the book's clear text and sumptuous colour patterns have served legions of readers and craftspeople. Now Oratia Books is bringing this classic work by W.J Phillipps back into print, enabling a new generation to access a work that until now had been hard to source. The handy guide provides a detailed exploration of important patterns used in Māori architecture and textiles, focusing on the intricate designs of rafter carving, tāniko weaving and tukutuku panels. With an all-new layout, updated text elements including macrons, and inclusion of new colour illustrations, the new edition aims to help readers easily access the designs. That supports the aim Phillipps outlined in his introduction, namely 'to analyse Māori rafter patterns and discuss their component parts in such a manner that a clearer understanding and a greater appreciation of them will be the result.' Māori Rafter & Tāniko Designs goes on sale in June in good bookstores nationwide. The author William John (W.J.) Phillipps was born in Oamaru in 1893. In 1915, he joined the staff of the Dominion Museum (now Te Papa Tongarewa), Wellington, where he worked as an ethnologist, ichthyologist, ornithologist and scientific illustrator. During a career that spanned five decades, he published some 200 scientific papers and authored several books in the fields of zoology and anthropology. He passed away in 1967.
Scoop
09-06-2025
- General
- Scoop
An Important Guide To Patterns For Traditional Māori Designs Comes Back Into Print After Many Years
In the more than 80 years since Māori Rafter & Tāniko Designs first saw the light of day, the book's clear text and sumptuous colour patterns have served legions of readers and craftspeople. Now Oratia Books is bringing this classic work by W.J Phillipps back into print, enabling a new generation to access a work that until now had been hard to source. The handy guide provides a detailed exploration of important patterns used in Māori architecture and textiles, focusing on the intricate designs of rafter carving, tāniko weaving and tukutuku panels. With an all-new layout, updated text elements including macrons, and inclusion of new colour illustrations, the new edition aims to help readers easily access the designs. That supports the aim Phillipps outlined in his introduction, namely 'to analyse Māori rafter patterns and discuss their component parts in such a manner that a clearer understanding and a greater appreciation of them will be the result.' Māori Rafter & Tāniko Designs goes on sale in June in good bookstores nationwide. The author William John (W.J.) Phillipps was born in Oamaru in 1893. In 1915, he joined the staff of the Dominion Museum (now Te Papa Tongarewa), Wellington, where he worked as an ethnologist, ichthyologist, ornithologist and scientific illustrator. During a career that spanned five decades, he published some 200 scientific papers and authored several books in the fields of zoology and anthropology. He passed away in 1967.
The Guardian
06-06-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Three giant ‘doomsday fish' wash up in one week, but harbinger of calamity a damp squib, say experts
Bad luck comes in threes, according to the saying. And this week three ethereal oarfish, nicknamed 'the doomsday fish', have washed up on the shores of Australia and New Zealand. Two headless specimens were found near Dunedin and Christchurch on New Zealand's South Island, following the discovery of an oarfish on Tasmania's west coast on Monday. But scientists say there is no evidence of any link between oarfish sightings and imminent natural disaster. Earlier in the week, an oarfish was found near the small coastal settlement of Aramoana, north of Dunedin. Another, washed up on Thursday at a stony beach near Birdlings Flat, a 45-minute drive from Christchurch. Andrew Stewart, the curator of fishes at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, described the fish as 'beautiful' and 'otherworldly', with their 'purply-blue, silver and crimson' colours. The museum had investigated collecting one of these 'magnificent and ethereal-looking fish', but seagulls arrived first and demolished their heads. Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton's Clear Air column as a free newsletter That was disappointing because heads contained a lot of key features, Stewart said, such as earbones, teeth and gill rakers. Otherwise, he said, 'when you've got an oarfish, you've got 8 metres in which every metre looks like every other metre – just rinse and repeat.' Stewart said there were about 20 confirmed records of oarfish sightings in New Zealand. Oarfish were probably the origin of sea serpent legends, he said. Although, there was little basis for their reputation as a harbinger of doom, given a peer-reviewed study in 2019 found no link between the appearance of oarfish and the arrival of earthquakes. A/Prof Nick Ling, a fish ecologist from the University of Waikato, said sightings of oarfish are relatively rare. 'They live in the open ocean at significant depths and people just don't encounter them. So because of that, they're almost impossible to study.' Oarfish, considered the longest bony fish in the world, hang vertically in the water and move by rippling their anal and dorsal fins, he said. 'They're really beautiful fish,' Ling said. 'It's an extraordinary kind of lifestyle, just kind of hanging there, vertical in mid-water, presumably waiting for your food to happen along.'
