The Sets returns again and again to the ever-present sea – as a metaphor, a mirror, a companion and an otherworld that contains our dreams and nightmares. Dunedin poet Victor Billot finds in the South Pacific Ocean an oracle of the future and a keeper of our histories. The Sets begins with reflections on the domestic world and the fragility of the family and personal relationships that sustain us, the necessity and refuge of love, and the sometimes catastrophic effects of failure in these relationships. The collection then shifts towards political and social satire, punching out mashups of fake news and rogue algorithms that mix mordant wit with compressed rage at the banality of humanity’s descent towards oblivion. From the poet’s coastal childhood to the turbulent post-1980s experiences of his generation, we end with a series of meditations on the ocean as a site of the brutality of globalised capitalism, and a representation of the complex and difficult worlds we carry within us. In love with language, entangled in the world, Victor Billot’s poetry draws on postpunk music and spoken word performance to create a panoramic extravaganza firing on all cylinders. He has his finger right on the zeitgeist, and accurately portrays the spirit of our times for New Zealanders … a very gifted poet who deserves to be widely read. – Laura Solomon, New Zealand Poetry Yearbook 2018 Victor Billot is the real deal … his poems are tough and tender and wise. – Michael Steven, author of Walking to Jutland Street and The Lifers This fellow Billot ought to be recognised as New Zealand’s demi-official poet laureate. – Steve Braunias, editor of Reading Room

Bind: paperback

Pages: 118

Dimensions: 130 x 198 mm

Publication Date: 05-01-2021

Resisting interpretation or classification, Mark Rothko (1903–1970) was a prominent advocate for the artist's consummate freedom of expression. Although identified as a key protagonist of the Abstract Expressionist movement, first formed in New York City, Rothko rejected the label and insisted instead on "a consummated experience between picture and onlooker." Following a repertoire of figurative works, Rothko developed his now iconic canvases of bold color blocks in red, yellow, ochre, maroon, black, green. With these shimmering, pulsating color masses, Rothko stressed that he had not removed the human figure but rather put symbols or shapes in its place. These intense color forms contained all the tragedy of the human condition. At the same time, Rothko explicitly empowered the viewer in the expressive potential of his work. He believed "A picture lives by companionship, expanding and quickening in the eyes of the sensitive observer." From his early development through to his most famous color fields, this book introduces the intellect and influence of Rothko's dramatic, intimate, and revolutionary work.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 96

Dimensions: 210 x 260 mm

Publication Date: 25-07-2015

Painter as Poet A world of floating symbols For Marc Chagall (1887–1985), painting was an intricate tapestry of dreams, tales, and traditions. His instantly recognizable visual language carved out a unique early 20th-century niche, often identified as one of the earliest expressions of psychic experience. Chagall’s canvases are characterized by loose brushwork, deep colors, a particular fondness for blue, and a repertoire of recurring tropes including musicians, roosters, rooftops, flowers, and floating lovers. For all their ethereal charms, his compositions were often rich and complex in their references. They wove together not only colors and forms, but also his Jewish roots with his present encounters in Paris, markers of faith with gestures of love and symbols of hope with testimonies of trauma. Across scenes of birth, love, marriage, and death, this dependable artist introduction explores the many versions of Chagall’s rich vocabulary. From visions of his native Vitebsk in modern-day Belarus to images of the Eiffel Tower, we explore the unique aesthetic of one of the most readily identifiable modern masters and one of the most influential Jewish artists of all time.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 96

Dimensions: 210 x 260 mm

Publication Date: 29-09-2016

The Handbook of New Zealand Mammals is the only definitive reference on all the land-breeding mammals recorded in the New Zealand region (including the New Zealand sector of Antarctica). It lists 65 species, including native and exotic, wild and feral, living and extinct, residents, vagrants and failed introductions. It describes their history, biology and ecology, and brings together comprehensive and detailed information gathered from widely scattered or previously unpublished sources. The description of each species is arranged under standardised headings for easy reference. Because the only native land-breeding mammals in New Zealand are bats and seals, the great majority of the modern mammal fauna comprises introduced species, whose arrival has had profound effects both for themselves and for the native fauna and flora. The book details changes in numbers and distribution for the native species, and for the arrivals it summarises changes in habitat, diet, numbers and size in comparison with their ancestral stocks, and some of the problems they present to resource managers. For this third edition, the text and references have been completely updated and reorganised into Family chapters. The colour section includes 14 pages of artwork showing all the species described and their main variations, plus two pages of maps.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 576

