Coming Attractions – Part 2

After a couple of excellent events last week, there are more to come this week!

Wednesday 14 October, 12.30pm: Cityscapes, Snowscapes, Seascapes

Unity Books Wellington, 57 Willis St

After Michelle Elvy’s excellent book launch at Aurelia Books on Sunday, here is your chance to hear a panel with Michelle and two other authors with new books coming out soon.

A lunchtime reading and discussion by three authors with new books: Leanne Comer, David Coyle and Michelle Elvy.

Poster for "Cityscapes, Snowscapes, Seascapes", a lunchtime reading and discussion by three authors with new books: Leanne Comer, David Coyle and Michelle Elvy. Poster shows the covers of these books, and other details in the text of this post in black text against a white background.

Thursday 15 October, 6-7.30pm: Launch of And How Are Things With You by Mia Farlane

Unity Books Wellington, 57 Willis St

Event begins 6pm, speeches planned for 6.30pm

I’m really looking forward to the launch of Mia Farlane’s new novel. From the cover being created in the window of Unity Books to some great panels and events, Mia and Mākaro Press have done a great job of the publicity – now the book itself is revealed to the world!

Inivitation to the launch of Mia Farlane's new novel, with details in the text of this post. Image has white text on a blue background to the left, and on the right, an image of the book cover.

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1016370291460755

More about this book and Mia’s writing: https://miafarlane.com/

Sunday 18 October, 4-6pm, Poetry and Music at Newtown’s Office Bar – Pōtihia / Vote

Office Bar, 124 Riddford St, Newtown

Free entry.

“With this country’s General Election coming up in November, we have decided to make the whole programme Open Mike and encourage people to share work with a political theme if they would like to – with the definition of ‘political’ being as broad and accommodating as it needs to be….. This can be spoken word or song and your own work or the work of others. And for the musicians out there, some instrumental interludes would also be welcome!

About the venue:We use their upstairs space and there is no lift, so if you might need some assistance with the stairs, please let us know. Also, they don’t serve tea or coffee, but you are welcome to bring a flask from home or pick up a take-away to bring in.”

Tim adds: Remember – if you want to vote to get rid of this Government, you must enrol by 25 October!

Poster for Poetry and Music at Newtown's Office Bar, with details also included in the text of this post. Poster is in black and white with a green border, showing stylised images of prominent NZ politicians holding signs in Te Reo.

Vote Climate. And Don’t Get Distracted.

Vote Climate poster image

This is a climate election. Most of the media don’t want you to think that, big political donors don’t want you to think that, and National, ACT, and NZ First most certainly don’t want you to think that. Neither, I fear, does Chris Hipkins, with the Labour leader often throwing his own party’s climate policies under the bus. But with the climate emergency spiralling out of control, voting for a party that doesn’t take climate change seriously is voting for extinction – soon.

Where do the parties stand on climate? Here are their policies, where available:

My short analysis plus climate voting recommendations:

Strong parties on climate action: The Green Party and Te Pātī Māori.
Pretty good: TOP.
Not great, but way better than National: Labour.
Very bad: National, NZ First.
Atrocious: ACT.

If you’re on the left or centre-left, I recommend voting for the Green Party or Te Pātī Māori, using both your votes strategically.

If you’re on the centre or right, and take climate change seriously, I suggest voting for those parties too – but if you can’t bring yourself to do that, vote Labour or TOP.

Talk to friends – Action Station has a great triple the vote campaign on this. The momentum of the right has stalled in the last couple of weeks – a Government that focuses on climate justice and climate action is not out of reach.