Dunedin Launch – A Clear Dawn: New Asian Voices from Aotearoa New Zealand

Posted: Thursday Jul 01, 2021

Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature was proud to partner with Auckland University Press and Dunedin Public Libraries on the Dunedin launch of the first-ever anthology of Asian New Zealand creative writing, A Clear Dawn: New Asian Voices from Aotearoa New Zealand edited by Paula Morris and Alison Wong.

The event was held at Dunedin Public Libraries and chaired by Paula and Alison, with a warm welcome by Mayor Aaron Hawkins with the DCC Waiata Group in support. The free event treated guests to mesmerising readings by some of the local writers published in New Asian Voices: Feby Idrus, Melanie Kwang, Sharon Lam, Eva Wong Ng, and Rushi Vyas. Thanks to Malcolm Wong, Chair of the Dunedin Chinese Gardens Trust, an enthralling line-up of musicians also entertained the full house: Carthika Luxmanan on veena and Lydia Yang and Jeffrey Zhao on erhu. Refreshments afterwards included piping hot yum cha from Golden Harvest, and book sales were managed by the University Book Shop.

Dunedin is the perfect location for such a special literary event, not only because it is New Zealand’s UNESCO City of Literature but also because it is home to Lan Yuan – the Dunedin Chinese Garden. This scholar’s garden celebrates the Chinese influence on Otago's history and heritage. It is one of only three such gardens outside of China and the only one in the southern hemisphere. All materials were transported from Shanghai, sister city to Dunedin and a UNESCO City of Design, and Lan Yuan was built by traditional Chinese artisans and builders.

In this fine volume 75 writers explore the full range of human experience. Dunedin’s voice is represented throughout the anthology by writers Akemi, Serena Chan, Modi Deng, Feby Idrus, Rupa Maitra, Eva Wong Ng, and poet Rushi Vyas, who curated the event.
‘Red hibiscus petals represent names, names signifying things forgotten’. (From ‘Funeral: Durga Puja’ by Rushi Vyas)