Cityscape City Edit August 2023

CITYSCAPE | CHRISTCHURCH CURATED August promises crisp days and spring to come. Time to shake off your hibernation.

The ballet is coming, and so is the opera. And WORD Christchurch, which means poetry – fancy having a go yourself? From books to boogie, we have you covered.

Open 7 days from 12pm until late Phone +64 3 365 7363 Email info@kingofsnake.co.nz Level 1 - 79 Cashel Street Christchurch, New Zealand

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Contents

CITYSCAPE MAGAZINE City Edit August 2023

CITY EDIT AUGUST 2023

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & PUBLISHER

Andrea Rickerby EDITOR

Mark Wilson

10 // NEWSFEED Tip-offs, trends & more.

12 // WHAT'S ON Culture calendar.

14

WORD UP

24

FAMILY PORTRAITS

CREATIVE

Tristan Brehaut ADMINISTRATION

Claire Ross

16 // FROM PAGE TO STAGE Poetry comes in many forms.

20 // MY DESERT ISLAND BOOK Book lovers' last books.

22 // READ MORE Inspo for your reading nook.

ON THE COVER

23 // COOKS' BOOKS Top chefs, top books.

28 // ENTERTAIN ME TV, books, music, podcasts and more.

New team, fresh voices from WORD Christchurch.

30 // THE LAST WORD Dr Catherine Knight on the benefits of bathing in nature.

A retrospective exhibition of works by Dame Robin White.

Beatmaster Tiki Taane adds film director to his CV this month with the world premiere at the Isaac Theatre Royal of his film Tiki Taane In Session With CSO. Image: Chelone Wolf.

NEED TO GET IN TOUCH? Advertising, editorial & distribution enquiries: 03 366 3340 info@somocreative.co.nz cityscape.co.nz

10

IN GOOD COMPANY

PUBLISHED BY

SOMO Creative Ltd somocreative.co.nz Cityscape is a division of SOMO Creative Ltd. Cityscape is subject to copyright in its entirety. Opinions expressed in Cityscape are not necessarily those of Cityscape. Editorial contributions welcome. No responsibility taken for unsolicited submissions. Prizewinners will be notified by phone and email. If Cityscape is unable to contact the winner within 14 days, Cityscape reserves the right to draw another winner. Cityscape reserves the right to use image/name of competition entrants for publicity purposes.

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SIMPLE SHED CATCHES THE EYE OF JUDGES

ISSN 2324-4879 print | ISSN 2324-4887 online

Shed project wins at the Dulux Colour Awards in Melbourne.

The RNZB celebrates its platinum anniversary this month.

We talk to former principal dancer Abigail Boyle.

04 CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ City Edit August 2023

FOR MORE NEWS, INTERVIEWS, CULTURE AND EVENTS HIT UP CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ

NEWSFEED TIP-OFFS, TRENDS & MORE

LOVE YOUR WAYS, TIKI! Tiki Taane’s 2021 ‘Ōtautahi Proud’ concert with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra is already legendary.

As part of the New Zealand International Film Festival, you can tune in to that night all over again with the world premiere of the film Tiki Taane In Session With CSO on 11 August at the Isaac Theatre Royal. The film intercuts concert footage with rehearsal scenes, providing an insight into Tiki’s process of working with the classically trained orchestral players and their conductor, Tom Rainey.

The evening includes a hosted Q&A session with Tiki.

20 TASTY YEARS taste@twenty, the little shop of delights on the corner of Colombo Street and Remuera Ave, has marked 20 years of serving up heavenly goodness to the discerning palates of Christchurch. How many coffees, danishes and bagels is that? Everything is still made with love and a smile!

MUST TRY

BRINGING BACK THE BARD

BEST OF BRITISH

OH RANDY!

For all you lovers of traditional English pastries, Mike and Joy at Good Buy Pork Pie have the goods for you.

Pork pies cold or hot. Cornish pasties packed with beef, potato and swede; or chicken and leek. Sausage rolls in a cornucopia of flavours, including beef, garlic and thyme; and spinach and feta. Steak and kidney pies bursting with juicy flavours. Bacon and egg pies that will kickstart your day... Drooling yet? Then check out the goods at Good Buy Pork Pie’s Woolston bakery, at their new shop in The Colombo, or at Saturday’s Christchurch Farmers’ Market or Sunday’s Riccarton Market.

So much more than just felt, Randy Feltface has carved out a niche in international comedy for his high-energy show full of biting observations, razor-sharp wit and rapid arm movements. He brings his sellout show Feltopia to the Aurora Centre on 9 August.

06 CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ City Edit August 2023

Christchurch’s Top Dog Theatre Company is back with a slice of The Bard to thaw your winter’s discontent.

Opening at the Isaac Theatre Royal on 17 August, Much Ado About Nothing is another of Shakespeare’s fast-paced romantic comedies, brimming with romance, intrigue and jokes aplenty. The production follows director Derek Doddington’s triumphant 2021 and 2022 seasons.

Isaac Theatre Royal, Thu 17 – Sat 19 August

07 CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ City Edit August 2023

NEWSFEED

WHAT'S ON CULTURE CALENDAR

AUGUST

international comedy circuit. So much more than just felt! Aurora Centre, Wed 9 Aug.

NEW ZEALAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

LIVING IN A LOOP 2023

EXHIBITION A solo show by artist

Component blends his signature stencil style with new techniques and visual elements. Fiksate Gallery, until 26 Aug.

FESTIVAL Take your pick from 78

feature-length films and 7 short film collections from 21 countries across 18 days at 4 venues. Various venues, Thu 10 – Sun 27 Aug.

SIX EXTINCTIONS

EXHIBITION Explore the five mass

TIKI TAANE IN SESSION WITH CSO

extinction events in the Earth’s history and the sixth and current extinction crisis climate change.

