Auckland Libraries

In this episode we catch up with Renée Orr to discuss the recently acquired privately-published book of prints by the Japanese woodblock artist Hiroshige (1797-1858). Renée shares the back story of the book to include reference to the front ex libris bookplate of Hilda Wiseman and the intersection of interests with the book’s creator Percy Neville Barnett. For images and to read more go to: https://heritageetal.blogspot.com/2026/03/awekura-hiroshige.html Books about Japanese woodblock printing and Hiroshige in the lending collection: Japanese woodblocks : masterpieces of art https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/card?id=e36bdd9e-611c-5d58-82e6-43ea6cb2d187&entityType=FormatGroup Japanese woodblock prints artists, publishers, and masterworks, 1680-1900 https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/card?id=3982e56a-1106-5e03-9b22-5d6ae823939c&entityType=FormatGroup Hiroshige : 1797-1858 : master of Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock prints https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/card?id=8

In this episode we kōrero with Robert Eruera - Pou Whakarae Taonga Tuku Iho Māori and Maureen Ned - Poukokiri Whakatapoko Tapaenga about a project that, through headsets and augmented reality , we bring to life Heritage Collections and the stories related to the sites of signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. To read more about this material in the blog here: https://heritageetal.blogspot.com/2026/02/awekura-te-tiriti-ki-tamaki-makaurau.html Follow to be notified when each new episodes is published. Explore the unpublished heritage collections via Kura Heritage Collections online www.kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz and printed material via the Auckland Libraries Catalogue - www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz

In this Pride, Love is Love edition, Alison is joined in the studio by poet and actor Dan Goodwin, to discuss the tropes and folx of three recently published queer romance novels. All three books can be borrowed from the Bestie collection displays or requested from the Auckland Libraries catalogue. The broposal by Sonora Reyes https://bit.ly/3NMbRmJ The thrill of the chase by Kathryn Nolan https://bit.ly/3LP8if0 Isn’t it obvious? By Rachel Runya Katz https://bit.ly/4sIH2zx Enjoyed this episode? Follow for future episodes. Send an email to reading@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz Find out more about our Bestie collections at www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz

Orlando Furioso was the focus for the talk delivered by Dr Jack Ross, the first of the scholars to speak at the Don Smith Symposium. In 2024 Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections gained an important collection with the gift of 183 titles collected by the late Professor Emeritus Donald Ian Brice Smith (Don). The collection of early modern books published before 1801 comprises several hundred volumes. The collection is now housed in archival boxes, each with a label which features Don’s signature, to show the provenance from the library of Professor Smith. To honour this significant collection Auckland Libraries invited academics from across the country to talk about books in this collection. The event took place on 8 November 2025. All forty-six plates in this copy of Orlando Furioso can now be accessed on Kura Heritage Collections: https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/rarebooks/id/14958/rec/1 You can read more in these Heritage et AL blogs: https://heritageetal.blogspot.com/2025/10/

This track features Dr Mark Houlahan. In his talk he addresses the question: ‘Why should members of the Auckland Free Public Library bother with religious and political quarrels from 17th century England? Can these handsome 300-year-old books still speak to Aotearoa in 2025?’ In 2024 Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections gained an important collection with the gift of 183 titles collected by the late Professor Emeritus Donald Ian Brice Smith (Don). The collection of early modern books published before 1801 comprises several hundred volumes. The collection is now housed in archival boxes, each with a label which features Don’s signature, to show the provenance from the library of Professor Smith. To honour this significant collection Auckland Libraries invited academics from across the country to talk about books in this collection. The event took place on 8 November 2025. Ref: To explore the text discussed see: Andrew Marvell / The Rehearsal Transpros’d (1673). Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections

In this track hear from the third speaker at the Don Smith symposium Dr Shef Rogers from the University of Otago. He spoke about “The Messy but Revealing Immediacy of Miscellanies” using Don’s set of the eleven volumes that comprise the set of miscellaneous prose and verse from Jonathan Swift and friends. In 2024 Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections gained an important collection with the gift of 183 titles collected by the late Professor Emeritus Donald Ian Brice Smith (Don). The collection of early modern books published before 1801 comprises several hundred volumes. The collection is now housed in archival boxes, each with a label which features Don’s signature, to show the provenance from the library of Professor Smith. To honour this significant collection Auckland Libraries invited academics from across the country to talk about books in this collection. The event took place on 8 November 2025. You can read more in these Heritage et AL blogs: https://heritageetal.blogspot.com/2025/10/discoverin

In this Awekura episode we talk with Pasifika Curator Pamata Toleafoa about material items which feature tapa cloth. Items include a signature greeting card to an early 1900s tapa newspaper. Pamata shares the story behind these items and the value of tapa material across Te Moana Nui a Kiwa. To read more about this material: Listen to a series of talks on the 1780s Alexander Shaw compiled Tapa Book - https://soundcloud.com/auckland-libraries/sets/tapa-talks and view the page items online here: kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/c…144/rec/5 Visit to see these items on display at the Central City Library through to March 2026 in the Lupe I Vao Ese exhibition: https://new.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/en/lupe-i-vao-ese.html

