Auckland Libraries

Alison is joined in the studio by author Josie Shapiro discussing her debut novel Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts. This beautiful coming of age story of young runner Mickey Bloom and her determination to achieve her dreams is also a love letter to Auckland. This interview was recorded for Auckland Council Libraries' We Read Auckland festival of Auckland's readers and writers, celebrated 1 - 31 August 2023. Visit aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/WeReadAKL for more details. 'Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts' can be borrowed from Bestie collection displays in all Auckland Council libraries or requested from the Auckland Libraries catalogue. Available in multiple formats: https://bit.ly/3YfvsNj

Alison is joined in the studio by author Dominic Hoey discussing his action-packed and darkly funny novel, Poor People with Money. A fighter with a face covered in scars, a life full of debt and a brother who has mysteriously disappeared, Avondale local Monday Woolridge goes looking for income and answers in some dark places. Poor People with Money can be borrowed from Bestie collection displays in all Auckland Council libraries or requested from the Auckland Libraries catalogue. Available in multiple formats: https://bit.ly/3q0XjVa This interview was recorded for Auckland Council Libraries' We Read Auckland festival of Auckland's readers and writers, celebrated 1 - 31 August 2023. Visit aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/WeReadAKL for more details.

Alison is joined over Zoom by author Dr. Emma Espiner, discussing her poised and candid memoir, There’s a Cure for This. From quietly perceived inequities of her early life, Espiner's stories trace her hard-won revelations as a Māori medical student and junior doctor during the Covid-19 pandemic. There’s a Cure for This can be borrowed from Bestie collection displays in all Auckland Council libraries or requested from the Auckland Libraries catalogue. Available in multiple formats: https://bit.ly/3Ybo1ab This interview was recorded for Auckland Council Libraries' We Read Auckland festival of Auckland's readers and writers, celebrated 1 - 31 August 2023. Visit aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/WeReadAKL for more details.

In this track we talk with Poukōkiri Whakaaturanga Taonga Kahurangi Goulton about the exhibition of ngā mōteatea in the Kura Tūturu | Real Gold exhibition case for Hōngongoi and Matariki. Kahurangi explains how te reo Māori was originally only transmitted orally and as such Māori crafted and perfected the art of mōteatea. Mōteatea refer to all forms of traditional waiata or songs. These waiata were composed to transmit, retain and celebrate the life, customs and history of Māori. In the case we have the hand written manuscript of a waiata composed by Hinewairoro and collected by Riwai Te Ahu from Ngāti Hinerangi and Ngāti Awa. We can assume this waiata dates back to an earlier time. This waiata has been identified as, A song to incite remembrance in people’s hearts. On view for July 2023 in the Reading Room Level 2 Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero | Central City Library or by request at any time. Image: Karakia, Waiata. Riwai Te Ahu. Pre-1854. GNZMMS 097_07 Kura search results: Riwai Te Ahu https://kura.auckland

Nau mai haere mai - Welcome to a session from the Reading Room of Ngā Pātaka Kōrero, the Central City Library, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. In this podcast we are delighted to share the recording of Greg Doran’s visit to the Auckland First Folio in June 2023. Greg Doran, artistic director emeritus of the Royal Shakespeare Company is on a tour of surviving first folios sponsored by the British Council. https://www.britishcouncil.org.nz He comes to us after visiting First Folios in Japan and most recently Sydney, at the State Library of New South Wales. Next stop Cape Town. Our First Folio has travelled the furthest from the Print House in London, some 11,386 miles in fact. The Folio has had an active life, most recently getting some attention from David Ashman our Preservation Manager. The Folio can be handled more easily post treatment. The tangible evidence of the preservation treatment (including leather shavings and “gutter sweeping”) is now stored in a bespoke archival box with the Folio itself. In

Two treasures in the chamber music repertoire that involve eight players feature in this first concert of our Autumn Series - Bach’s Concerto for two violins in D minor & Mendelssohn’s celebrated String Octet in E-flat Major. Written when he was just sixteen, and as a gift to his then violin teacher, Mendelssohn’s Octet overflows with some of the most iconic and captivating melodies. He had already established his distinct musical language which includes his signature scherzo. The last movement, an eight part fugue, is a nod to his hero, Johann Sebastian Bach, whose double concerto opens the concert.

In this concert Christopher Everest explores the hidden world of the classical guitar and its history through works written by New Zealand composers. John Ritchie’s Whimsies reflects upon William Shakespeare, each movement a reimagining of a well known sonnet. Wellington based composer Amanda Riddell’s Vanya’s Lament, is a homage to Russian playwright Anton Chekhov’s tragic comedy Uncle Vanya, its four colourful movements reflecting the central moods throughout the plays four acts. Alongside these, shorter works by New Zealand composers Kenneth Young, Michael Stoop, and Bruce Paine explore the classical guitar, reflecting the many cultures of Aotearoa.