Canterbury Museum & CoCA, until 3 Dec.

FILM World premiere of the film of

the 2021 concert. The evening includes a Q&A session with Tiki.

Isaac Theatre Royal, Fri 11 Aug.

THE APPLETON LADIES' POTATO RACE

NZO/NZSO BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE

THEATRE The stoush over unequal

prize money for men and women reaches Appleton’s famous Potato Race. A punchy comedy about standing up for what you believe in.

The Court Theatre, Sat 5 Aug – Sat 9 Sep.

CSO & TROY KINGI

MUSIC Prolific songwriter and serial

collaborator Troy Kingi joins forces with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra for a performance not to be missed. Christchurch Town Hall, Sat 5 Aug.

RNZB: LIGHTSCAPES

DANCE A collection of works that

PERFORMANCE This innovative and

moving production from Theatre of Sound (UK) reimagines the work as a love story between a longmarried couple living with dementia. Christchurch Town Hall, Sat 12 Aug.

THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY

PERFORMANCE Tribute concert

featuring all the classic hits of the pioneering New York folk duo.

Christchurch Town Hall, 13 Aug.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

THEATRE Top Dog Theatre Company

celebrates the endless possibilities of light, space and the human body. Isaac Theatre Royal, Sat 5 – Sun 6 Aug.

brings back The Bard for 2023, after delighting audiences with their productions in 2021 and 2022.

Isaac Theatre Royal, Thu 17 – Sat 19 August.

RANDY FELTFACE

COMEDY Philosopher-puppet

Randy Feltface completes his Feltopia world tour in New Zealand with a string of dates including Christchurch. Randy has carved out a unique niche on the

HINE HŌIA

PERFORMANCE From Chamber

Music NZ, a tale of temptation, love and greed brought to life through taonga puoro, circus arts and music. The Piano, 19 Aug.

LIVING IN A LOOP 2023

POSTMODERN JUKEBOX: LIFE IN THE PAST LANE

MUSIC Scott Bradlee’s pop-jazz

ensemble returns with a new show that puts the PMJ twist on the musical genres of the 1900s, fusing them effortlessly with hits from the modern day. Christchurch Town Hall, Wed 23 Aug.

WORD CHRISTCHURCH

FESTIVAL Ōtautahi’s premier

literary festival, with over 130 writers, thinkers, poets and performers and over 80 events.

Various venues, Wed 23 – Sun 27 Aug.

ELTON JOHN VS. BILLY JOEL PERFORMANCE Duo Cam & Sam

bring their hit tribute show to Christchurch. All your favourite songs from a pair of piano men.

A Rolling Stone, Tue 29 Aug.

08 CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ City Edit August 2023

HILLS BOUTIQUE

EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE THECOLOMBO.CO.NZ

IN GOOD COMPANY The Royal New Zealand Ballet celebrates its platinum anniversary this month with Lightscapes. Over the 70 years, Christchurch’s community of studios and teachers has produced many a company member. One of these is former principal dancer Abigail Boyle.

IMAGES: ROSS BROWN

C

IMAGE: CONVERGENCE DANCE STUDIOS

hristchurch has been part of the Royal New Zealand Ballet story since at least 1978, when dance pioneer Russell Kerr took up the reins as director at Southern Ballet Theatre.

Russell returned to New Zealand in 1957 from establishing a dance career in Europe and teamed up with Danish dancer Poul Gnatt, considered the founding father of ballet in New Zealand. Since 1953, Poul had been working with a group of dancers in Auckland to establish a ballet company.

The thriving Christchurch ballet community of studios and teachers has been turning raw talent into members of the Royal New Zealand Ballet throughout those

IN GOOD COMPANY

decades. One of these is former principal dancer Abigail Boyle.

After a false start to her dancing career and some time off, Abigail came to Christchurch to study under Sherilyn Kennedy at the city’s acclaimed International Ballet Company.

Through that, in 2006, she was part of a group of South Island dancers invited to spend a week in Wellington at the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s rehearsal studios. That’s when she was spotted by then Artistic Director Gary Harris and invited to join the national company.

Looking back on her 13 years with the company, Abigail remembers the family feel, the lack of hierarchy and the camaraderie. Everyone had their own superpower or speciality.

Others were better at this or that – leaps, fluidity, artistry. But there was no jealousy.

“We all just wanted to put on a good show.

And we also learned from each other.”

From 2006 to 2019, Abigail danced soloist and principal roles for the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Principal roles included Carmen in Didy Veldman’s Carmen, Odette/Odile in Russell Kerr’s Swan Lake, Aurora in Greg Horsman’s The Sleeping Beauty, Myrtha in Ethan Stiefel and Ada in Jiří Bubeníček’s The Piano: The Ballet. She also starred in the TV series The Secret Lives of Dancers.

When the company toured overseas, its multi-talented versatility was on show for all to see. Choreographers loved the freedom that came from working with a company where they could choose the dancers they felt would deliver on their vision.

“We were like a box of chocolates that

12 CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ City Edit August 2023

‘THE LIGHTSCAPES PROGRAMME – CLASSICAL, NEO-CLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARY – WILL BE THE PERFECT PLATFORM TO DISPLAY THAT VERSATILITY.’

IN GOOD COMPANY

choreographers could choose from, depending on what they were trying to do.

And no one was upset by that.”

For Abigail, the mix of dances in the Lightscapes programme – classical, neo-classical and contemporary – will be the perfect platform to display that versatility.

Lightscapes includes the world premiere of Whenua, by Moss Te Ururangi Patterson, inspired by haka and powered by the strength of the men of the company. Also on the programme is Serenade, George Balanchine's first full-length ballet in America; Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Requiem for a Rose, created for Pennsylvania Ballet in 2009; and Logos, by company alumna Alice Topp and created for The Australian Ballet in 2020.