In this episode of the Awekura series we talk with Renée Orr, Rare Book specialist and Curatorial Services Team Leader at Auckland Council Libraries Heritage Collections. Renee shares with us a rare 17th Century book, its history and provenance, to this recently donated gift to the Heritage Collection. It’s a bit of a tongue twister of a title! "The Memorable Works of a Son of Thunder and Consolation: Namely, that True Prophet, and Faithful Servant of God, and Sufferer for the Testimony of Jesus, Edward Burroughs, who Dyed a Prisoner for the Word of God, in the City of London, the Fourteenth of the Twelfth Moneth, 1662". The book was printed in 1672 in London and is a collection of the writings of influential Quaker, Edward Burrough. Read more about the book and find links to related material here: https://heritageetal.blogspot.com/2025/11/awekura-edward-burrough-1634-1663.html Image: A collage produced by Julian Lubin from photographs of the Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections.

Recorded live, this concert celebrated 20 wonderful years of music brought to you through Auckland Libraries concert series. The unique programme brought together talented musician who have participated in many years of concert performance. Lawrence Wong (piano) 5min - 20min approx. Étude in C Major, Op. 10, No. 1 Chopin Nostalgia, from Distant Voices Gao Ping Canzona Serenata, from Forgotten Melodies, Book I, Op. 38, No. 6 Medtner Primavera, from Forgotten Melodies, Book II, Op. 39, No. 3 Medtner Francis-Lee Duo 20min - 40min approx. Charlotte Francis (violin) with Gemma Lee (piano) Spring Sonata (Ist movt) Beethoven Selected movements from Much Ado About Nothing Suite for violin and piano Korngold Hot Canary! Paul Nero William Green (piano) 40 - 55mins approx. Foxglove Bells Ernest Jenner Two Little Birds F. Hutchens No. 1 from 24 Preludes for Solo Piano Jeremy Cullen No. 16, 15, 18, 9 and 8 from 24 Short Preludes for Piano William Green A Score for Celebration William Green Auckland Phil

Join Marilyn Portman in conversation with Sue Berman on the history of musical concerts at the Auckland City Central Library. In this interview she shares the story behind the foundation of the regular concert series, its many different iterations, and shares some favourite moments across her long career as a music librarian. For more images and to read more about the concerts check out our Heritage et AL blog https://heritageetal.blogspot.com/2025/09/celebrating-twenty-years-of-heritage.html Image: Photo by Benjamin Brooking taken for the Ngako: Musical Manuscripts recording 2022.

On Thursday 26 June 2025, Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero | Central City Library presented The Kotuku Quintet in a special concert: From Mozart to Matariki The programme was based on a Mozart piano concerto and drew on inspiration from the celebration of Matariki in a brand new work by pianist and composer Louise Webster. Piano concerto no. 13 in C, KV 415 W.A. Mozart Allegro ; Andante ; Rondeau: Allegro Mozart’s Piano concerto in C KV 415 was written in Vienna in 1782, one of three composed for sale to the Viennese public by advance subscription. A major selling point was that they were composed not only for concert use but also for performance at home, as the wind parts were not structurally important and could easily be dispensed with. The concerto is in three movements. The opening Allegro has a march-like theme, the Andante is lyrical and operatic in character, and the work ends with a Rondeau finale, where jovial sections alternate with a pair of pathos-laden Adagios. Phantasy for Piano Quartet in F# minor Fran

The Tāmaki Untold series celebrates the taonga, stories and creativity of Auckland. In this episode listen in to the conversation held at Nga Pātaka Kōrero o Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Central Library on Otherhood: Conversation about being childless, childfree and child-adjacent with guest writers Lil O'Brien and Paula Morris. Facilitated by librarian reading engagement specialist Alison Fitzpatrick. Otherhood was published in 2024 and is available for loan on the libraries catalogue: discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz "In Aotearoa the number of people who will never have children is growing - and they're pushing back against the narrative that if they don't, their lives will be somehow 'less than'. Otherhood's essays are by writers who've felt on the outside looking in, who've lived unexpected lives, and who've given the finger to social expectations. Some chose to be childfree, some didn't get to choose, and some - through bereavement or blended family dynamics - ask themselves: Am I a mother or am I othe

Alison is joined in the studio by author Michael Bennett, to discuss his novel Carved in Blood, the third instalment in the gripping Hana Westerman series. Carved in Blood is published by Simon & Schuster and can be borrowed from Bestie collection displays in all Auckland Council libraries or requested from the Auckland Libraries catalogue https://bit.ly/3H48jtm This interview was recorded for Auckland Council Libraries' We Read Auckland festival of Auckland's readers and writers, celebrated 1 - 31 August 2025. Visit aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/WeReadAKL for more details.