Dimensions: 270 x 210 mm

Publication Date: 11-01-2021

The increased popularity of rugby union as a spectator sport in the 25 years since it turned professional has thrown a smokescreen over the crisis it faces. A highly physical game has been turned into a dangerous sport by misguidedly trying to match the flow of its great rival, rugby league, and there is a worrying drop in male playing numbers in major nations. Commercialism has been allowed to dominate the game, the English Premiership has severely undermined one of rugby’s greatest success stories - Lions tours to New Zealand, South Africa and Australia - and the major northern hemisphere rugby countries exert financial power over rugby unions south of the equator. The book recounts the history of rugby union’s early decades as a professional sport and praises the best features of the modern game, especially the expansion of women’s rugby. It also provides a template for solving the sport’s injury crisis.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 208

Dimensions: 140 x 215 mm

Publication Date: 15-10-2020

The gruesome stories of the hardest and most ruthless – yet incredibly talented – rugby union players since the First World War. In our era of citing commissioners, super-slow-motion replays and trial by social media, some of their actions are hard to believe. These men were totally committed to the sport, and irrespective of size, reputation or opposition, never took a step back on the pitch. And largely free from the confines of the commitments the modern professional game demands, many were as lively off the pitch as they were fiery on it. The ultimate book about the hard men of rugby union, including some of the very toughest and most talented players from all around the world. With profiles of: Paddy Mayne, Brian Lima, Wayne Shelford, Bobby Windsor, Colin Meads, Jerry Collins, Norm Hadley, David Bedell-Sivright, Scott Gibbs, Gérard Cholley, Trevor Brennan, Wade Dooley, Bakkies Botha, Tomás Lavanini, Sébastien Chabal and Weary Dunlop.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 192

Dimensions: 140 x 215 mm

Publication Date: 01-11-2020

Since the original TASCHEN edition of Manga Design, Japan's comic phenomenon has produced yet more captivating characters and a whole host of hot new talents. This revised and updated edition delivers the lowdown on the latest and the greatest makers and shapers of the manga scene. Through an A-Z directory, we discover the superstars-both human and fictional-of what is now a vast global industry, inspiring advertisers, filmmakers, creative professionals, millions of avid fans, not to mention an entire cosplay lifestyle, in which manga devotees in elaborate costume meet to celebrate the existence of their characters at huge conventions from Los Angeles to Leipzig. From classic maestros-like Osamu Tezuka (creator of Astro Boy) and Katsuhiro Otomo (creator of Akira)-to newcomers such as Hajime Isayama, each entry includes biographical and bibliographical information, descriptions of main characters, and, of course, plenty of examples of the artist's finest manga spreads and covers. Bibliotheca Universalis - Compact cultural companions celebrating the eclectic TASCHEN universe!

Bind: hardback

Pages: 576

Dimensions: 140 x 195 mm

Publication Date: 01-09-2016

Martinborough was a latecomer to Wairarapa and never really got going after it missed out on a much anticipated railway link. Off the beaten track, it was an ordinary and declining rural service town until being reinvented, since the 1980s, into a wine mecca and popular tourist destination in its own right. This mainly photographic book presents the look and feel of the town since early days.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 180

Dimensions: 170 x 240 mm

Publication Date: 11-12-2020

When we’re apart from the ones we love, how do we get our kisses to them? We blow them! The blown kisses in this charming book travel far. Tied to a rocket, attached to a pigeon, kicked like a rugby ball – and many other imaginative ways. Wayne Youle (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whakaeke, Ngāti Pākehā) is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading contemporary artists. His work is bright, playful and full of kindness. Wayne lived in isolation for 14 days during the COVID-19 lockdown. He created 14 ways to share blown kisses with his sons. This book is dedicated to everyone around the world in lockdown who can only blow their kisses. A book for children. And a delightful gift for anyone. Available in te reo Māori and English.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 32

Dimensions: 125 x 166 mm

Publication Date: 01-11-2020

Like scenes from a science fiction novel, COVID-19 spread like a dark storm across planet Earth. When the virus came to the faraway islands of Aotearoa New Zealand, the nation’s team of five million went into lockdown. Nineteen of the best graphic and comic artists from around Aotearoa New Zealand have created stories to mark this time. Featuring work by… Alex Cara, Hana Chatani, Li Chen, Miriama Grace-Smith, Sloane Hong, Ruby Jones, Sarah Laing, Sarah Lund, Toby Morris, Sharon Murdoch, Ross Murray, Ant Sang, Coco Solid, Anthony Stocking (Deadface Comics), Mat Tait, Jessica Thompson Carr (Māori Mermaid), Zak Waipara, Tokerau Wilson and Jem Yoshioka!

Bind: hardback

Pages: 108

Dimensions: 195 x 275 mm

Publication Date: 10-11-2020