A Strange Beautiful Excitement

Dive into the enchanting world of A Strange Beautiful Excitement, a captivating exploration of Katherine Mansfield's Wellington, masterfully penned by Redmer Yska. This beautifully crafted hardback, measuring 150 x 198 mm, delves into the rich tapestry of the city that shaped one of New Zealand's most revered writers. Spanning 296 pages, published on July 24, 2017, this compelling narrative is a perfect blend of biography and memoir, offering readers an immersive experience. Yska's deep-rooted connection to Karori enhances his unique perspective as he recounts the sights, sounds, and smells of colonial Wellington, vividly portrayed through Mansfield’s youthful lens. Journey through the rugged streets of Thorndon, the serene valleys of Karori, and witness the societal dynamics of the past. With dogged research into Mansfield's Beauchamp ancestry and a critical reevaluation of historical beliefs, Yska presents a thrilling narrative that invites readers to rediscover this literary icon. As Dame Fiona Kidman describes it, this is a 'ravishing, immersing read' that shines a new light on Katherine Mansfield’s formative years in a city brimming with beauty and excitement. Perfect for fans of New Zealand literature and those interested in the intersection of place and creative identity, A Strange Beautiful Excitement is a must-read that redefines literary biography. Feel the pulse of Wellington’s past and nurture your curiosity with this splendidly written book.

Author: Redmer Yska Publisher: Otago University Press
Bind: hardback
Dimensions: 150 x 198 mm
Pages: 296
Publication Date: 24-07-2017

How does a city make a writer? Described by Fiona Kidman as a ‘ravishing, immersing read’, A Strange Beautiful Excitement is a ‘wild ride’ through the Wellington of Katherine Mansfield’s childhood. From the grubby, wind-blasted streets of Thorndon to the hushed green valley of Karori, author Redmer Yska, himself raised in Karori, retraces Mansfield’s old ground: the sights, sounds and smells of the rickety colonial capital, as experienced by the budding writer. Along the way his encounters and dogged research - into her Beauchamp ancestry, the social landscape, the festering, deadly surroundings - lead him (and us) to reevaluate long-held conclusions about the writer’s shaping years. They also lead to a thrilling discovery. This haunting and beautifully vivid book combines fact and fiction, biography and memoir, as Yska rediscovers Mansfield’s Wellington, unearthing her childhood as he goes, shining a new lamp on old territory. "It’s not enough to say I immensely enjoyed A Strange Beautiful Excitement … it’s simply splendid." - Dame Fiona Kidman "… the best account I have ever read of Wellington and Karori as they were in Mansfield’s day … Vivid and vigorous, it is a pleasure to read." - Kathleen Jones, KM biographer