The Kete guide to reading your way through the Ockham Awards non-fiction longlists
Moving memoirs, engrossing social histories, fascinating flora and fungi guides and alluring art books are among the diverse range of non-fiction titles in the 2024 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards longlists, announced today. The awards celebrate non-fiction in two categories: the Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand Award for Illustrated Non-Fiction as well as the General Non-Fiction Award. If you’re keen to add some of these titles to your reading list but don’t know where to begin, read this selection of Kete reviews and other articles from Kete and further afield.
General Non-Fiction Award
Click each title for the full review or article.
An Indigenous Ocean: Pacific Essays by Damon Salesa (Bridget Williams Books)
Spanning a wide range of topics, from race and migration to Pacific studies and empire, these essays demonstrate Salesa’s remarkable scholarship. Bridging the gap between academic disciplines and cultural traditions, Salesa locates Pacific peoples always at the centre of their stories. An Indigenous Ocean is a pivotal contribution to understanding the history and culture of Oceania. Amanda Sullivan Lee’s review for the Aotearoa New Zealand Review of Books said this book should be ‘celebrated for its robust intelligence, and the powerful way it pushes back again the ongoing ‘active marginalisation’ of the Pacific.’
Blood and Dirt: Prison Labour and the Making of New Zealand by Jared Davidson (Bridget Williams Books)
Kete reviewer David Veart writes that this powerful book describes yet another hidden layer in the history of these islands, a place where imprisonment, labour, punishment, class and ethnicity all combine to create a narrative at odds with any imagined story of sturdy pioneers and well earned progress. Recommended reading in a time where the urge to imprison and punish remains strong undeterred by the failure of the system to do anything but that.
Commune: Chasing a Utopian Dream in Aotearoa by Olive Jones (Potton & Burton)*
Commune documents the rise and fall of Olive Jones' community, Graham Downs. Olive Jones' memoir recalls the dreams, the madness, the humour and hard work of living an alternative lifestyle, a wonderfully insightful and fascinating account of a very influential period in New Zealand's social history. Newsroom declared Commune to be the ‘best non-fiction of 2023’ describing the book as ‘an enthralling part auto-anthropology, part memoir, part green-agricultural procedural where Olive herself is a compelling correspondent: clear-eyed, plain-speaking, with a stealth humour directed at the many absurdities of groups of people living in an anarchist-informed environment.’
End Times by Rebecca Priestley (Te Herenga Waka University Press)
Kete reviewer Sam Finnimore describes Rebecca Priestley’s new memoir as a unique and very personal journey within a journey, with a lot to say about human connection and friendship, belief and what drives it. Her primary, present-tense narrative is a road trip down the South Island West Coast is almost a whistlestop tour of various aspects of climate crisis. Interleaved with the weeklong road trip, in the past tense, are the experiences of teenaged Rebecca and her friend Maz in the 1980s as they made an abrupt turn from punk culture to evangelical Christianity in an environment suffused with fears of nuclear war.
Laughing at the Dark: A Memoir by Barbara Else (Penguin, Penguin Random House)
Barbara Else is multi-talented writer, editor and mentor, delivers what may be her most raw personal work, in which she takes stock of her life through the prism of cancer. Her illness, pronounced terminal before she was offered a new, experimental drug, shapes the structure and momentum of the memoir, imbued with a sense of urgency — and gratitude that she has been given more time. It must have taken considerable steel to complete, wrote Linda Herrick in her review for Kete.
Ngātokimatawhaorua: The Biography of a Waka by Jeff Evans (Massey University Press)
This is the biography of the mighty ceremonial waka taua Ngātokimatawhaorua that rests on the Treaty Grounds at Waitangi. The inspiration for its construction came from Te Puea Hērangi. In the late 1930s the Waikato leader held a dream to build seven waka taua for the 1940 centennial commemorations at Waitangi. Ngātokimatawhaorua and others became symbols of Māori unity and pride and an important part of the renaissance of the traditions of carving and voyaging around Aotearoa and beyond. Lynn Potter described the book as a ‘riveting and insightful biography’ in her review for NZ Booklovers.