Trio Eclectica will perform Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Trio élégiaque No. 1 in G minor and Antonín Dvořák’s Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, subtitled “Dumky”. Both pieces Ebb and flow in character with fluctuating major and minor themes, or alternating fast and slow passages, or in tragic and celebratory themes. Trio élégiaque No.1 is a single movement piece interspersed with variations. Dvořák’s Dumky Trio stays true to its folk music roots with 6 movements incorporating an earthy and rustic musical flavour with movements alternating in sombre, commemorative, nostalgic, and playful personalities.

Michael Cai and William Sun are both students of Richard Mapp at the University of Auckland.  Michael is a Masters student who is also an accomplished percussionist, playing with the Auckland Youth Orchestra and other ensembles.  William is a second year student who also plays the trumpet in a number of ensembles.  Together they present a programme of works by beloved composers for the piano, including Beethoven’s monumental C minor Variations, and works by Ravel and Debussy.

Visiting Irish pianist, Daniel Kearney, concludes our series with an exploration of the unique and creative ways in which composers have used music and the piano to describe the sights and sounds of nature. Utilizing the perspectives of many different genres including baroque, romanticism, impressionism and folk music, the performer and listener will go on a journey together through time and place. A swan on a French river, a Russian Lark, a volcano overlooking the sea in Indonesia, chattering monkeys beside a lake, the soft glow of twilight. These pieces and many more will invite the listener to let their imagination run wild and to enjoy the genius effects, harmonies and rhythms that the composers have used to bring nature to life through music.

For nearly 100 years, playing music in a public bar was illegal. Gareth Shute explored how this, and other laws affected the music scene in an article for the music history website www.audioculture.co.nz. In this talk, Gareth expands on his findings, illustrating how booze often slipped into music venues even when it was still illegal. Learn why so many venues in the ‘70s were in hotels and how there came to be alcohol-themed bands like Beam and Distillery. About the speaker Gareth Shute is a music historian who has authored five books, including NZ Rock and National book award winner Hip Hop Music in Aotearoa. He’s also a musician - currently with party band The Golden Geese, though he’s previously toured internationally with The Brunettes and the Ruby Suns. This talk was presented at the Central City Library on 3 May 2023. Image: John's Place, Rialto Arcade, Newmarket, 1971, Rykenberg Photography. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1269-19710522-05 Music: Surf Experiment performed by Gareth Sh

Auckland Libraries have recently acquired, digitised, and catalogued four chromolithographic posters from the late nineteenth century. In this track we hear Andrew Henry, Principal Aotearoa NZ Collections, share the story behind the creation of these artful 1890s advertising newspaper supplements. The posters feature views, taken from different elevated spots around the Tāmaki Makaurau central isthmus, surrounded by vignettes of local businesses who had paid to be included in the posters. The interior views of shops, hotels, and factories are particularly intriguing. Printed by Wilson and Horton's Lithographic and Colour Printery, in Auckland, in 1895, the chromolithographs were included as a supplement to the New Zealand Herald and Auckland Weekly News. The digitised posters are available to view via Kura Heritage Collections Online. https://tinyurl.com/327ssn7j Learn more about them in a Heritage et AL blog post by Andrew Henry, Principal Aotearoa New Zealand Collections Librarian: https://bit.ly/

Alison is joined in the studio by graphic novelist Chelsey Furedi who talks about her book Project Nought – a fast paced time travel adventure with a hint of romance. This book can be requested from the Auckland Libraries catalogue using the link below – it is available in multiple formats. https://bit.ly/3Bx6UoN Find out more at https://www.chelseyfuredi.com/

In this track we hear guitarist Chris Everest play the Three Whimsies by John Richie, with permission of Anthony Ritchie. 'Whimsies', composed in 1985, are three pieces based on contrasting texts by William Shakespeare: ‘Full fathom five’ from The Tempest ‘Tell me where is fancy bred’ from The Merchant of Venice ‘Blow, blow, thou winter wind’ from As You Like It This was recorded at an Auckland Libraries Heritage Concert on 4 May 2023. Listen to more from earlier Concert Series https://soundcloud.com/auckland-libraries/sets/thursday-heritage-concerts-6 You can view a digital copy of the Auckland Libraries' First Folio here: https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/rarebooks/id/12779/rec/1 or check digital comparisons: www.firstfolios.com Find out more about Folio 400 here: folio400.com/celebration-2023/ Read more here: heritageetal.blogspot.com/2023/05/read…-use-in.html "At the start of Mr. William Shakespeares comedies, histories & tragedies, otherwise known as the ‘First Folio’, there