Alison is joined in the studio by author Diana Wichtel, to discuss her memoir Unreel: A life in review, published by Penguin. Diana is an award-winning reviewer and bestselling author of Driving to Treblinka. Unreel is a brilliantly funny, achingly nostalgic memoir of a life spent watching and writing. Unreel can be borrowed from Bestie collection displays in all Auckland Council libraries or requested from the Auckland Libraries catalogue https://bit.ly/4m4TsOg This interview was recorded for Auckland Council Libraries' We Read Auckland festival of Auckland's readers and writers, celebrated 1 - 31 August 2025. Visit aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/WeReadAKL for more details.

On Saturday 28 June in celebration of Matariki and as part of our Tāmaki Untold series, Auckland Libraries hosted a conversation between Roimata Smail, author of ‘Understanding Te Tiriti’ and Avril Bell, author of ‘Becoming Tangata Tiriti’. The two authors discussed the meaning of Te Tiriti and how we can work on better honouring this foundational document. The rich conversation and exploration of ideas, offer listeners a conversational glimpse into the detail of the books' content. Listen in to the conversation here and follow the links below for access to further reading. Understanding Te Tirit - Roimata Smail https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/card?id=13e92daf-1efc-5609-8139-601169f69151&entityType=FormatGroup Becoming Tangata Tiriti - Avril Bell https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/card?id=c360b902-8e03-563a-933e-9b559553871b&entityType=FormatGroup Follow Auckland Libraries for regular Tāmaki Untold conversations and other Heritage and Research events. www.aucklandlibrari

In this track Sue Berman talks with Tania Mace about her research into early inner city Auckland neighbourhoods. Tania talks about her history research interests, her approach to documentary heritage material, her discoveries and the opportunities for research still to come. Tania's research was undertaken with the support of the Auckland Libraries Heritage Trust - John Stacpoole Scholarship and through the use of the Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections. Listen to the associated oral history clips - https://soundcloud.com/auckland-libraries/sets/lost-neighbourhoods-of Read about Tania's research findings on Heritage et AL https://heritageetal.blogspot.com/2025/05/lost-neighbourhoods-of-central-auckland.html Information about the ALHT John Stacpoole Scholarship here: https://heritageetal.blogspot.com/2025/05/auckland-library-heritage-trust-john.html Read: Tania's recent publication The near west : a history of Grey Lynn, Arch Hill and Westmere https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/ca

Explore space, time, and technology in science fiction through indigenous lenses with award-winning author Dr Gina Cole (Black Ice Matter; Na Viro) and writer, critic and producer, Dan Taipua. Dr. Gina Cole is an award-winning author of Fijian, Scottish and Welsh descent. Her collection Black Ice Matter won the Hubert Church Prize for Best First Book Fiction in 2017. Her science fiction fantasy novel Na Viro (Huia, 2022) is a work of Pasifikafuturism following sisters wayfinding through sea and space. Awarded the 2023 Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writer’s Residency in 2023, she is currently working on the second book in her Turukawa Trilogy. Dan Taipua (Waikato-Tainui) is a writer and critic working in Tāmaki Makaurau. His interests cross through art history, popular culture and Te Ao Māori with a particular focus on futurism and imagined worlds. In 2015, Dan Taipua and Sophie Wilson produced the documentary Aotearoa Futurism for RNZ Music, interviewing Māori and Pasifika artists whose works explo

In this bonus track join host Sue Berman as she talks with Florette Cardon, Senior Library Research Assistant and exhibition curator researcher. Florette tells the story of how she came to dig deep into the world of Science Fiction art and design, leading her to discover and celebrate the work of Auckland born artist Mike Hinge. See the exhibition on the Ground Floor of the Central City Library until the end of April or read more here: https://heritageetal.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-legacy-of-mike-hinge.html Visit the onsite exhibition and join us in a series of events and activations: www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/Other-Worl…exhibition For recommended reads visit: www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/Other-Worlds-reads Image: Florette Cardon in the exhibition, Central City Library, March 2025. Produced by Sue Berman and JL.

This clip is drawn from an oral history with Suzanne Chan On as part of the From Guangdong to Aotearoa Collection. In this snippet Suzanne talks about activities seen and unseen. She describes shops, gambling and opium dens in the Greys Avenue neighbourhood. See the exhibition: Lost Neighbourhoods of Central Auckland on Level 2 of the Central City Library April - May 2025 Suzanne Chan On, oral history, 2014, interviewer Sue Gee, From Guangdong to Aotearoa Collection, Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections, OH-1133-003 Image: Accompany material from OH-1133-003.

This clip is drawn from an oral history with Suzanne Chan On as part of the From Guangdong to Aotearoa Collection. In this snippet Suzanne talks about the area and the people who came into Ann’s Dairy. See the exhibition: Lost Neighbourhoods of Central Auckland on Level 2 of the Central City Library April - May 2025 Suzanne Chan On, oral history, 2014, interviewer Sue Gee, From Guangdong to Aotearoa Collection, Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections, OH-1133-003 Image: Accompany material from OH-1133-003.