Katherine Mansfield Photo: WikiCommons
Like Katherine Mansfield, Sherry Grant plays the cello. Like Katherine Mansfield she was born in one place, but lived in another. And like Katherine Mansfield, Sherry Grant is a musician who became a poet.
It'd be fair to say the Taiwanese-born, New Zealand-based Sherry is more than a little obsessed with the mother of New Zealand literature.
There's her book of poetry, 'Being Katherine'. As a professional pianist, she's been touring the country playing music inspired by or in some way related to Mansfield, and next month she's organised an online festival of art, poetry, music and discussion to mark the centenary of her death.
The KM100NZ Festival is, in Grant's words, 'three days of musicians, artists, writers, philosophers, and scholars, gathering online, from around the world to give presentations, recitals, and panel discussions', all dedicated to the New Zealand born author who died in France in 1923.
So how has a pianist from Taiwan developed such a strong connection with this banker's daughter from Wellington?
"I really resonate with her, because she was like an outcast, spending a lot of time alone and in the company of books, and the fact she was a cellist and I trained as a cellist."
Perhaps more importantly, Sherry identifies with Mansfield's struggles to find her own voice and a place to call home. Mansfield moved to Europe, Sherry moved to New Zealand with her parents nearly 30 years ago.
She remembers feeling awkward and shy, "unlike me now, reaching out to everyone in the world, as much as I can".
Sherry Grant Photo: Milena Parobczy
And it's not just in the name of Katherine Mansfield. There's also a recent project celebrating another genius, Alexander Scriabin, and next year, 'VioLatino', 10 new works for viola and piano by composers from Latin America living away from home – once again, the idea of the emigre is close to the surface.
Katherine Mansfield playing the cello at Queen's College, London c.1903-1905. Photo: Courtesy of the Alexander Turnbull Library
"I think it's really interesting. It's almost like Katherine Mansfield, she was an expat, and I feel like an expat myself. I identify with them".
Back to next month's KM100NZ festival, Sherry is going to be very busy – as always. She'll be playing in most of the online concerts, even her daughter Zoe is helping out.
Sherry Grant and her daughter, Zoe Photo: Sherry Grant
Zoe, like her Mum, has recently discovered a love of writing poetry. In her case, haiku.
Mother and daughter are collating haiku to be read throughout the KM100NZ festival.
Here's one of Zoe's:
Snoring is boring
Stranger beside you
Suffering
If you're struggling to sleep and feeling alone on the other side of the world, you can always log onto KM100NZ, which will run online from November 17th to 19th.
