A widow, a rock star, a would be novellist and her anxious teenage daughter - these are among the strangers that Isa Pearl Ritchie beings together in new novel, The Seekers' Garden. Different paths have led them all to Waikato from around the country and the world. One of them is the widowed Marcia Reed-Wilton who leaves England to return her the childhood home that she escaped from as a teenager. She is anxious to reconnect with her estranged sister. Lynn Freeman asks Isa which came first - the characters, the situation or the theme? The Seekers' Garden by Isa Pearl Ritchie is published by Te Ra Aroha Press.

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Isa Pearl Ritchie and the characters of The Seekers' Garden

A painter, a sculptor and an architect collaborated in the 1960s and 70s to create unique churches, chapels, schools and private houses - all with a distinctive Kiwi character. "Big deal" you might think, until you realise we're talking about Colin McCahon, Paul Dibble and James Hackshaw. James' daughter Bridget spoke to her father not long before he died in 1999 about the projects the three worked on. Later she went in search of the remaining buildings to photograph them, which has inspired a film about it. Now she collaborates with a number of writers to tell the full story in a book called The Architect and the Artists. Bridget tells Lynn Freeman the three men worked well together, despite very different backgrounds and personalities.

In the footsteps of three iconic 60s artists

What does it really mean to be courageous? Bridget van der Zijpp explores this in her new novel I Laugh Me Broken. Bridget's first novel, Misconduct was shortlisted for the 2009 Commonwealth Writers' Best First Book Prize, and for the 2009 Montana New Zealand Book Awards Best First Book of Fiction. In I Laugh Me Broken, Ginny the narrator learns of a potential threat to her health soon before her wedding. She faces a dilemma. She could get tested to see if she's inherited genes for a life threatening condition. Instead she takes off to the other side of the world, telling everyone that it's to research her next book.

Bridget van der Zijpp's novel tackles courage and denial

The popularity of the British TV series The Repair Shop - where damaged personal items are repaired by talented craftspeople - is a reminder that some skills must never be allowed to die out. Christchurch is about to celebrate its Heritage Festival with events including workshops for printmaking, blacksmithing and colonial baking at the Okains Bay Maori and Colonial Museum on Banks Peninsula. The Craftmasters' Festival of Heritage Crafts hopes to encourage people to give it a go, and along the way to appreciate just what goes into the handmade at a time when most things are mass produced. Lynn Freeman spoke to blacksmith Les Schenkel - who you'll usually find at the Blacksmith Shop at Governors Bay. Les is concerned that his craft is dying in Aotearoa, with few if any apprenticeships offered.

Christchurch's Heritage Festival remembers old craft work

Origami as you've never seen it before... Artist Sarah Hunter has designed giant origami light-shade installations from her photographs of her much-loved childhood stomping ground on Hawke's Bay's remote Porangahau coast. Detailed photographs of the light shades will sit inside illuminated boxes, complete with a soundtrack of sounds from the area in a series of works she called EMOH - that's "Home" backwards. Sarah has collaborated on the project with origami artist Juliet Black, musician Thomas Voyce from the Wellington band Rhombus, and tamariki at her old school. The Department of Conservation chose Sarah for one of their Wild Creations residencies, where artists are invited to create work that offers Kiwis a different perspective on our motu, our country. Lynn Freeman asked Sarah about her whanau's long association with the Porangahau coast, and Thomas about putting the landscape to music. Sarah Hunter and Thomas Voyce's EMOH installation runs over Labour Day Weekend at Porangahau Memorial Hall, opening Thursday October 21 until Saturday October 23. EMOH relocates to on Sunday October 24 to Porangahau Country Club with a bonus DJ set by Rhombus Sound System.