In 2019, Abigail completed the Professional

Dancers’ Postgraduate Teaching Certificate with the Royal Academy of Dance and founded her own ballet coaching company, Abigail Dance Coaching.

Then in 2021 she went full circle, taking up the role of Ballet Mistress for the New Zealand Youth Ballet Company in Christchurch, helping to develop the next generation of classical and contemporary dancers.

Abigail is still humbled by the opportunity to be part of the Royal New Zealand Ballet story, and she has memories she will hold on to forever. Touring with your best mates.

“Even the stuff-ups on stage when we would forget the choreography and just look at each other and know what was going on in each other’s head.”

Sat 5 – Sun 6 August, isaactheatreroyal.co.nz

13 CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ City Edit August 2023

WORD UP

It's been a steep learning curve for the new team at the helm but you wouldn't know it – Christchurch's literary festival returns for 2023 with a programme that balances the tried-and-true with a fresh crew of voices.

F

or Kiran Dass, programme lead for WORD Christchurch 2023, the future is bright for writing and publishing in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Kiran is part of a new team behind Ōtautahi’s premier literary festival, which features over 130 writers, thinkers, poets and performers and over 80 events from 23 – 27 August. Venues include The Piano, Tūranga, The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora, and Little Andromeda.

Kiran sees the literary talent in Aotearoa going from strength to strength. Small, independent publishing houses are on the rise, and the bigger publishers are catching on to fresh and exciting voices that tap into the things New Zealanders care about. The voices and stories being championed and published are also increasingly diverse.

Capturing all that in the WORD Christchurch programme has been a steep learning curve for the new crew. The result is a programme that strikes a balance between tried-and-true gems and fresh and dynamic special events, bringing in different community voices and interest areas.

Kiran has worked alongside guest programmers-at-large Catarina de Peters Leitão, Melanie Dixon and Audrey Baldwin to elevate Māori writers and storytellers, as well as creatives across the country.

Poet and performance powerhouse Tusiata Avia joins John Campbell to discuss her provocative award-winning poetry collection The Savage Coloniser Book, while WORD also commemorates Witi Ihimaera’s

KIRAN DASS

contribution to local literature. It is 50 years since the release of his debut novel, Tangi, the first to be published by a Māori author. He will be in conversation about his lengthy career and most recent work co-editing anthologies of Māori writing.

Regarded as one of the most thrilling new Caribbean voices, Kevin Jared Hosein’s novel Hungry Ghosts explores the impact of colonisation on his home, Trinidad and Tobago.

British writer Gabriel Krauze made waves with his autobiographical novel Who They Was, long-listed for the 2020 Booker Prize, which tells the story of a young man who straddles two worlds: studying English literature at university yet remaining embedded in a London underworld of gangs, drugs and violent crime.

Fellow Brit, writer and translator Polly Barton’s work includes translations of contemporary women’s fiction by Japanese writers, a memoir about her encounters with the Japanese language and an oral history of pornography based on 19 interviews with people across ages, genders and sexualities.

Australian-based New Zealand-born writer Meg Mason is in conservation with Noelle McCarthy, talking about her book Sorrow and Bliss, which was shortlisted for last year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction.

In-depth musical knowledge combined with nostalgia for small-town life powered Scottish writer David Keenan’s debut novel This is Memorial Device and is shot through his subsequent works.

Keenan will speak about how music informs his writing, and also appears alongside cult local musician Bruce Russell for a reading accompanied by improvised music.

2023 is a blockbuster year for Aotearoa publishing. Acclaimed New Zealand contributors include Emily Perkins, Pip Adam, Catherine Chidgey, Fiona Farrell and Carl Nixon, who have all published new novels this year, as well as emerging talents such as Josie Shapiro, Ruby Solly (Kāi Tahu, Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe), Khadro Mohamed and Airana Ngarewa (Ngāti Ruanui, Ngā Rauru, Ngāruahine).

Chinese-New Zealand playwright Nathan Joe brings his sellout show Dirty Passports to his home town. And local indigenous and minority storytellers and spoken-word artists join Kevin Jared Hosein in conversation.

WORD 2023 opens with Tīmataka, a night of storytelling, poetry and waiata by Ben Brown (Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāti Koroki, Ngāti Paoa), Ruby Solly (Kāi Tahu, Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe) and Ariana Tikao (Kāi Tahu). wordchristchurch.co.nz

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WORD UP

15 CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ City Edit August 2023

IMAGE: EKATERINA STEFANOVA

CLAUDIA JARDINE

T

he bite of winter drives us to indoor hobbies such as knitting and needlework, and that can be satisfying for some. Here at Cityscape, though, we like to mix it up. Which is why we love poetry.

You can read and enjoy it curled up in your favourite armchair. Or you can go out and see poets deliver their lines live and direct.

You can even have a go yourself.

Now that’s gonna warm you up!

From the poets who launched their careers with Denis Glover’s Caxton Press in the 1930s to stalwarts Frankie McMillan and James Norcliffe and a new generation represented by Claudia Jardine, Ōtautahi Christchurch has

been a major force in the development of our national voice.

The common rooms, coffee houses and private soirées that were once the venues have been augmented by the likes of Space Academy and Little Andromeda.

Poets and stand-up comedians mingle on these stages, to the benefit of all. Slam poetry prioritises the stage over the page and Christchurch audiences love it.

Since 1989, a major force for poetry in the city has been the Canterbury Poets’ Collective. From early days at the Arts Centre, to the WEA, the Madras Café Bookshop, the CPIT Students’ Union and now the Imagitech Theatre at Ara, the

collective’s Poetry in Performance readings have continued – the longest-running series of poetry readings in the country.

