For twenty years, Shane Cotton has been one of New Zealand's most acclaimed painters. His works of the 1990s played a pivotal part in that decade's debates about place, belonging, and bicultural identity. In the 2000s, however, Cotton headed in a spectacular and unexpected new direction: skywards. Employing a sombre new palette of blue and black, he painted the first in what would become a major series of skyscapes vast, nocturnal spaces where birds speed and plummet. New York poet Eliot Weinberger meditates on Cotton's 'ghosts of birds'. Justin Paton plots his own encounters with Cotton's work, across six years in which the artist was 'finding space'. Geraldine Kirrihi Barlow confronts the haunting role of toi moko tattooed Maori heads in the paintings and in her own past. Meanwhile, IMA Director Robert Leonard argues that Cotton is a cultural surrealist exploring 'the treachery of images'.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 192

Dimensions: 300 x 395 mm

In early 1928, during a time of pioneering, long-distance flights, two New Zealand pilots set off from Australia on the first attempted aerial crossing of the wild Tasman Sea. Amid fervent hope, government interference, a spirit of patriotism, wide newspaper coverage and family pride, John ‘Scotty’ Moncrieff and George Hood, along with their non-flying partner Ivan Kight, dreamed of closer British Empire ties, a safer New Zealand and a shot at aviation glory. The disappearance of their aircraft Aotearoa remains one of Australasia’s great flying mysteries. Bill Conroy has researched this fascinating and tragic story for more than three decades. In the first full-length examination of Moncrieff and Hood’s flight, he recounts the conception, planning, execution and aftermath of the project which enthralled both sides of the Tasman.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 176

Dimensions: 170 x 240 mm

Publication Date: 22-02-2019

Peat starts out as Lynn Jenner’s study of the Kāpiti Expressway, built between 2013 and 2017 and passing, at its nearest point, about a kilometre from her own house. She decides to create a kind of archive of the construction of this so-called Road of National Significance. How did it come to be built? What is its character? Who will win and who will lose from its construction? What will be its impact on the local environment? Jenner begins a quest to find a fellow writer with different sensibilities to help her think about the natural world the road traverses. New Zealand-born poet, editor, art collector and philanthropist Charles Brasch is her choice. Researching Brasch will be her refuge from the constant pile-driving and the sprawling concrete, and perhaps the poet will offer some ways of thinking that will help her understand contemporary events. She reads and reflects on Brasch’s memoir, some of his poems, his journals and his letters to the local paper. She thinks about Brasch in the context of his family and New Zealand in the 1940s–60s, and she reads local papers. She reads the official handouts about the road and listens to people in her local community when they talk about the road. From there Lynn Jenner carefully builds her unconventional text, layer upon layer, into an intelligent and beautifully refracted work that is haunting, fearless, and utterly compelling.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 286

Dimensions: 150 x 230 mm

Publication Date: 16-07-2019

Be inspired by the courage of this hard-working Southland farmer who led the First Commando Fiji Guerrillas in World War II. My parents were an exceptional couple. Their characters and influence in the local community, the farming world and in a much wider sphere were significant. My father’s contribution to the war effort in the Solomon Islands, and the well-deserved Silver Star awarded to him by the Americans, is a unique story that you will not find in many of the war histories. My mother also made a huge impact in her community and was awarded a QSM for her work. ~DICK TRIPP A more enjoyable glimpse into the life and times of one of this community’s cornerstone families I haven’t ever experienced. ~Tracy Hicks, Gore District Mayor What better way do we have to learn other than from those who have gone before us. ~Ian (Inky) Tulloch, former Mayor of Gore District What an interesting and unique book this is! It combines two things that New Zealand readers love: tales of how our back country was tamed, and action adventures of our modest war heroes. ~Dr Bob Robinson, Laidlaw College

Bind: paperback

Pages: 86

Dimensions: 148 x 210 mm

Publication Date: 15-03-2019

A French Marist priest, Father Antoine Garin was sent to run the remote Mangakahia mission station on the banks of the Wairoa River. Living Among the Northland Māori is Garin’s diary recording his experiences from 1844 to 1846 as he gets to know the Māori in the region. The diary provides vivid accounts of contemporary events, as Garin came dangerously close to the action of the Northern War, and wrote of such prominent figures as Hōne Heke and Kawiti as they opposed the new colonial authorities. Above all, the diary is an intimate record of life in a Māori community in which Garin describes the close relationships he formed with his new neighbours – from his young followers and local families to the chiefs who offered him protection while he lived among them. This is the first full English translation of Garin’s surviving Mangakāhia journals and letters. Frank, open-minded and often humorous, Garin’s diary is a major contribution to the early history of European settlement in Aotearoa and a compelling insight into Māori customs, values and beliefs of the time.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 620