Wild Creations blends three art forms

It'll be a year later than planned, and the artist might not be able to attend to install her work or meet the international guests. But Yuki Kihara will be the first Pasifika artist to represent Aotearoa at the 2022 Venice Biennale. Paradise Camp is the name of her work, with themes including climate change and small island ecologies, queer rights, and giving Fa'afafine the attention and respect they have struggled to gain. Yuki has incorporated video filmed in Samoa with a large local cast and crew, as well as photography and archival research. Paradise Camp has a prized location in Venice. It's the Arsenale, one of the two main Biennale hubs. The Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa supports our Biennale artists financially and logistically. But they'll have to make big changes because of Covid-19 restrictions. Chair of the Arts Council, Caren Rangi, is the Commissioner of New Zealand's presentation at the Biennale. She tells Lynn Freeman they won't be sending attendants to Venice. Instead they'll use locally-employed people to install and work with visitors on site. First, Yuki Kihara explains how she made the most of the extra time to keep working on Paradise Camp.

Yuki Kihara goes to the Venice Biennale

Plastic items from more than 25 different countries, including New Zealand, wash up on the remote Pitcairn Islands, posing a threat to a habitat that's home to unique and endangered species. British photographer Mandy Barker visited the islands in 2019, and Aotearoa is about to see her disarmingly beautiful images of some of the six tonnes of plastic rubbish collected from the uninhabited UNESCO World Heritage-listed Henderson Island. SHELF-LIFE is the title of the exhibition of Mandy's photos that will go on show at Auckland Museum, including pictures of toys, chess pieces, syringes, an ice skating boot and a toilet seat. Lynn Freeman asked Mandy what makes Henderson Island unique. SHELF-LIFE by Mandy Barker will open at Auckland Museum - anticipating a move to Level 3 Step Two - later this week. For a limited time you can experience the exhibition online until Auckland Museum reopens.

Mandy Barker's deceptive pictures of Pitcairn's sea bottom

Postponing, rescheduling, cancelling, even rebranding... Organisers of the country's biggest arts, film and music festivals are having to make huge calls on the fate of their events in the light of ever more Covid-19 related roadblocks. But life goes on. Programmes are out for the Auckland Arts Festival, and the renamed Aotearoa New Zealand Festival in the Capital. The WOMAD world music festival is about to do the big reveal of its programme for March next year. Lynn Freeman talks to Meg Williams from Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts and David Inns from the Auckland Arts Festival about their plans for next year.

The State of live festivals under Delta

Ataria Sharman knows how tough it is to make a living as a writer. The essayist, poet, social entrepreneur and editor at The Pantograph Punch is constantly looking for new ways to encourage Maori - particularly wahine Maori - to publish their work. In 2018, Ataria set up the social enterprise Awa Wahine. It offers a platform to tautoko (support) wahine Maori in their creativie and entrepreneurial endeavours. Now Ataria is turning her attention to the next generation, publishing a fantasy book for young readers that's filled with Maori characters and culture. Hine and the Tohunga Portal leads the two tamariki Maori main characters, Hine and Hohepa, into a world where moa and giant eagles still roam the forests but it's under threat from an evil sorcerer. Hine and the Tohunga Portal by Ataria Sharman is published by Huia.

Ataria Sharman draws on Maori culture for a fantasy novel

A five-million dollar Cultural Sector Emergency Relief fund has been announced, with Creative New Zealand deciding who gets what. But with so many arts organisations in so much strife, the pieces of the pie will inevitably be small. Auckland's Silo Theatre Company is one of many live-production organisations that are struggling, after almost two years of on-and-off lockdowns. It doesn't own a venue, instead working with theatre makers to find the right space for each show. Silo will be celebrating its 25th birthday next year and despite all the uncertainty, is already planning a full programme. Chloe Weavers is the company's new Executive Director. She's taken it on after returning to Tamaki Makaurau following a decade working in Australia. Chloe tells Lynn Freeman that Silo has just surveyed its audiences to see how they feel about attending live events.

