Talia Marshall's debut book Whaea Blue (2024) is a force of nature. Abandoning neutral expressions of praise, New Zealand's reviewers have spoken of it in tones of dazed warning: the book is 'stunning', 'haunted', and 'alarming in its honesty'. But while it has its wild moments, it also has notes of humour and gentleness, 'whaea' means mother or aunty...
This week, continuing my series of conversations on writers talking about their writing (see the previous conversation here), Anastasia Ames discusses her debut novel...
Pythagoras planned it. Why did the people stare?
His numbers, though they moved or seemed to move
In marble or in bronze, lacked character.
But boys and...