Open mic nights have been central from the beginning, often giving new poets their first public outing, as well as more established names an opportunity to road-test new work.

As you might expect, the collective has a poetic way of expressing why it does what it does: Poetry is what sustains us when nothing else makes sense.

That sounds like something we can agree with!

16 CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ City Edit August 2023

FROM PAGE TO STAGE

Having been part of the live poetry scene in Wellington and Christchurch, Claudia feels here is a more beginner-friendly community.

“There’s quite distinct circles but we are all in it together. There’s lots of people willing to give it a go.”

THE PROCESS BEHIND THE POET

C

laudia Jardine wrote her latest poetry collection, Biter, at Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre, where she lived for three months as part of its Creative Residency programme.

The page comes first in her writing process but Claudia lives for performing her poems live and for hearing others perform theirs.

That’s why she always invites a couple of poet buddies along to her book launches.

Claudia has an MA in classics with distinction from Victoria University of Wellington, where she won the 2020 Alex Scobie Research Prize and a Marsden Grant for Masters scholarship.

When did you start writing poetry? I’ve been doing it since I was a teenager. My first poem was published when I was 17, in Re-Draft, which is a collection of teenagers' writing published each year by Clerestory Press. That was in 2013. I was more into slam poetry then. I did lots of performances. I was a national finalist in the Rising Voices young poets competition in 2013. That’s on YouTube. It’s pretty cringeworthy for me to watch now but then Rome wasn’t built in a day! After high school I went to Victoria University in Wellington and studied poetry and also studied at the International Institute of Modern Letters. The publication Starling started up around then. This is for writers aged under 25. That was a nice coincidence – while I was trying out being a poet, here was a publication just for me. I was writing a lot of poems at the time and sending them to journals. It’s all part of the process of moving from thought to page to publication to performance. How do you find out where to send poems? Word of mouth. When you get published in a journal they run a short bio of you. I look at the bios of other writers to see what journals they have been published in. Then I put together a timeline of submission deadlines. It’s a very methodical approach but then I do love research. Stage or page?

I prioritise the page. It’s my chosen vehicle. It goes there first. I write it

‘The word you end a line with is important. Don’t waste the chance to use it to impart meaning.’

and rewrite it and then say it out loud and think about the pauses, sounds, words that aren’t earning their keep. Any advice for budding poets out there? The word you end a line with is important. Don’t waste the chance to use it to impart meaning. Also, go to some open mic nights, see what talent range exists. Some people are scared of sharing, thinking they are going to be judged. Go out and see other people giving it a go and being brave enough to do it. Trust your own judgement and follow what you like. What’s your go-to spot in Christchurch? Grizzly. I love their eggy breakfast bagel.

DISTURBING SUBURBAN MAGIC TRICK Cilla ate six Quality Baker raspberry buns she squirmed belly swollen like a blimp begin! disturbing suburban magic trick with pink icing intact she threw up all six afternoon tea was ruined once again all eyes on Dad too proud to own a dog smaller than a footrest besotted with our black Lab he mumbled something about his Great Uncle Len and a black dog who could play cricket a well-trained dog called Peter who fetched, fielded and ran batters out came when called and put the ball down and I thought, yeah Great Uncle Len Len who went up Chunuk Bair dug shallow trenches between dead men while his senior officers were playing cards back at camp saw Malone split to shreds Len would have had a well-trained dog a friend to dig the strawberry patch in Katikati with not like our Cilla, the overeager leg slip who looks at us like she looks at a bin From BITER (Auckland University Press, 2023), p15.

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JAMES NORCLIFFE Poetry has had few champions in Ōtautahi quite like James Norcliffe.

His 12 collections span several decades divided between pursuing his own writing and helping other writers develop their own career. In 2022, James received the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement in Poetry and this year the Margaret Mahy Medal. He has twice won the New Zealand Poetry Society’s International Poetry Award and been shortlisted for the Montana poetry awards. His latest collection, Letter to `Oumuamua, was published this year.

An award-winning writer from the Port Hills of Ōtautahi, Gail Ingram is the author of Contents Under Pressure (Pūkeko Publications 2019). Her second poetry collection, Some Bird (Sudden Valley Press), is due out this year.

Gail’s work has appeared in Landfall, Turbine/Kapohau, Poetry New Zealand and others. She has an Masters of Creative Writing from Massey University, is managing editor for a fine line, and a short fiction editor for Flash Frontier: An Adventure in Short Fiction.

YOU’RE AFRAID YOU’RE A MATUKU

PICNIC IN THE CEMETERY Why the cemetery?

It was peaceful and there was plentiful parking.

What did you eat?

A boiled egg as white as the alabaster statuary I cracked it on.

Anything else?

Two cheese sandwiches washed down with a glass of Chablis.

you may not go unnoticed but you feel as though you do especially when you go boom boom boom the echoes in your throat

You did not feel it was sacrilegious?

I did not think the dead would mind my continuing to eat.

are deadened by the swamp and reeds of a secretive past you wish for the pulse of your catch the thrash of an eel flapping around

What did you learn?

your long neck but your meat is harder to find in the ever-decreasing edges of the bog stolen by upright invaders who seek dry feet do they hold their chins up when petrified?

IMAGE: RANDOM HOUSE NZ

GAIL INGRAM

I was reminded of my impermanence; something I shared with the cheese sandwich.

What did you take with you?

The memory of cracking an egg on an angel.

‘Picnic in the Cemetery’ by James Norcliffe, Letter to`Oumuamua (Otago University Press, 2023)

FRANKIE McMILLAN Frankie McMillan is a poet and short fiction writer. Her latest poetry collection, There are no horses in heaven, was published

by Canterbury University Press.