Dimensions: 190 x 258 mm

Publication Date: 29-03-2019

‘A front-row seat to running’s most inspiring and historic moments, with New Zealand in a major role.’ Nick Willis MNZM, two-time Olympic medallist, New Zealand record-holder 1500 m ‘Roger’s account of the global rise of women’s running is the best I’ve ever seen. I’m honoured that my win in the New York Marathon and Lorraine Moller’s in the Avon Marathon are central to his story.’ Allison Roe MBE, winner and record-breaker, Boston and New York City Marathons ‘Roger Robinson is uniquely placed to write this riveting memoir. Throughout the running revolution he’s been a world-class runner, commentator, broadcaster and writer. It is an insider’s view of running – intimate, persuasive and informative.’ Lloyd Jones, Hon DLitt, award-winning New Zealand novelist, Man Booker Prize finalist About The Book: Roger Robinson has been witness to many great moments in the history of running, and to those when running made history in ways beyond sport. As an excited child at the post-war London Olympics, an ardent spectator following the drama of Peter Snell and Murray Halberg at Rome, stadium announcer at the transformative Christchurch Commonwealth Games, TV commentator when Ben Johnson got busted, and more recently as a journalist reporting live on the Boston Marathon bombings, Robinson was there. In a unique cross-over of literature, history and autobiography, Robinson tells of running in Berlin at the moment of German reunification and in New York’s Central Park the day the Twin Towers fell; he is on the TV microphone for Kenya’s first major running victory; and has to find words to help a stadium crowd mourn for the lives lost in the Christchurch earthquake. ‘When Running Made History’ is a superb depiction of the modern running movement. It provides a compelling, close-up account of the American running boom, the defiant emergence of women’s running, the glorious dawn of Africa’s ascendance, the sport’s redefinition of ageing, and its important role in environmental conservation. Robinson lets us run alongside as history is made by Emil Zátopek, Abebe Bikila, Ron Clarke, Dick Tayler, Allison Roe, Paula Radcliffe, Nick Willis, Meb Keflezighi and 85-year-old superstar Ed Whitlock. Robinson brings to life the days when running shaped the world, and shows why so many millions love to run and why running is worth loving. About the Author: Roger Robinson, now Emeritus Professor, is remembered as an outstanding teacher of English at Canterbury and Victoria universities, and by a wider public as stadium announcer at the Christchurch and Auckland Commonwealth Games, and an acclaimed commentator for TVNZ. His books include ‘Katherine Mansfield: In From the Margin’, the ‘Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature’ and ‘Heroes and Sparrows: A Celebration of Running’.   Praise for the US edition of When Running Made History (Syracuse University Press, 2018): ‘Among the countless books on athletics and running that I have reviewed over the past 60 years, this seminal book is one of the very best. Readers will be enthralled by this eloquent, knowledgeable, humorous, poignant work by a wonderfully descriptive writer.’ Mel Watman, Athletics International, UK

Bind: paperback

Pages: 328

Dimensions: 150 x 230 mm

Publication Date: 22-02-2019

Llew Summers (1947–2019) was a rarity in the art world – a figurative artist in a scene dominated by abstract practices. ‘Llew Summers: Body and Soul’ depicts the work and life of one of New Zealand’s most recognisable sculptors, a man of great warmth and astonishing vitality, whose works are daring, sensual and provocative. John Newton takes us from Summers’ beginnings as a self-taught artist, through his relationships and family life, to his success as a highly visible sculptor with works found in public spaces throughout New Zealand. We follow Summers’ progression as an artist, a true independent, working outside the hierarchies of the art world. His early monumental works in concrete made him a public fixture, with themes of nurture and nature, sexuality and solidity seen in his idealised female forms. As he discovered carving in wood and marble, the work became more subtle and increasingly dynamic. From the early 2000s, following his first trip to Europe, religious imagery entered Summers’ work in ways that extended both his visual and thematic range, and introduced a more overtly spiritual element. His later career features depictions of Christ, angelic winged figures and large, ambitious works in bronze. Illustrated with more than 200 photographs, including newly commissioned images of Summers’ works, ‘Llew Summers: Body and Soul’is a joyful record of a life in sculpture and a testimony to the value of public art.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 200

Dimensions: 220 x 250 mm

Publication Date: 21-08-2020

Cook's Ark is a fascinating account of the animals that sailed with Captain James Cook to the South Pacific, with particular reference to New Zealand. It offers a novel insight into an aspect of Cook's voyages rarely touched on by other authors: the menagerie that travelled in uncomfortably close proximity to the men on board Endeavour and Resolution. From the tiniest mouse, poultry, cats, monkeys, goats, pigs, etc to the larger cattle and horse, the reader follows their journey with Captain Cook. Dr Sutherland's intensive research on the vermin, livestock, utility animals, pets and exotic animals that sailed with Captain Cook not only reveals a captivating glimpse into the life of animals at sea in the 18th century, but also exposes little known or understated historical facts. These include the story behind the massacre of Furneaux's men at Grass Cove, the relationship between a Maori girl and a young seaman, and for the readers interested in heritage breeds, concludes by linking animals introduced during Cook's voyages to some of New Zealand's rarest breeds of livestock.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 200

Dimensions: 203 x 254 mm

Publication Date: 01-12-2019

Colonial Akaroa was surprisingly cosmopolitan with enclaves of speakers of Maori, English, French and German. Migration and ship-jumping further added to the cultural mix. Shipping kept Akaroa and other Banks Peninsula settlements in contact with the rest of New Zealand, supporting its trade and commerce. Despite all this worldliness, it was an isolated place. Almost an island, Akaroa evolved as a little world unto itself. John Watson has always appeared as a man for his time and place but exactly who that man was, up until now, had only been lightly outlined. Colin Amodeo presents a much fuller portrait. In these pages, we see not only a clearer picture of John Watson but also of colonial Akaroa.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 224

Dimensions: 210 x 297 mm

Publication Date: 22-11-2019

What do you get if you cross a Pug with a Yorkie - or a Whippet with a Foxy? You'll laugh out loud at these unlikely canine couples ... and their owners!

Bind: paperback

Pages: 32

Dimensions: 210 x 270 mm

Publication Date: 31-10-2019