International mystery novel Lepan’s Shadow is about a retired professor living in Mount Victoria who travels to Chile for work, where he gets mixed up in a suspicious death. It’s written by a retired professor living in Mt Victoria who previously travelled to Chile for work – coincidence? Local author Douglas Pearce acknowledges there... Keep Reading

Decorated poet, painter, actor, playwright and musician Apirana Taylor shared in some magic at Waiopehu College last week. Apirana believes in helping young people bring their talents to light. He also visits libraries, prisons and art galleries, but seeing raw talent in rangatahi is a real perk of the job. “It’s one of the most... Keep Reading

Salā Roseanne Leota reflects on completing the 2022 Arts in Corrections Artist Fellowship, exploring creative writing, mentoring, and her work with the Home Ground women’s initiative. Keep Reading

Patricia Donovan’s latest novel is another compelling page-turner. Set in a dystopic future, the narrator and central character of The Collections finds herself grappling with draconian measures taken by the Government to reduce population and restore environmental health. Should she abide by the law or break it? It’s 2041, the... Keep Reading

Artists from Vincents Art Workshop in Wellington, supported by poet and Vincents relieving tutor Sam Duckor-Jones, have pivoted from their usual visual arts and put together a booklet of 14 poems as part of a project by publishing house Landing Press. Keep Reading

Some book launches can be a disaster when a writer fails to inspire – boring person, boring book. It could never be said of Gigi Fenster. Launching her new novel, the thriller A Good Winter, at Ōtaki Yard on September 25, Gigi gripped the gathering with her wit and energy. This was surely going to be a good read. Gigi holds a PhD in... Keep Reading

Only six months after the release of Patricia Donovan’s debut novel, she’s produced another gripping read with The Madison Gap. Her first novel, The Remarkable Miss Digby (see Ōtaki Today, April 2021), was released to acclaim. One might expect a breather before launching into another, but Patricia’s veins seem to be pulsing with the... Keep Reading

A local collaboration of author and illustrator has resulted in the release of the first in a series of children’s picture books. The Land of Ghee – Welcome to our Home has been written by Kim Jorion of Te Horo and illustrated by Jared Carson of Ōtaki. The book is full of lively characters that instantly engage young readers. It... Keep Reading

A state-of-the-art creative campus is set to open in Wellington, offering a world-first Bachelor of Creativity, arming students with the skills they need for the jobs of the future. Keep Reading

Sam Hunt's life works in seven year cycles, a fact he accepts has nothing to do with him. He's been living in his remote treetop home overlooking the Arapoa River in Kaipara for 14 years, so change is a coming, with milestones already appearing. For a start, he's turning 70 on 4 July: a ripe age for a man who has danced with life to a rapid... Keep Reading