WHAT EXTREMELY MUSCULAR HORSES CAN TEACH US ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE She tells me she’s read about it, this link between horses and climate change, but when she went to the internet, a message popped up page not found and all she can imagine is that the horse’s breath is a ferocious wind that lays the desert or the tundra or whatever to waste and, really her mind is saddled up with the strangest of facts; how an octopus has three hearts, how bees sleep in pairs and hug each other’s knees at night and, ‘Stop right there,’ I tell her because I know what’s coming next, it will be about the gorillas making a new nest each night in the trees, and the male sleeping below to ward off hyenas or other dangerous beasts and she lies on the double bed in the motel room, far, far away from the desert or tundra or jungle or savannah, and she points to the single bed by the door and tells me if I were the male gorilla I’d be sleeping right there, ready to defend the troop and I shake my head troop? but she’s read about it, it’s the collective noun, so then I take off my belt and trousers, and I ask her if I’m not an extremely muscular fella and ‘Page not found,’ she says, ‘page not found.’

18 CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ City Edit August 2023

FROM PAGE TO STAGE

HOW TO POET

NATIONAL POETRY DAY

Writer and editor Gail Ingram shares a poetry exercise that will give inspo to avid poet or newbie alike.

AUGUST 25

ELEPHANTS, OWEN DIPPIE, 2015

The fourth Friday in August has been celebrated as National Poetry Day in Aotearoa for 26 years now and this year’s outing promises the same array of events live, online and on the street, thanks to sponsor Phantom Billstickers.

L

et’s start with a genre. A “persona poem” is one in which the writer adopts the voice of another person, animal or object. “Elephant on Manchester St” is an example. I wrote it from the point of view of one of the street-art elephants in Manchester Street.

The main repetitions are around senses and sounds. It’s about the elephant stuck in a city of very different smells, sights and sounds to his home. There is repetition of phonic sounds too –‘city street, smell’; ‘creak’, ‘briefcases’, ‘cardamom’; and of vowel sounds – ‘shoes’ and ‘fumes’, ‘chew’ and ‘bamboo’.

Another important feature is that the end of the poem swerves away from what is essentially a list of the senses felt. The last two lines are an observation that time has wrinkled (the cardamom smell took the elephant back to another time and place), adding another layer of meaning to the poem.

YOUR TURN Write a persona poem from the point of view of an object in your city – it could be a sculpture in the gardens, a pōhutakawa tree along Ferry Road or an ugly piece of

Best advice ever: Play with your words, have fun, surprise yourself! furniture in a shop window. What does your chosen object observe in a particular moment? What does it see, hear, smell, feel, taste in that moment? Finish with an observation about your object’s experience.

ELEPHANT ON MANCHESTER ST From this slab I look out at you, grey city street, smell the leather, the creak of shoes hurrying past, the briefcases, the fumes rising from the asphalt. A whiff of cardamom from a passing truck takes me back to the sound of a distant trumpeting the pull and chew of fresh bamboo in the lime damp of a morning, this crinkle of time on my concrete skin.

— Gail Ingram For the full version of Gail’s exercise, including writing tips, go to cityscape.co.nz

19 CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ City Edit August 2023

CHRISTCHURCH EVENTS • Canterbury Poets Collective brings the juiciest Canterbury poets to your platter – four guest poets – and an open mic for under 25s. Tūranga, Fri 18 Aug, 6.30pm, canterburypoets.org.nz • WORD Christchurch presents Unruly Memories, a stroll in the dark spaces of the Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora and surrounds. The Arts Centre, Fri 25 Aug, 6pm, wordchristchurch.co.nz • Four Ōtautahi poets – Gail Ingram, Jeni Curtis, Janet Wainscott and Marisa Cappetta – dive into their latest collections in Naming the Sirens, a celebration of local poetry. Heed the call.

Tūranga, Thu 24 Aug, 6pm, wordchristchurch.co.nz • The School for Young Writers will be posting poetry on their page for the day. schoolforyoungwriters.org WANT TO JOIN IN? Poetry-writing competitions are a popular feature of National Poetry Day. For 2023 there are regional, national and online competitions, for children and adults. Head to the website to find out more – nzbookawards.nz/ national-poetry-day/ competition-calendar/

MY DESERT ISLAND BOOK

You know the drill – one book for the rest of your life, what will it be? Cityscape puts the question to a panel of people chosen for their love of books.

MARY SANGSTER, UNIVERSITY BOOKSHOP CANTERBURY I have three books that I would like to take to a desert island, but forced to choose only one, it would be my beloved Complete Works of William Shakespeare.

This book has it all.

Stories to entertain me in the comedies and romances. The tragedies evoke emotion and throughout the whole book I’m given a history lesson. Being play scripts makes it easier for my imagination to conjure up full personas for the characters. And then there’s the poetry – fantastic! On my desert island I can recite the soliloquies to my heart’s content, keeping my brain active at the same time. After all this effort maintaining my education, reading entertaining tales and exercising my brain, I’m tired. Guess what – the tome also makes a perfect pillow!

20 CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ City Edit August 2023

CARL NIXON, AUTHOR That’s an almost impossible question. I'd have to say something like The Complete Plays of William Shakespeare.

You'd never get bored and at a pinch, all of us stranded could act out scenes on the beach. If it was just me I could do the monologues.

JUSTIN LEWIS, INDIAN INK Mine is The Denial of Death by Ernst Becker.

It’s about coming to terms with your mortality.

It has been quite inspirational for me over the last five or six years, in fact it was the inspiration for our play Paradise. It changed the way I see the world.

MY DESERT ISLAND BOOK

BEL MONYPENNY, SCORPIO BOOKS

MEL BRACEWELL, COMEDIAN

My chosen book is Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius (translated by Gregory Hays). One of the greatest pleasures I take from a book is sharing my interior world with someone else’s.

