On November 19, 2010, an explosion rocked the underground Pike River mine in New Zealand. After a second explosion five days later, the 29 workers underground were declared dead. This was not a random accident: it was a crime caused by capitalism. Despite overwhelming evidence that Pike River Coal’s management cut costs and endangered workers’ lives, no one has been held accountable for the actions that turned the mine into a death trap. Pike River: The Crime and Cover-up (2022), is a contribution to the ongoing fight to uncover the full truth of what happened, and to draw the political lessons of the tragedy for the working class. It contains articlesand analysis from the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS), examining how National and Labour Party governments, their allies, the trade unions, the judicial system, and regulators have protected the company and sought to shut down the investigation into the disaster. The main author, Tom Peters, is a regular writer for the WSWS, focusing on NZ and Pacific politics and workers' struggles. He has written extensively about Pike River since 2010. Peters is a leading member of the Socialist Equality Group in New Zealand. This book includes contributions from Bernie Monk, whose son Michael died in Pike River mine, and from Bernie's daughter Olivia, as well as interviews with other family members of the Pike 29. It also contains an article on the tenth anniversary of the Christchurch earthquake; and a speech by Terry Cook, a WSWS writer in Australia, about the lessons of the 1994 Moura mine disaster, which has many similarities to Pike River. Novelist Fiona Kidman, a supporter of the Pike River victims’ families says: “Tom Peters has shed a light on the chaos that has followed the Pike River mining disaster over the past 11 years, writing in incisive, intelligent, deeply researched prose. I greatly respect his commitment to the truth of this matter.”

Bind: paperback

Pages: 119

Dimensions: 148 x 210 mm

Publication Date: 20-06-2022

Following on from “In A Country Churchyard” and “In A Southern Churchyard” is the new limited edition “In a South Island Churchyard” This collection of 54 South Island churches is explored through the pen and ink drawings of Rodney Wells and through the historical text accompanying each drawing by Tessa Ward.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 120

Dimensions: 276 x 225 mm

Publication Date: 01-05-2022

Calls for changes to the trial process in rape cases, including removing the jury as decision-maker, have been consistent over time and across jurisdictions. Victims and survivors of sexual violence, their supporters, law reformers, researchers and academics from many disciplines have advocated for the removal of the jury from rape trials for many years. Some claim it is indeed the panacea for all that is unacceptably brutal in the current trial process, with the jury being described as ‘the cause of most of the damage done’. Anecdotal evidence, and some research, suggests that in judge-alone trials cross-examination is shorter, there is less reliance on the ‘real rape’ schema, and the issues at trial are more focussed. It is also likely that judge-alone trials involve fewer delays and pre-trial appeals, and that the hearings are not as disrupted (for example, by the need for legal argument in the absence of the jury). Research also indicates a difference in verdict choices between judges and juries in the specific context of cases involving allegations of sexual violence, with the behaviour of the complainant being seen as ‘contributory fault’. Further, the way counsel conducts their case may vary when the judge is the decision-maker, which may impact on trial outcome. Due to the continued widely-held view that replacing the jury with ‘some other entity’ will have the effect of decreasing the negative impact on the complainant as a witness in the trial process (along with other desired effects such as reducing the decision-maker’s reliance on rape myths and misconceptions), it is important that empirical research is available to inform future public debate. This book records the results of such research. Elisabeth McDonald MNZM is an independent legal researcher and Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Canterbury. She has taught and published in the areas of sexual and family violence, law and sexuality, criminal law and the law of evidence for over 30 years, as an academic and as the Policy Manager for the evidence law reference at the New Zealand Law Commission. Elisabeth is the author of a number of evidence law textbooks and online legal resources, including ‘Rape Myths as Barriers to Fair Trial Process’ (2020), and is co-editor of From ‘”Real Rape” to Real Justice’ (2011) and ‘Feminist Judgments Aotearoa: Te Rino, the Two-Stranded Rope’ (2017).

Bind: paperback

Pages: 376

Dimensions: 210 x 297 mm

Publication Date: 13-04-2022

Explore with Waffle as he visits New Zealand's most famous attractions. Waffle Travels Aotearoa New Zealand is the updated edition of Waffle Travels New Zealand originally printed in 2020

Bind: paperback

Pages: 60

Dimensions: 225 x 225 mm

Publication Date: 18-04-2022

Notes from Inside is a narrative memoir about abuse, intergenerational trauma and mental illness – but it is also about how Anne Thurston managed to address and eventually cope with those issues. Her own stories are positioned in relation to those of other women in her family – both ancestors and descendants. She hopes that shedding light on these narratives will give others in similar situations the tools to begin to overcome their own struggles, escape the bonds of abuse and gain a sense of control over the trauma that remains. Anne’s story is powerful and fiercely honest, and it provides a window into a world that many people will recognise but so few are able to talk about. Violence and abuse that occurs within families – and the huge amount of mental distress and harm caused by violence against women and children – so often remains unspoken, unheard and misunderstood.  This writing will illuminate the immediate and long-term trauma effects of living in an abusive relationship.  These stories, neither sentimental or saccharine, are from one woman’s life, yet in their simplicity and honesty help us find compassion and understanding for those of our friends and family who have been similarly traumatised. — Debbie Hager

