AUTHORS WRITERS WALK WELLINGTON

Twenty-three of New Zealand's most cherished historic and contemporary writers appear centre stage along Wellington's waterfront. Large-scale typographical sculptures embedded in the landscape of sea, sky, sun, rain, and wind, are now joined by an augmented reality experience that enlivens and refreshes our relationship with famous authors and their words.

Katherine Mansfield

Their heads bent, their legs just touching, they stride like one eager person through the town, down the asphalt zigzag where the fennel grows wild ... the wind is so strong that they have to fight their way through it, rocking like two old drunkards. From ‘The Wind Blows’, 1915.

James K. Baxter

I saw the Maori Jesus walking on Wellington Harbour. He wore blue dungarees. His beard and hair were long. His breath smelt of mussels and paraoa. When he smiled it looked like the dawn. From 'The Maori Jesus' in Collected Poems of James K Baxter (ed J E Weir), Oxford University Press, 2003

Bill Manhire

I live at the edge of the universe, like everybody else.

Vincent O’Sullivan

Then it’s Wellington we’re coming to! It’s time, she says, it’s time surely For us to change lanes, change tongues, They speak so differently down here. From ‘Driving South with Lucy to the Big Blue Hills’, 1998.

Robin Hyde

Yet I think, having used my words as the kings used gold, Ere we came by the rustling jest of the paper kings, I who am overbold will be steadily bold, In the counted tale of things.

Alistair Campbell

Blue rain from a clear sky. Our world a cube of sunlight – but to the south the violet admonition of thunder.