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July 6, “Continued Sense of Wonder”

Tuesday, June 21st, 2016 | Shef Rogers | Comments Off on July 6, “Continued Sense of Wonder”

JulySenseWonderPlease join the Dunedin Public Libraries’ extended celebration of last year’s symposium theme.  This free evening discussion group gathers at 7 pm to talk about the wonders of children’s literature and fairy tales. There will also be an opportunity for a tour of the City Library’s children’s stacks, full of treasures still enjoyed by children and those young at heart.  Bookings are recommended: phone 474-3690 or email library@dcc.govt.nz.  For more information, contact Jackie McMillan.

CFP for October Symposium, “Book and Place,” 27–28 October

Wednesday, June 15th, 2016 | Shef Rogers | Comments Off on CFP for October Symposium, “Book and Place,” 27–28 October

VesuviusAs usual, the Centre for the Book’s annual symposium will open with a public lecture on Thursday night, followed by a day of stimulating papers. Thursday night’s lecture at the Dunedin Public Library will be given by Neville Peat, author of numerous books about Southern New Zealand (http://www.nevillepeatsnewzealand.com/). Come listen to this well-known author reflect on his sense of book and place as he describes, in words and pictures, some of New Zealand’s most remote and precious areas and landmarks, and his ideas for an autobiography that explores an array of New Zealand islands spanning 8,500 kms of latitude, from the tropical to the frozen.

Friday will consist of panels of 20-min papers, with a plenary lecture by Dr. Ingrid Horrocks of Massey University after morning tea. Ingrid is one of the editors of the forthcoming Victoria University Press title, Extraordinary Anywhere: Essays on Place from Aotearoa New Zealand, as well as an online anthology about a particular place, Pukeahu (http://pukeahuanthology .org/).

We are also delighted that Nicky Page will be joining us. Recently appointed Director to Dunedin’s City of Literature program, Nicky will have lots of thoughts about our topic and will also look forward to hearing the insights of others.

We would welcome papers dealing with this theme from any angle. Possible topics might include:

  • Regionalism in NZ literature Guidebooks
  • Travel writing about NZ Local libraries
  • Movement and traffic of books
  • Printers and/or publishers and place
  • Book events (festivals, auctions, Regent Book Sale)
  • Newspapers and place
  • Book towns (Hay-on-Wye, Wales; Bredevoort, Netherlands; Clunes, Victoria, Australia; Greytown, NZ; and others)
  • Magazine circulation

Abstracts of 250–300 words should be sent to the co-directors of the Centre for the Book, Dr. Donald Kerr (donald.kerr@otago.ac.nz) and Shef Rogers (shef.rogers@otago.ac.nz) before the end of July. Decisions about panels and participants will be confirmed and registration will open in mid-August. We look forward to welcoming you to our fair City of Literature.

If you wish to put up a poster about the event or would like an easily printable copy of the above details, please download the PDF version.

Special Collections Exhibition–Scholarly Favourites

Wednesday, June 15th, 2016 | Shef Rogers | Comments Off on Special Collections Exhibition–Scholarly Favourites

Scholarly_Favourites“Scholarly Favourites. Researching in Special Collections” is now open n in the de Beer Gallery, Special Collections, University Library.

Many of the researchers who have nominated titles for this exhibition are also, unsurprisingly, active supporters of the Centre for the Book, so this exhibition has a special resonance for the Centre, besides being a lot of fun.

Please do visit the exhibition area and view the marvellous array of materials that have been used by researchers in Special Collections. Notable items include Albinus’s spectacular Tabulae Sceleti et Musculorum Corporis Humani (1747) with Clara the rhino forming a backdrop; Gregory M. Mathews’s Supplement to The Birds of Norfolk & Lord Howe Islands and the Australasian South Polar Quadrant (1928); Charles Brasch’s copy of Egypt and the Sudan: Handbook for Travellers (1929); Thomas Allom’s China (1843); and a rare leaf of a 14th-c Polish medieval manuscript.

The exhibition runs to 26 August 2016.

Hours: 8.30 am to 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday
De Beer Gallery, Special Collections, 1st floor, University of Otago Library

For further information, please contact Dr Donald Kerr, Special Collections Librarian, University of Otago: phone 03-479-8330; email: Donald.kerr@otago.ac.nz

A Printerly Post

Tuesday, June 7th, 2016 | Shef Rogers | Comments Off on A Printerly Post

Corpus-Hippocrates-header-2For some insights on life as a letterpress printer and a brief history of John Holmes’s engagement with the dark art, see John’s blog post on Barbara Brookes and Sue Wootton’s blog, Corpus.

Philip Temple to deliver Janet Frame Memorial Lecture

Thursday, June 2nd, 2016 | Shef Rogers | Comments Off on Philip Temple to deliver Janet Frame Memorial Lecture

unnamedThe 2016 Janet Frame Memorial Lecture is presented by writer Dr Philip Temple ONZM.

Philip Temple is the President of Honour of the NZ Society of Authors and the author of many fiction and non-fiction titles.

His talk, “Where we were, where we are now,” is a reflection on what has changed – and what has stayed the same – in the life of a professional writer over the last fifty years.

When: 6pm, Thursday 9 June 2016
Where: 4th Floor, City Library, Moray Place
FREE, all welcome but you need to book:

Book by clicking here