Bind: paperback

Pages: 272

Dimensions: 138 x 210 mm

Publication Date: 30-03-2022

It’s a clear night. Hamish and Wiremu crack stubbies of Waikato Draught. Burn what’s left from the outdoor season. Words between them are slow in coming. When they do come, they are spare and pointed. Tomorrow they will load rams on the Isuzu into a holding pen made from old pallets, for a man in Weymouth to fatten for Ramadan. It’s a clear night. Orion hurls his belt and sword into a pool of creosote. For Hamish, it will always be The Dipper. The beer is warm. The weed makes them cough. On the town side of the city border gridded fields of diodes glow and hum. – Dropped Pin: Razorback Road, Pōkeno Winner of the Kathleen Grattan Poetry Award 2021, poet Michael Steven’s Night School explores the gap between fathers and sons, the effects of toxic masculinity, how power corrupts and corrodes, and whether weed, art and aroha can save us in a godless world. ‘This is the poet as pilgrim, traveller, and astonished survivor. His sonorous verse has an impeccable lapidary quality, each word fitted like a stone in a wall. Phrase by phrase, sentence by sentence, writing with a lucid precision, Michael Steven patiently builds up his world view, always making sure we are with him, always allowing us to share the understanding.’ – David Eggleton, Judge’s Report Kathleen Grattan Poetry Award 2021

Bind: paperback

Publication Date: 25-03-2022

This book is a compilation of essays, vignettes and discussion papers written by a retired geriatrician to consider some of the issues associated with ageing and older people, including the health conditions of later years. These are supplemented by pieces illustrating the value of literature in gerontology. Also included are thoughts about the philosophy and ‘essence’ of geriatric medicine including interdisciplinary teamwork, clear communication and maintenance of function. It is meant to entertain, reflect and to some extent, teach. Although it covers some medical subjects it is not a textbook; rather, it seeks to raise the profile of a medical discipline that has sometimes been poorly understood. Medical conditions are discussed but in a way that is readily understood by a lay audience. The author’s intention is that there should be something of interest for every reader and to encourage the study of older people in literature.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 190

Dimensions: 152 x 229 mm

Publication Date: 05-04-2022

Humorous and heartfelt, Nothing Like a Dane is a memoir of a New Zealander living her best life in Denmark. The Danish concept of hygge is a wonderful thing. Even if most fail miserably when they try to pronounce or explain its true essence. Unless you’re a Viking of course. As Keri stood in the departure lounge of Auckland International Airport with her four-month-old baby, searching for her flight on the board, hygge wasn’t on her radar. But she’d never imagined a chance encounter with a Dane in a crowded bar in her home city of Wellington would lead her here, a mother, about to circle the globe, with no knowledge of when she'd return home. A witty observer of cultural nuances, Keri reveals the day-to- day realities of a New Zealander living her best life in Denmark. From integration interrogations to rye bread misdemeanours, Nothing Like a Dane provides a humorous and heartfelt insight into creating a new life in a faraway land. And what did she learn? That it’s not all hygge and pastries. Even in Denmark.

Bind: paperback

Publication Date: 19-04-2022

A delightful collection of short stories from New Zealand writer Vivienne Lingard that are irreverent, surprising and touching. An academic and his wife are on holiday in Rome. He has a secret to reveal, but as he has yet to discover, so does his wife. A retired New Zealand businessman, lost in the middle of New Delhi, is dealing with crippling anxiety. A jilted bride takes her honeymoon alone and finds peace through meeting a giant owl. Every story takes the reader on a journey as these richly painted characters solve mysteries, betray friends, battle bullies, all the while finding resilience and purpose in their lives. Spanning countries, cultures and characters, this delightful collection of stories is irreverent, surprising, and touching.

Bind: paperback

Publication Date: 01-06-2022

This practical guide to culturally responsive teaching practice in the tertiary sector is designed to support kaiako (teachers) to reconfigure the teacher/learner dynamic and question old habits, with a view to embracing kaupapa Māori and diversity. Step by step,‘Ngā Hau e Whā o Tāwhirimātea’ explores core Māori values that can be used to enhance kaiako effectiveness and relationships with students, Māori and non-Māori alike, including: manaakitanga – ethic of care; whanaungatanga – relationships; kotahitanga – unity; and rangatiratanga – student agency and leadership. Working at their own pace, kaiako can engage with Māori students and stakeholders to co-develop learning outcomes, processes and assessments that support student success in the tertiary environment.‘Ngā Hau e Whā o Tāwhirimātea’ can be used in a cycle of reflective practice, drawing on past experience and feedback from colleagues and community to develop cultural competence and confidence in tertiary learning spaces.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 68

Dimensions: 210 x 280 mm

Publication Date: 31-03-2022