memorials

‘Stop immortalising a legacy of murder’: Which NZ statues need to be toppled?

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Around the world, statues, monuments and place names forged in colonialism and racism are coming under scrutiny. The police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis sparked a wave of protests around the world, and in turn a targeting of colonial and racist statues, such as the tribute to 17th-century slave trader Edward Colston, which was … Read more

I dive into grief: How giving in to anguish helps us make sense of mourning

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Vana Manasiadis wrote a collection of poetry in the wake of her mother’s death. In this essay, ahead of her appearance at the Going West festival, she argues that as a nation Aotearoa needs to learn to make space for mourning.  When Mum died in Athens, I cried loudly and publicly and was held up … Read more