Chloe Weavers on her plans for Auckland's Silo Theatre

A story of obsession, jealousy and resentment won last year's Michael Gifkins Prize for an Unpublished Novel. But Gigi Fenster's book is now published, and unnerving its readers. A Good Winter is Gigi's third novel, and it tells the story of Lara, whose recently widowed daughter Sophie is struggling to care for her baby son. But is Lara's friend Olga really the good supportive friend she appears to be? Lynn Freeman asks Gigi Fenster about the challenges of writing a psychological horror story. A Good Winter by Gigi Fenster is published by Text.

Gigi Fenster's A good winter reaches the book shelves

There have never been so many outlets for young writers wanting to share their work with their friends and indeed the world. But there's nothing like a festival to allow them to get together, talk about their work and throw around all kinds of ideas. The theme for the seventh New Zealand Young Writers Festival, set to take place in Dunedin at the end of the month, is "Collapsing the Conventional". And that's certainly what the participating poets, playwrights, novellists, essayists and performance artists plan to do. It's a genre-busting festival programme, full of events that explore the limitations society places on our bodies, and how literature can help overcome them. Lynn Freeman talks to two of the guest speakers: National Slam Poetry Champion Jordan Hamel's workshop is called "How to Speak Words and Influence People". He'll also take part in a discussion about climate change. Playwright Dan Goodwin, meanwhile, will look at writing mental health and disability theatre. They're part of a performance about fluidity, gender, the body and how to write about it. The Young Writers Festival starts on the 28th of October in Dunedin.

The NZ Young Writers Festival takes on the conventional

Japan's imperial war efforts and sense of nationalism are explored in an installation called Our Remaining Breath, that's representing Aotearoa at the Tokyo Biennale. Kiwi artist Fiona Amundsen has spent several years creating Our Remaining Breath in collaboration with Japanese artists. Her research including recording the testimonies of Japanese people who lived through the Second World War. The soundtrack on the video component of the work also includes the sound of Fiona breathing while doing aikido training, a martial art she has trained in for many years. AUT Associate Professor Fiona tells Lynn Freeman that the pandemic has meant she's had to pivot like crazy to complete the work, and it also prevented her from getting to Tokyo for the opening. Associate Professor Fiona Amundsen's collaborative exhibition Our Remaining Breath is on show at the Tokyo Biennale.

Fiona Amundsen's installation at the Tokyo Biennale

There are risks in taking a portrait at face value. Matariki Williams and Rebecca Rice are the curators who selected the 36 historic portraits of Maori and settlers that have hung on Te Papa's distinctive blood red wall at Toi Art since 2018. The two have written about the stories behind the 36 portraits in a bilingual book called Nga Tai Whakarongorua - Encounters. The book discusses the relationship between the artists and their sitters. Who decided what would be worn and the final pose, and did they discuss the portrait's background? Lynn Freeman asks Rebecca and Matariki what stories did they think were shared during the long hours of painting? Nga Tai Whakarongorua - Encounters by Rebecca Rice and Matariki Williams is published by Te Papa Press.

The stories behind Te Papa's portraits

Rob Sitch - Australian actor, writer, director and bloody legend whose CV includes satirical TV shows Frontline and Hollow Men, as well as one of that country's best loved films, The Castle. Working Dog Productions is the name of his hugely successful production company, but Rob is still best known for playing idiot TV presenter Mike Moore in the Nineties hit series Frontline, that also featured Kiwi star Bruno Lawrence. In Rob's latest series Utopia, he plays Tony, head of the fictional Nation Building Authority that's responsible for overseeing major infrastructure projects, despite the best efforts of the Prime Minister and his cronies. With Working Dog based in locked-down Melbourne, you'd think Rob would be easy to pin down for an interview. But he and his colleagues are flat out, including working on the popular current affairs game show they created, Have You Been Paying Attention, Lynn Freeman asks Rob Sitch if he feels an added responsibility to make people laugh in these uncertain times. Both Utopia and Frontline are playing on Netflix.

Australian comedy legend Rob Sitch - the man behind The Castle

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