Ora: Healing Ourselves – Indigenous Knowledge, Healing and Wellbeing edited by Leonie Pihama (Te Ātiawa, Ngā Māhanga ā Tairi, Waikato) and Linda Tuhiwai Smith (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Porou, Tūhourangi) (Huia Publishers)
This collection brings together indigenous thinkers and practitioners from Aotearoa and internationally to discuss the effects of trauma on indigenous peoples across social, economic, political and cultural environments. The authors explore understandings and practices of indigenous people, grounded in the knowledge of ancestors and based on research, that facilitate healing and wellbeing. Dr Lorna Dyall QSM (Ngati Maniapoto, Ngati Paoa) wrote in her review for the Mental Health Foundation, that ‘this publication is worth reading and is of interest to a wide audience, as it combines academic research and recognises the importance of communities being engaged and supported to develop their own models of health and wellbeing and the ability to implement strategies to achieve, Ora.’
Snorkelling the Abyss: One Woman, Striving to Survive, Fighting for Survivors by Jan Jordan (The Cuba Press)
Snorkelling the Abyss explores the two worlds of one woman and the apparently unnavigable void between them. With searing honesty, Jan Jordan shows how she fought to free herself from an inner culture of self-loathing and the external culture of a suburban childhood that repressed ‘feelings’ and ignored psychic pain – and only then could she work towards transforming the rape culture and gender inequities of Aotearoa. This is a powerful story that affirms the importance of connection and the imperative of speaking out. Speaking with RNZ’s Kathryn Ryan in October, Harry Ricketts described the book as both ‘heartening and harrowing’ and a ‘terrific autobiography’.
Soundings: Diving for Stories in the Beckoning Sea by Kennedy Warne (Massey University Press)
Reviewer Gem Wilder writes that this collection is a gift to those of us who love the sea and feel it’s call, whether experienced divers and sailors like Kennedy Warne himself, or those like me who hover at the shoreline in wonder. This collection goes beyond the foreshore to distant waters, providing the opportunity to glimpse below the surface and see what Warne sees as he dives in places many can only dream of. While many of us have an unexplainable adoration of the sea, not many of us have the opportunity or the desire to dive in ‘very cold, very rough shark-infested waters.’ Warne has had that opportunity and jumped at the chance.
Takahē: Bird of Dreams by Alison Ballance (Potton & Burton)
Reviewer Alex Eagles describes Takahē: Bird of Dreams is a truly comprehensive history of this intriguing bird, the world's largest living species of rail, and will make an excellent addition to the 'Birds of New Zealand' section of any home, secondary school or public library for readers wanting in-depth information.
The Drinking Game by Guyon Espiner (Allen & Unwin)
Of all the books that will be published in New Zealand in 2023, it’s hard to imagine there will be many more important than this one. It’s a gem; thought provoking, startling, persuasive and entertaining, exploring how the way we drink has been shaped by factors far beyond any individual's control, writes Kete reviewer Michael Burgess.
The Financial Colonisation of Aotearoa by Catherine Comyn (Ngāti Ranginui) (Economic and Social Research Aotearoa)*
Finance was at the centre of every stage of the colonisation of Aotearoa, from the sale of Māori lands and the emigration of early colonists to the founding of settler nationhood and the enforcement of colonial governance. Described as “Theoretically sophisticated, historically precise, and politically urgent” by Max Haiven, this book reveals the financial instruments and imperatives that drove the British colonial project in the nineteenth century. Comyn told The Spinoff she began researching the topic as wanted to explore how colonialism in New Zealand was connected to global 19th century capitalism. “It was connected with other research I was doing around imperialism and the expansion of the world market in the late 19th century that showed how finance is a means of expanding capitalism globally. But I had this big question around that because New Zealand wasn’t really mentioned in any of these texts. I wanted to understand whether the colonisation of Aotearoa was involved in the expansion of global capitalism in the same way, and whether finance was as central to the experience here as it has been elsewhere.”