Reading a text written by a Roman emperor almost 2000 years ago and finding that it resonates with my life now is both transportive and grounding. This classic remains profoundly relevant for anyone seeking to lead a meaningful life. A great companion for challenging times.

For me it would be I, Partridge: We Need to Talk About Alan by Steve Coogan, Armando Iannucci and Rob and Neil Gibbons. I’ve read it so many times. It’s the only book that’s made me laugh out loud, not just snort air out of my nose awkwardly.

HEATH LING, STEADFAST BOOKS

TONY MURDOCH, SMITHS BOOKSHOP Tikau Talks: Traditions and Tales of the Canterbury Maori as told

by Teone Tikau to Herries Beattie. It is a testing book to read and being somewhat ill-disciplined, I would need to be free of distractions to read it properly.

A survival skills book would be most useful. Or An Island to Oneself, Six Years on a Desert Island

by Tom Neale. Although it's a cliché, I guess it would have to be Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. With an enduring story, stunning writing and descriptions and the author's in-depth knowledge of myths, legends and old languages, it's an all-time classic story of good versus evil, courage, despair and how the smallest action can have unintended consequences.

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Embrace the pages with this collection of inspiration for your book nook.

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5 ACCIDENTALLY WES ANDERSON – WALLY KOVAL A visual adventure of Wes Anderson proportions, authorized by the legendary filmmaker himself: stunning photos of real-life places that seem plucked from the world of his films, with fascinating human stories behind each facade.

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1 Monet The Portrait of Rouen Cathedral in Morning Light Paper Bookmark from Getty Museum 2 Ralph Lauren '67 Boom Arm Floor Lamp (POA) from Trenzseater 3 Primitives by Kathy Box Sign (RRP $31.74) From Amazon Australia 4 Just One More Chapter Throw Pillow (RRP $43.99) from Etsy 5 Triceratops Bookend Set (RRP $99.99) from Shut The Front Door 6 Qeeboo Turtle Carry Bookcase (RRP $1,509) from Ballantynes 7 Rens Armchair (POA) from ECC 8 Barracude Vintage Reading Glasses (RRP $369) from SpecSavers

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COOKS’ BOOKS

We check in with some of the city’s top chefs to find out which cookbooks they love the most.

CHEF PAUL HOWELL

CHEF SAM LINEHAM

CHEF SHAFEEQ ISMAIL

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aul Howell, chef at Twenty Seven Steps and Downstairs, remembers growing up with Delia Smith’s Complete Cookery Course (1982).

“It was probably the first cookbook I came across. It was my mum’s and brother’s – they were a big influence on my cooking.”

His favourite, though, would be The Complete Nose to Tail. A Kind of British Cooking, by Fergus Henderson (2012). It’s about eating all of the animal and is unapologetically an offal bible. “It’s groundbreaking in its style of photography and design. It’s not just photos of perfect dishes but also steps along the way. So there’s photos of pigs’ heads and so on. Many others are trying to emulate that approach now.”

Paul, a native of Port Talbot in South Wales, also likes that it is British and celebrates the nation’s ingredients and techniques. “I’ve used some of the recipes in the restaurant. Roast bone marrow with a parsley salad.

Roast beef cheeks.”

Fiddlesticks’ Sam Lineham narrows his favourites down to two – Al Brown’s Eat Up New Zealand (2017) and Yotam Ottolenghi’s Sweet (2017).

“With Al Brown, I remember him from his TV days, driving around the country in a blue Holden for the series Hunger for the Wild. I was a big fan of that when I was 8 or 10 years old.”

Sam’s favourite Al Brown recipe is spiced braised pork, buttermilk pancakes, smoked chipotle butter and maple syrup – “sweet, savoury and indulgent”.

His love affair with Ottolenghi’s recipes came just after graduating as a chef, when Sam was getting into the more creative side of working with pastry. “He has odd combinations that really pay off.”

There’s no hesitation from Shafeeq Ismail, head chef and owner of Odeon and Story – “Ottolenghi, books 1 and 2.” To the unitiated, that’s Ottolenghi: The Cookbook (2008) and Plenty (2010). Shafeeq loves them so much he has copies at home and at work.

Why? “Little things done well and tasty.”

Shafeeq even did a stint in Ottolenghi’s restaurant.

“He gives people the freedom to be creative.”

Ottolenghi’s recipes are easy even for the home cook. There’s not too much fuss yet “you can feel the emotion, the love that’s in there”.

READING LIST

Delia Smith’s Complete Cookery Course (1982)

The Complete Nose to Tail. A Kind of British Cooking,

by Fergus Henderson (2012)

Eat Up New Zealand, by Al Brown (2017)

Sweet, by Yotam Ottolenghi (2017)

Ottolenghi: The Cookbook, by Yotam Ottolenghi (2008)

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Plenty, by Yotam Ottolenghi (2010)

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ROBIN WHITE. THIS IS ME AT KAITANGATA. 1979.

ROBIN WHITE. FISH AND CHIPS, MAKETU. 1975.

FAMILY PORTRAITS

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retrospective exhibition honouring one of New Zealand’s most decorated and best-loved contemporary artists, Dame Robin White, opens this weekend at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū.

In the last of four shows across Aotearoa, Robin White: Te Whanaketanga | Something is Happening Here will showcase about 50 iconic, diverse and innovative works.

The exhibition, developed by Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, profiles White’s celebrated 50-year career in contemporary art and demonstrates the cultural significance of her work in Aotearoa and beyond.

Co-curators Dr Sarah Farrar, Head of Curatorial and Learning at Auckland Art Gallery, and Dr Nina Tonga, Curator Contemporary Art at Te Papa, sourced the collection from public art galleries and generous private owners throughout the country.

Dr Farrar says White’s paintings of the 1970s drew acclaim for their stylised depiction of everyday, small-town Kiwi life.

