Showing Dunedin: The City in Literature (Our City) by Christine Johnston

Dunedin's remarkable literary heritage is founded on Charles Brasch, who presided over the nation's literature from his Dunedin home for many years as the editor of Landfall, on James K Baxter, arguably New Zealand's greatest poet; and on internationally celebrated novelist Janet Frame. It is an impressive record for a small city, and all three are represented in Christine Johnston's lively anthology of Dunedin writing. Also featured are works by well-known poets and memorists Brian Turner, Ruth Dallas and Alistair Campbell, and by a new generation of writers that includes Paula Boock and Emma Neale. This rich collection is a delight from beginning to end and will satisfy the most demanding reader.

Christine Johnston was born in Dunedin, where she still lives. A novelist, playwright and short story writer, she published her first novel, Blessed Art Thou Among Women, in 1991. In 1994 she was the Robert Burns Fellow at the University of Otago. She has written several novels for young adults, and most recently she published the widely acclaimed The Shark Bell.

The ‘Our City’ series offers a new perspective on New Zealand’s major cities. Each volume presents a selection of the literature inspired by one of New Zealand’s four major cities. Chosen with care by a well-known editor from each city, the selections include short stories, poems, and extracts from novels and writers’ memoirs. Each contributor, whether contemporary or historical, has a strong association with the city concerned, and every selection has something significant to say about the character of the city. Together they create a vivid picture of what makes the city unique.