The Forgotten Prophet: Tāmati Te Ito and His Kaingārara Movement by Jeffrey Sissons (Bridget Williams Books)
Tāmati Te Ito Ngāmoke, a renowned Taranaki prophet, played a significant role in colonial New Zealand’s political landscape. While some, including most settlers and offcials, viewed him as an ‘imposter’, a ‘wizard’, a ‘fanatic’; others, including major Taranaki tribal leaders, revered him as a prophetic tohunga matakite known as ‘Te Kai-ngārara’ – The Reptile Eater. Today, overshadowed by religious leaders like Te Ua Haumēne and Te Whiti o Rongomai, Te Ito’s historical importance remains largely unrecognised. This book uncovers his story and impact on Aotearoa’s history.
There’s a Cure for This: A Memoir by Emma Espiner (Ngāti Tukorehe, Ngāti Porou) (Penguin, Penguin Random House)*
Reviewer Elizabeth Heritage writes that There’s a Cure For This is Dr Emma Espiner’s (Ngāti Tukorehe, Ngāti Porou) pukapuka about entering the hothouse world of medical studies as an adult, beginning in 2015. Espiner tells stories from her childhood and early adult life but most of the pukapuka is focussed on her medical training and entering the workforce as a Māori doctor and working mother just as the pandemic hit. It’s much more of a light read than I expected, with a conversational tone and plenty of humour. Espiner is an engaging writer with some excellent one-liners: ‘The most significant thing I got out of Parliament was a husband.’ Later on she mentions her ‘dread of ever being accused of earnestness.’
Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand Award for Illustrated Non-Fiction
Click each title for the full review or article.
Don Binney: Flight Path by Gregory O’Brien (Auckland University Press)
Reviewer Peter Simpson writes that one of the great merits of Gregory O’Brien’s book is that while doing full justice to Don Binney’s legendary birds exploring them to a depth no previous writer has attempted, he also illustrates and discusses many other aspects of his work, thus enriching and subtilizing our understanding of Binney’s full range and releasing him from the strait-jacket of a clichéd identification with a single subject.
Flora: Celebrating our Botanical World edited by Carlos Lehnebach, Claire Regnault, Rebecca Rice, Isaac Te Awa (Kāti Māmoe, Kāi Tahu, Waitaha, Ngā Puhi) and Rachel Yates (Te Papa Press)
Reviewer Linda Herrick writes that Flora is a magnificent specimen and a showcase of botanical art from Te Papa’s collections and is huge, sumptuous and gorgeous. The art, spanning at least two centuries and a vast range of multimedia, is sourced from Aotearoa, the Pacific region - and beyond.
Fungi of Aotearoa: A Curious Forager's Field Guide by Liv Sisson (Penguin, Penguin Random House)*
Fungi of Aotearoa: a curious forager’s field guide by Liv Sisson. A luminous, blue mushroom graces the cover of this book which has been a constant on the weekly Aotearoa bestseller non-fiction list. Each fungus has a story to tell writes the author. Covering everything you didn’t know and everything you need to this is a practical, beautiful guide with photography by Paula Vigus. It has an emphasis on safety, practical aspects of foraging and identification and is packed with information from mushroom anatomy to the role fungi play in medicine and in rongoā Māori. In her review for Booklovers NZ Lyn Potter wrote, ‘The fungi of Aotearoa are fascinating, freaky and fantastical! They feature brilliant hues, alien textures, and unique personalities that often can’t be found anywhere else. Each fungus has a story to tell, and this book is a collection of those stories.’
Marilynn Webb: Folded in the Hills by Lauren Gutsell, Lucy Hammonds and Bridget Reweti (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi) (Dunedin Public Art Gallery)
Marilynn Webb: Folded in the Hills is a substantial bilingual publication to mark the monumental retrospective of Ngāpuhi, Te Roroa and Ngāti Kahu artist Marilynn Webb (NZOM) (1937–2021) at Dunedin Public Art Gallery. It presents essays by curators Lucy Hammonds, Lauren Gutsell, and Bridget Reweti, extant poems by Cilla McQueen and Hone Tuwhare and two new ekphrastic poems by Essa May Ranapiri and Ruby Solly.
