Five women explore diverse perspectives on what it means to be adventurous.
Dr Hinemoa Elder, Kyle Mewburn, Anjum Rahman, Julie Zarifeh and Emily Writes speak about very different aspects of courage and adventure in a conversation chaired by Jo Malcolm. (A highlight of the 2021 WORD Christchurch Festival)
Upper: Emily Writes, Anjum Rahman. Lower: Dr Hinemoa Elder, Kyle Mewburn, Julie Zarifeh. Photo: WORD Christchurch
Dr Hinemoa Elder’s book Aroha was the top-selling New Zealand non-fiction title of 2021.
In it, she explains the meaning of Maori 52 whakatauki – traditional Maori sayings – drawing out their messages for today, as well as the philosophical context within which they were created. In her conversation, the respected psychiatrist focuses on how we can live better lives, in harmony with the planet and each other.
Kyle Mewburn’s memoir Faking It is an account of growing up, and the process of outwardly becoming the woman she always felt herself to be inside. She speaks of her remarkable journey sustained by a long-term relationship.
Anjum Rahman talks about how her role as one of the significant voices of Muslim women in Aotearoa became supercharged by the terrible events of the terror attacks on the Christchurch mosques.
Clinical psychologist Julie Zarifeh experienced tragedy in her own life with not one, but two, unexpected deaths in her immediate family. Her way of coping was to take time off for travel and fulfilling personal challenges.
Emily Writes makes a powerful case for the idea that adventure and courage can be found in the most ordinary details of home life for parents of young children.
About the speakers
Dr Hinemoa Elder
Dr Elder is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and has worked in a number of mental health settings including the Child and Family Unit/ Mother Baby Unit at Starship Hospital, in Auckland. She is also a Maori Strategic Leader for the Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) for the Ageing Brain. Her book Aroha is a Penguin Books publication.
Instagram: @drhinemoa
Kyle Mewburn
Kyle Mewburn is one of New Zealand’s most eclectic and prolific writers. Her titles have been translated into eighteen languages and won numerous awards including Children’s Book of the Year. Her memoir Faking It is published by Penguin.
kylemewburn.com
Twitter: @kylemewburn
Anjum Rahman
Anjum Rahman is the Project Lead of Inclusive Aotearoa Collective Tāhono, an organisation working to create a stronger sense of belonging through connections and collaboration. She is a community advocate, holding governance roles in various community organisations, and was a prominent voice in response to the Christchurch terror attacks.
inclusiveaotearoa.nz
Twitter: @kiwistargazer
Instagram: @anjumnz
Julie Zarifeh
Julie Zarifeh trained in Clinical Psychology, focusing on adjustment to life’s inevitable adversities. Despite experiencing significant loss and tragedy, she has intentionally and intuitively managed to apply the New Zealand Mental Health Foundation’s ‘5 Ways to Wellbeing’ model to her own life with immensely positive and productive outcomes, as outlined in her book Grief on the Run.
Emily Writes
Emily Writes is the best-selling author of Rants in the Dark: From one tired mama to another and her new collection Is it Bedtime Yet? A mother of two, she is editor of The Spinoff Parents.
www.emilywrites.co.nz
Instagram: @emilywritesnz
Facebook: EmilyWritesNZ
This session was recorded in partnership with WORD Christchurch
Photo: WORD Christchurch
