Critical writing in New Zealand is being further expelled from the mainstream media as it continues on its woeful trajectory into tabloid tactics in attempts to stay financially viable. This is worrying as it may suggest the public at large would rather pay for celebrity gossip and light entertainment instead of real, important news. Still, there are encouraging signs that critical and constructive thought in this country is far from dwindling, it may just be a little harder for most people to find…

THE HOROEKA READING GRANT

Horoeka / Lancewood

The Horoeka Reading Grant was established in 2015 by New Zealand’s reluctant intellectual ambassador and Booker-Prize winning author, Eleanor Catton, in order to encourage young and emerging writers to read extensively on a topic of their choice before writing an essay to share what they have learnt. Great idea!

Congratulations to recent recipient, Wellington-based pseudonym, Richard Meros, of Lawrence & Gibson publishing who read “recent texts on post-scarcity economics and a selection of philosophical works on abundance and gifts.”

The result is an essay on lack, abundance and NZ excess entitled ‘New Bourgeoizealand’:

“…any project that makes specific demands against government needs to be augmented by a concurrent increase in optimistic alternatives. A similar compact exists in Gramsci’s saying “I’m a pessimist because of intelligence, but an optimist because of will”. Where Gramsci locates optimism in his own being – his will – the heart of this essay will focus on a similar optimism but one located in the material abundance of the world.”

Read the essay in full here > horoekareading.com/new-bourgeoizealand-by-richard-meros/

And for more essays & reading lists emerging from the grant, including one on ecology and climate change by our good pal Alex Mitcalfe Wilson, go here > http://horoekareading.com/category/essays/

DITA DE BONI SIGNS OFF IN STYLE

Dita De Boni

Siting budget restraints, the New Zealand Herald has ‘discontinued’ the opinion column of one of their last remaining voices of dissent, Dita De Boni, who signed off this week with her final scathing piece: “Government contempt too overwhelming to ignore”.

“People have asked me over the years why my columns have become more strident in tone; more “biased against” the Government. The answer’s that the examples of contempt for the public, hypocrisy, and flat-out bulls***tery have become too overwhelming to ignore.”

Read the full article here > www.nzherald.co.nz/dita-de-boni/news/

We wish her good luck and hope her passionate and insightful voice will emerge unencumbered once again!