“Inspired by her surroundings, White’s iconic paintings feature local landscapes, distinctive buildings, and communities and people close to her.”

Included in the exhibition are famous early works like Sam Hunt at the Portobello Pub; Mere and Siulolovao, Otago Peninsula; Fish and Chips, Maketu; and the self-portrait, This is me at Kaitangata.

The collection also includes drawings, woodblock prints, woven works and tapa, bringing together – in the words of the artist – a “family reunion” of works.

Dr Tonga says White’s versatility as a contemporary artist speaks for itself in the exhibition.

“The multiple series of large-scale tapa cloth White developed with local Fijian and Tongan artists are extraordinary.

Her exploration into different art forms and her collaborative and innovative practice have been

significantly influenced by the places she’s lived, worked and travelled across the Pacific.”

Director of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū Blair Jackson says the exhibition presents a rare opportunity for people to experience White’s extensive and varied collection of works first-hand and learn more about an incredible New Zealand artist.

“We have two artist talk sessions on the exhibition opening day, where Dame Robin White will be joined by Dr Nina Tonga and Dr Sarah Farrar, which will be very special,” Jackson says.

Commemorating the exhibition is the publication Robin White: Something is Happening Here, published by Te Papa Press and Auckland Art Gallery in May 2022.

Edited by Sarah Farrar, Jill Trevelyan and Nina Tonga, the book was a finalist in the 2023 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.

Robin White: Te Whanaketanga | Something is Happening Here, Sat 22 Jul – Sun 5 Nov, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū

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SIMPLE SHED CATCHES EYE OF JUDGES

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or Mitchell Coll and Amy Douglas, what started as a simple shed project on Banks Peninsula has ended up the toast of award judges here and in Australia, with the latest win at the Dulux Colour Awards in Melbourne.

Mitchell and Amy, partners in life and in architecture firm Fabric, designed and built Nightlight, as the project is called, over 2½ years of holidays and weekends. The plan had been to slap it up quickly. “But I find it hard to do anything half-arsed,” says Mitchell. “The more we got into it, the more we wanted to take the time to finish it off properly.”

The result is a polycarbonate structure enveloped in timber lattice. By day it is a basecamp, packed with useful things such as a kitchen, bathroom and workshop. By night it’s a sculptural lantern bringing light to a very dark site.

Attention to detail is what caught the eye of the judges in Melbourne, just as it did

when the project won the Small Project category in the 2022 Canterbury Architecture Awards then matched the win in the national awards.

“A kernel of delight set into the landscape of Banks Peninsula in New Zealand, this modest structure demonstrates the way a subtle incorporation of colour, applied with constraint, can have a powerful effect,” Dulux judge Sarah Carney said in her comments.

“Undoubtedly, it asks a lot from one colour, which gives us more reason to commend the choice of Mist Green, as it sits so comfortably with the structural timbers and myriad greens of the surrounding bush. The result is calm and sincere, striking an organic balance between form and function.”

The win caught Amy and Mitchell by surprise. “You always go through the other finalists and think you’re just there to make up the numbers or you might get sixth,” says Mitchell. Especially when they were up

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SIMPLE SHED CATCHES EYE OF JUDGES

PHOTOS: NANCY ZHOU

against one of their favourite architects, Mel Bright of Melbourne’s Studio Bright, and her innovative Garden Tower House project.

Even better, given the small design community at home, the win put Amy on the panel of a Q&A session at a colour symposium the next day and had her mixing with other winners and judges, soaking up inspiration as she went.

Back home, next on the Nightlight site is another shed, for “dirty storage”, and setting up the site to start building the main house.

No rush though.

“We have a really basic concept. Well, we have about 20 concepts but I think we’ve landed on one. But it’s going to be maybe 10 years away,” says Mitchell. “It took us 2½ years to build the shed!” chimes in Amy. Until about a year ago, Fabric was named Coll Architecture, which operated in Christchurch for about 14 years. Smaller projects such as baches and off-grid homes

have always been part of the practice, as have larger projects. Fabric currently has three large projects on the go – a new dentistry, a church and two mixed-use buildings in the central city.

Amy and Mitchell are excited by the city emerging from the rebuild. “A lot of the work is getting finished now and Christchurch is becoming itself again,” says Mitchell. “It’s getting a bit of life back, it’s getting the landmarks and wayfinding that create a sense of place that Christchurch has been missing since the quakes.”

For Amy, a sign of progress has come from talking to visitors who have come to explore the new buildings and spaces.

“People from other cities are saying that Christchurch really feels like it has a strong identity now. If you live here you know that, but it’s cool that visitors can find that as well.” fabricarchitecture.co.nz

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ENTERTAIN ME

BINGEWATCHING

What we’re hoovering up on the small screen.

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01 — BARRY If you like your comedy dark, this one’s for you. A killer for hire takes an acting class during a hit and gets a glimpse of a life without death – other people’s, that is. Lots of laughs but also plenty to ponder in a series that explores themes of toxic masculinity, abuse and the difficulties veterans can have reintegrating into society.

02 — JURY DUTY Part comedy, part courtroom drama, 100% reality show. What’s not to like? The series chronicles the inner workings of a jury trial in the US through the eyes of juror Ronald Gladden, who is unaware that his jury duty summons was not official and that everyone in the courtroom aside from him is an actor. Guaranteed to crank your paranoia to 11.

03 — THE CHOSEN ONE Bear with us – it’s better than it sounds. 12-year-old Jodie discovers he has Jesus-like powers. Everyone wants a slice but all Jodie wants is to impress his girlfriend and smack down his bullies. Based on the comic book series American Jesus by Mark Millar and Peter Gross, this six-part series captures that Stranger Things mix of horror and coming-of-age.