Ngā Kaihanga Uku: Māori Clay Artists by Baye Riddell (Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-a-Ruataupare) (Te Papa Press)*
The rise of an impressive ceramics movement is one of the more striking developments in contemporary Maori art. Clayworking and pottery firing was an ancient Pacific practice, but the knowledge had largely been lost by the ancestors of Maori before they arrived in Aotearoa. After the national clayworkers' collective, Nga Kaihanga Uku, was established in 1987, traditional ancestral knowledge and customs and connections with indigenous cultures with unbroken ceramic traditions helped shape a contemporary Maori expression in clay. This book is the first comprehensive overview of Maori claywork, its origins, loss and revival. Richly illustrated, it introduces readers to the practices of the five founders of Nga Kaihanga Uku and also surveys the work of the next generation. Speaking with RNZ’s Kathryn Ryan in October, Paul Diamond described this book as ‘gorgeous’ and a ‘terrific looking book and also a fantastic resource for schools and researchers.’
Our Land in Colour: A History of Aotearoa New Zealand 1860-1960 by Brendan Graham with Jock Phillips (HarperCollins NZ)
A breathtaking collection of 200 photographs expertly colourised by Aotearoa New Zealand's premier colourist, Brendan Graham, with commentary from award-winning historian Jock Phillips ONZM. Our Land in Colour celebrates the rich story of Aotearoa through the restoration of images never before seen in colour. Colourist Brendan Graham told Kete ‘My intent isn't always to have photos that look like they were taken yesterday; at times, I want to convey a particular atmosphere or let a specific era shine.’
Pacific Arts Aotearoa edited by Lana Lopesi (Penguin, Penguin Random House)
This comprehensive account spans six decades of multidisciplinary Pacific creative genius, remembering the diverse, fresh and energetic contributions of Pacific artists to New Zealand, Oceania and the world. Edited by leading Pacific writer and scholar Lana Lopesi, this book includes over 300 images and contributions from more than 120 artists, curators and community voices, providing new and previously unheard perspectives on this vast and growing legacy, in one volume. In her review for Aotearoa New Zealand Review of Books Andrea Low described Pacific Arts Aotearoa as ‘valuable as social history, exploring the breadth and depth of Pacific engagement in the life of Aotearoa New Zealand, with many instances of common cause and allyship with tangata whenua.’
Rugby League in New Zealand: A People’s History by Ryan Bodman (Bridget Williams Books)*
Kete reviewer Michael Burgess writes that unlike other major New Zealand sports, rugby league has not been well served in the literature sense. This book changes all that and it’s a masterpiece of its genre, examining the history of the sport from the inside out. Bodman makes us realise that rugby league has done well to survive, let alone thrive. The fact it is ensconced as a popular sport in this country is something of a miracle, given the efforts of rugby union over almost a century to stamp it out.
Sure to Rise: The Edmonds Story by Peter Alsop, Kate Parsonson and Richard Wolfe (Canterbury University Press)
This is the story of Thomas Edmonds, a man from humble beginnings who, thanks to hard work, creativity and persistence, and with considerable support from his wife, created an iconic business. Richly illustrated, 'Sure to Rise' is a fascinating slice of New Zealand's social and culinary history. Two of the authors Kate Parsonson (the great-great-granddaughter of founders Thomas and Jane Edmonds) and historian Richard Wolfe talked with RNZ’s Kathryn Ryan about the fascinating insights they discovered about New Zealand history while researching this book.
Through Shaded Glass: Women and Photography in Aotearoa New Zealand 1860-1960 by Lissa Mitchell (Te Papa Press)*
Kete reviewer Jessica Agoston Cleary says that as one of Aotearoa’s most knowledgeable and experienced photographic historians, there is no one better than Lissa Mitchell to research, distill and re-contextualise the photographic history of our country. To do so, to redress and rebalance the history books and give visibility to 195 previously unknown women photographers, many of whom are reveled to be at the forefront of photographic innovation and adoption of new techniques, is nothing short of astonishing.
*Represents debut authors.
Read the full 2024 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards longlists here.