In this track we hear the final speakers from our Auckland Libraries World First Folio Day event - reading Sonnet 60 from Nga Waiata Aroha A Hekepia - a translation of Shakespeare in Te Reo Māori by Merimeri Penfold. Read by Robert Eruera and Andrew Henry. The publication of Nga Waiata a Hekepia / love sonnets by Shakespeare in 2000 marked a first on the world Shakespearean timeline. Holloway Press at the University of Auckland published nine sonnets translated into te reo Māori by the scholar Merimeri Penfold. The limited edition features an amended version of the Martin Droeshout 1623 portrait of Shakespeare, with a moko, created by Cushla Parekowhai, on the cover. The book is available for loan: https://tinyurl.com/ye2554d4 You can view a digital copy of the Auckland Libraries' First Folio here: https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/rarebooks/id/12779/rec/1 or check digital comparisons at: www.firstfolios.com Find out more about Folio 400 at - folio400.com/celebration-2023/ Read

In Auckland, Michael Hurst from the Auckland Theatre Company, is strongly identified with Shakespeare. In this track Michael discusses performing Shakespeare. This session was recorded live on First Folio Day, April 2023. You can view a digital copy of the Auckland Libraries' First Folio here: https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/rarebooks/id/12779/rec/1 or check digital comparisons: www.firstfolios.com Find out more about Folio 400 here: https://folio400.com/celebration-2023/ Check out King Lear coming to stage: https://www.atc.co.nz/auckland-theatre-company/2023/king-lear/ Read more here: http://heritageetal.blogspot.com/2023/05/readers-and-readings-traces-of-use-in.html "At the start of Mr. William Shakespeares comedies, histories & tragedies, otherwise known as the ‘First Folio’, there’s a note from Shakespeare’s former colleagues to the book’s potential consumers. “To the great Variety of Readers”, it begins, before outlining the reasons people might want to buy – and read – th

Dr. Sophie Tomlinson, Senior lecturer in English and Drama at the University of Auckland offers her insights into the decades of Summer Shakespeare productions, the performers and the performances. Recorded live on World First Folio Day, 23 April 2023. You can view a digital copy of the Auckland Libraries' First Folio here: https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/rarebooks/id/12779/rec/1 or check digital comparisons: www.firstfolios.com Find out more about Folio 400 here: https://folio400.com/celebration-2023/ Read more here: http://heritageetal.blogspot.com/2023/05/readers-and-readings-traces-of-use-in.html "At the start of Mr. William Shakespeares comedies, histories & tragedies, otherwise known as the ‘First Folio’, there’s a note from Shakespeare’s former colleagues to the book’s potential consumers. “To the great Variety of Readers”, it begins, before outlining the reasons people might want to buy – and read – this unprecedented collection of plays". Image: Sophie Tomlinson present

In this track, recorded on World First Folio Day, 23 April 2023, we hear from David Ashman, recently retired manager of Conservation & Digital Preservation at Auckland Libraries. In 2022, David was able to complete required conservation work on the First Folio, in this talk he describes the background and processes involved in the care of this precious taonga. You can view a digital copy of the Auckland Libraries' First Folio here: https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/rarebooks/id/12779/rec/1 or check digital comparisons: www.firstfolios.com Watch David talk with pictures about his treatment of the Folio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzVd_Qv_q-A Find out more about Folio 400 here: https://folio400.com/celebration-2023/ Read more here: http://heritageetal.blogspot.com/2023/05/readers-and-readings-traces-of-use-in.html "At the start of Mr. William Shakespeares comedies, histories & tragedies, otherwise known as the ‘First Folio’, there’s a note from Shakespeare’s former colle

Alison is joined by the multi-award winning New Zealand author Leonie Agnew, who has just published her novel The impossible story of Hannah Kemp. This is a coming-of-age story and journey of healing through the power of storytelling. This book can be requested from the Auckland Libraries catalogue using the links below – it is available in multiple formats. https://bit.ly/3Bx6UoN

This month we have two special cases on display on Level 2 of Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero | Central City Library both with Shakespeare at the heart. In this track listen and learn from Rare Book curator Jane Wild as she tells us about the items on display for May. Event: Register to attend this event Saturday 20 May https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/events/2023/05/piringatahi-special-collections-up-close-rare-shakespeare/ In this Piringatahi: Special Collections Up Close event, we delve into the 17th-century publishing history of Shakespeare’s plays. Auckland Libraries is the only institution in the Southern Hemisphere to hold copies of all four 17th-century editions of Shakespeare’s collected plays and early editions of his sonnets. Find out more about Folio 400 here: https://folio400.com/ A more in-depth read here: http://heritageetal.blogspot.com/2023/05/readers-and-readings-traces-of-use-in.html Check out the playlist Shakespeare First Folio. Come see for yourself Kura Tūturu | Real Gold case in