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Novel 'Whaea Blue' by Talia Marshall: A librarian's review and an interview with the author

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SILK Talia Marshall When you were born I was a spider There was a giant red ear on the ceiling Follow me follow Little fly I was sorry I had you in my web For three days I looked and looked at you and thought what is this? rapture has never been on my wish list but there you were, your firsts made the same lion talk of your father raised beside your head It was the dark O of your mouth that drew my eyes into you like vapour no, you were not the one I would eat later but the tender beads of water glistening on the web I knew I was holding onto you by a thread But the thread was strong and made of silk I hold you to me by a thread Talia Marshall released her long-awaited memoir-adjacent book, an essayistic compounding of word, memory, place, and persons. Each section of prose more emotionally whiplashing than the next, the devoutness of people who followed her work earlier on only became more steadfast.  As such, the building of a librarian-founded, trippingly hallucinogenre, constellati
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The Frameworks - the Construction of Mount Eden Prison

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 “For the evils of one exist in all and the whole system requires modification and the present wooden sheds doing duty as prisons cannot too soon be supplanted by properly constructed buildings.” - New Zealand Herald, 18 June 1864 Situated between a major modern highway and the ancient slopes of Mangawhau, Mount Eden Prison has become a stable fixture in Auckland’s landscape. For over 150 years, Mount Eden Prison has housed some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most infamous criminals, seen daring escapes, hangings, riots and strikes. Mount Eden Prison continues to fascinate for its secrecy, intrigue, and enduring nature in Tāmaki Makaurau’s history. But unknown to most is its close ties to prison reform and the rich history this prison can tell us about the movement to improve the treatment of those deemed to be least worthy of society’s care. Hidden behind unforgiving conditions, hard labour, and punitive measures, is a history filled with a desire for change and reform motivated by humanis
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Auckland's Women Artists: 1928-1940

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The positionality of women artists in the Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland art scene from just over a century ago is complex. By the close of the 1920s, women were certainly not excluded from published literature nor from exhibition spaces.  However, the trend of the twentieth century tended toward situating men such as John Weeks or Colin McCahon, to be the drivers of art history in Auckland, often at the expense of marginalising the influence of women artists. Praise was spread more lavishly for male artists than it was for women, and the notable attention paid to women in early pieces of art literature was much less frequent.  Women in the 1930s and 1940s possessed excellent artistic capabilities that were (at least) comparable to their male counterparts. Yet, women faced persistent challenges of getting the recognition, exposure, and financial reward that they deserved. The art scene was dominated by male commendation and talented women were often ignored or marginalised, with approval exp
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Waiwaia Ngā Ngutu Pūrākau, Kōrero Tupuna, Karakia

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Waiwaia ngā ngutu (Speak Eloquently) Waiwaia ngā ngutu celebrates the eloquence and expression of te reo Māori from the nineteenth century to the present day.  This exhibition showcases taonga from Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections, including hand-written manuscripts recording whakapapa and kōrero tupuna, early publications of Māori grammar books and Bibles, Māori students’ copybooks as they learned their language in written form, and contemporary translations of works into te reo Māori. The rich soundscape accompanying the exhibition brings the written word to life and affirms the essence of te reo Māori: a language heard and spoken with eloquence. Come and experience  Waiwaia Ngā Ngutu on Level 2, Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero |  Central City Library from 4 September - 1 February 2025.
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Waiwaia Ngā Ngutu Kupu Whakawhiti and Whakamāoritia

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  Waiwaia ngā ngutu (Speak Eloquently) Waiwaia ngā ngutu celebrates the eloquence and expression of te reo Māori from the nineteenth century to the present day.  This exhibition showcases taonga from Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections, including hand-written manuscripts recording whakapapa and kōrero tupuna, early publications of Māori grammar books and Bibles, Māori students’ copybooks as they learned their language in written form, and contemporary translations of works into te reo Māori. The rich soundscape accompanying the exhibition brings the written word to life and affirms the essence of te reo Māori: a language heard and spoken with eloquence. Come and experience  Waiwaia Ngā Ngutu   open on Level 2, Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero | Central City Library, from 4 September - 1 February 2025. Shelve 1 Track 1 Te Korimako: Etahi Whakatauki a te Pakeha Ngā Pātaka Kōrero - Auckland Libraries · Te Korimako: Etahi Whakatauki a te Pakeha Track 2 Te Korimako: Te Tukunga iho o nga Kupu rere
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"I never thought freedom would come down to this."

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 “Those entering the sex industry as workers do so primarily for economic reasons, a factor highlighting the economic marginalisation of some sectors of our communities, and the difficulties of securing well-paid employment.” -  Jan Jordan, 2005. On the 25th of June 2003, parliament passed the Prostitution Reform Act on a conscience vote, and Aotearoa New Zealand became the first country in the world to decriminalise sex work. The Act’s slim margin of success (60-59) reflected the controversial nature of the legislation at this crucial tipping point. While this was a progressive step, the road to decriminalisation was littered with societal angst. Until this point, the morality, contractual legitimacy, and humanity of sex work was often narrated by a hostile and conservative media climate. The law consistently undermined the profession, and sex workers were frequently either demonised or subject to paternalistic saviour complexes. Outside public debate, the lived experiences and realit
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