Wellington’s LGBTI community congregated at Unity Books on Thursday evening for Rainbow Wellington’s 12th annual book review marathon. Two dozen queer bookaholics took the mic to assess the most important queer titles published in the past year.
Photos © Matt Bialostocki // Unity Books
There were many local highlights. Jared Gulian, author of Moon Over Martinborough (Random House NZ) donated his delicious first pressing from this season’s MoM olive oil for a RW fundraiser. In a risky experiment, which we are glad to say received a lot of positive comment (and sales), Emma Martin (Two Girls in a Boat, VUP) and Aorewa McLeod (Who Was That Woman, Anyway?, VUP) cross-reviewed each other’s work. Green Party MP Jan Logie relayed the dark context of current-day Russia via Masha Gessen’s Man Without A Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin (“a truly brave Russian woman”).
Anna Applin, Jared Gulian, and Emma Martin
The calibre of this year’s reviewers and publishing was incredibly high, and though the olive oil may have been fresh, this year’s Rainbow Review evening was without doubt a true vintage. Below are the books reviewed, and the names of the reviewers in order of presentation.
FIRST HALF:
Michael Kirby: Law, Love & Life by Daryl Dellora – reviewed by Tony Reed
When Romeo Kissed Mercutio by Kathy Sutcliffe – reviewed by Brian Shillito
Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin – reviewed by Brooklynne Kennedy
Carry the One by Carol Anshaw – reviewed by Mari North
We The Animals by Justin Torres – reviewed by Todd Atticus
Wonder Girls by Catherine Jones & Letters to the End of Love by Yvette Walker – reviewed by Clare Bear
In One Person by John Irving – reviewed by Gavin Hamilton
Who Was That Woman, Anyway? By Aorewa Macleod – reviewed by Emma Martin
Two Girls in a Boat by Emma Martin – reviewed by Aorewa MacLeod
Scenes From Early Life by Philip Hensher – reviewed by Mark Beehre
Moon Over Martinborough by Jared Gulian – reviewed by Tony Reed
Top to bottom, left to right: Mari North, Clare Bear, Jan Logie, Tilly Lloyd
SECOND HALF:
Barracuda by Christos Tsiolkas – reviewed by Anna Applin
Fire in the Belly: The Life and Times of David Wojnarowicz by Cynthia Carr – reviewed by Lee Jensen
Tessa Masterton Will go to Prom by Brendan Halpin & Emily Franklin – reviewed by Charlie Holland
Maggie & Me by Damian Barr – reviewed by Tony Simpson
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M Danforth – reviewed by Kura Barrett
Gaysia: Adventures in the Queer East by Benjamin Law – reviewed by Howard Pond
Pat Rosier presented a tribute to Shulamith Firestone
Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin by Masha Gessen – reviewed by Jan Logie
Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris – reviewed by Hamish Allardice
Mary Wickes: I Know I’ve Seen That Face Before by Steve Taravella – reviewed by Alana Bowman
The World we Found by Thrity Umrigar – reviewed by Alison McEwan
Tilly Lloyd & Emma Martin manage to sneak a giggle between the shelves.
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO CAME TO THE SHOP TO MAKE THE RAINBOW WELLINGTON BOOK REVIEW NIGHT SUCH A WARM, GENEROUS AND BRAINY NIGHT.
All books are available in store and through our online shop: www.unitybooksonline.co.nz
