Book Description

Keri Hulme (1947-2021) was the first novelist from Aotearoa New Zealand to win the Booker Prize, for the bone people, published by a Spiral collective. Keri Hulme: Our Kuru Pounamu is Spiral's celebration of Keri's life and work, with tributes, essays, poems, stories, interviews, ephemera, art works and photographs. This is the third edition. It includes two stories Keri wrote at secondary school — they cover themes continued in the bone people, which Keri started to write when she was 18. These come from Keri's family — her whānau was always at the centre of her life; from her tahu-tuhituhi, her beloved writing associates; and from her neighbours and friends. To include her in the kōrero — she loved conversation! — Keri is represented by poems, art works, a long essay about Te Wāhipounamu - South West New Zealand World Heritage Area, two stories she wrote while still at school that prefigure themes in the bone people, shorter essays, and extracts from her letters. The title comes from a letter that the late Dr Erihapeti Rehu-Murchie wrote to Spiral. The cover and a suite of illustrations are by Kāi Tahu artist Madison Kelly. Keri Hulme: Our Kuru Pounamu is in seven parts — Kā Tahu-Tuhituhi Arapera Blank, Bill Manhire, Brian Potiki, Cathie Dunsford, Fergus Barrowman, Gaylene Preston, Janet Charman, Keri Hulme, Maclean Barker, Patricia Grace, Philip Tremewan, Renée, Rowley Habib, Sandi Hall, Sharon Murphy Moeraki — The Black Bach Keri Hulme, Leigh Te Ahuru–Lam Sheung, Siobhan McNulty Te Tai Poutini — Kā Naybore Andris Apse, David Alexander, Keri Hulme, Sonja Worthington Spiral & The Women's Gallery Bridie Lonie, Keri Hulme, Marian Evans the bone people Arapera Blank, Dulcie Smart, Erihapeti Murchie, Irihapeti Ramsden, Keri Hulme, Lynne Ciochetto, Mark Cubey, Sylvia Mary Bowen, Vicki McDonald Te Whānau Tommy Rakikino Miller, Mary Miller, Kate Salmons, Matthew Salmons Te Waiata The book ends with ends with a waiata composed by the late Miriama Evans of Spiral and sung at the launch of the bone people.