READING

THE WATERS — CARL NIXON Ōtautahi author Carl Nixon’s latest book again displays his easy command of setting and character. Here, he explores 40 years in the life of The Waters’ family as they negotiate life in Christchurch.

Interesting twist – each chapter is a short story from the point of view of one of the family members.

ADVENTURES WITH EMILIE — VICTORIA BRUCE In 2021, Victoria Bruce quit work and set out on the 3000km Te Araroa trail from Cape Reinga to Bluff with her seven-year-old daughter, Emilie. From the journey’s extremes, Victoria gained insights into her life’s challenges and demons, which she shares with the reader honestly and generously.

THE ART OF WINNING — DAN CARTER The inside word from a legend as Dan Carter distils from his two decades of high-performance sport the 'perfect 10' lessons on leadership and team culture.

Whether you’re on the field, in business or just looking to make a change in your life, this book will share with you some timeless lessons.

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ENTERTAIN ME PLAY LIST

The killer tracks on high rotation in the Cityscape office.

THE FEELERS ‘Pressure Man’ Supersystem

TIKI TAANE ‘Soldiers of fire’ Single

Listening THE FEELERS: REIMAGINED – GREATEST HITS

Favourite Christchurch sons The Feelers have gone back into the studio to re-interpret 11 of their most recognisable and best-loved songs. Chosen from their first five albums, the fresh cuts include perennial bangers ‘Larger Than Life’, ‘Pressure Man’ and ‘Venus’. Stay tuned – the boys will be touring the new album nationwide during summer.

SUMMER THIEVES: CIGARETTES IN SPACE From gigging at scarfie parties, Dunedin band Summer Thieves have built a solid following with their catchy hooks and

dynamic live shows. Cigarettes In Space is their third album. On it, the band continue to evolve and push the boundaries of their sound. Tracks include the 2022 singles ‘Tongue & Cheek’ and ‘Pieces’.

JON BATISTE: WORLD MUSIC RADIO Stephen Colbert’s former band leader follows up his Grammy-winning We Are with an album studded with such stars as Jon Bellion, Lil Wayne, Fireboy Dml, J.I.D, Camilo, Newjeans and Lana Del Rey. Come aboard the mothership as Jon B takes a spin around the globe for his alien listeners.

PODCASTS

WHO SHAT ON THE FLOOR AT MY WEDDING? A gentle piss-take of the True Crime formula, the 14 episodes follow our hapless sleuths as they interrogate wedding guests, put bridesmaids through lie detector tests and bring in forensic experts in a bid to answer the big question.

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TAMI NEILSON ‘Careless Woman’ Kingmaker

VAMPIRE WEEKEND ‘A-Punk’ Vampire Weekend

JON BATISTE ‘FREEDOM’ We Are

THE GOOD SEX PROJECT Melody Thomas follows up her award-winning BANG! with a podcast about good sex, good relationships and how to have them. In interviews with Kiwis from all ages and backgrounds, Melody helps guide listeners to a deeper grasp of their own sexual and romantic lives.

THE LAST WORD

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ike many of us these days, Catherine Knight often works from home.

When she does and she feels like a break, it’s a short walk to a riverside track through replanted native bush and a remnant stand of kohekohe. Birdsong filters through the silence.

“Everyone should have a place nearby like that,” she says.

The observation is both personal and professional.

Dr Catherine Knight is a Senior Associate at the Institute for Governance and Policy Studies, Victoria University of Wellington, and Honorary Research Associate at the School of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University.

In her book Nature and Wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand: Exploring the connection, Catherine argues for the restoration of “neighbourhood nature” – places that all New Zealanders can freely access, irrespective of socioeconomic or other factors. Places like her riverside track.

More and more research is pointing to time in nature being good for us. Did you know trees give off antimicrobial volatile organic compounds called phytoncides, and studies suggest that breathing in these compounds has beneficial effects for our bodies?

In Japan, forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) has long been a health practice, being added to the national health programme in 1982.

And just like sushi and karaoke, it has caught on the world over.

Catherine feels our experience of pandemic lockdowns has increased awareness of the connection between nature and wellness.

Stuck at home, people had more time to just breathe and to enjoy their neighbourhood green spaces.

BATHING IN NATURE More and more research is pointing to time in nature being good for us. Why is that? Not sure, but Catherine Knight has some really interesting theories.

Or not. Because this also highlighted the inequities around access to that experience.

“We shouldn’t have to get into a car and drive for several hours to be able to get to a national park or whatever to enjoy nature. We need green spaces within walking distance of where we live,” Catherine says.

“We like to think of ourserlves as a nation of outdoors people. But there’s a whole swathe of New

Zealanders who have never been camping, never been on a day hike – we need to be careful about making generalisations.”

Lessening the distance between people and nature is the aim of what’s called ‘biophilic urban design’. This means designing cities in a way that they incorporate the principles of nature.

Catherine cites Singapore, with its greeneries and inner-city parks, as the No.1 example of this – “There’s a hospital there built inside a forest.”

In her book, Catherine examines the various theories advanced to explain why we feel better in nature. There’s been a few, from Edward Osborne Wilson’s concept of biophilia (Nature triggers evolutionary memories of simpler times) to the idea that it is all in the familiar fractal patterns we see in nature.

Or it could be as simple as the physical activity that time in nature usually involves. Or the absence of the noise, air pollution and ‘always on’ nature of modern life.

Catherine’s not sure any of the theories adequately explain the phenomenon and that we don’t exactly know what the mechanisms are. But that’s OK, she says. Just because we can’t explain it doesn’t mean it’s not real. The trap of Western science is the perceived need to categorise everything and put it in a box and label it.

Her own theory is that the answer is a mix of all the above – “When we are in these places we are mindful, unplugged and using our senses to enjoy being there.”

Nature and Wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand: Exploring the connection, by Dr Catherine Knight (Totara Press, 2020).

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