NORTH & SOUTH> celebrates 25 years

11 February 2011

NORTH & SOUTH celebrates 25 years of the stories that shaped our nation

It was founded on the vision to create “a provincial version of Metro without the hard-edged, rapacious bastards, glass towers Jafa image”, and its first editor was renowned for “not taking crap from anyone”.

It’s North & South and this year the iconic national magazine celebrates a quarter-century of exploring New Zealand’s issues of the day and the personalities behind them.

Dipping into the magazine’s 300 issues has delivered a commemorative edition that represents a colourful journey through New Zealand history – from the dizzy optimism of the pre-crash 1980s and the political and social upheavals that followed, to the news-makers and shakers of the new millennium.

The 25th anniversary issue of North & South revisits the heroes, rogues, larrikins and power-hitters that peppered its pages since 1986. No Cabinet coup or bad 80s haircut goes unnoticed in the 35-page pictorial special feature which hits the newsstands next week (Feb. 14).

North & South editor Virginia Larson says, “North & South’s 300 issues have chronicled a quarter-century of New Zealand life and times, holding up a mirror to our changing nation.

“To celebrate our 25th anniversary, we delved into the back issues to tell the magazine’s story and, in doing so, turned a lens on the people who have shaped the country since the mid-1980s, the issues that have engaged and enraged us, the culture that has entertained us, and the places we love.”

There were the headlines: “Is Roger Douglas Human?”; “Auckland: The Fear of New Zealand”; “Asian Angst: Is it Time to Send Some Back?”; “Winston Peters: The Man YOU Want as Prime Minister”; “The Fall of Hanover” and “Why David Lange Had to Go”.

There was controversy – including a five-year defamation battle with former Labour leader David Lange resulting in a win to North & South and a ground-breaking extension of press freedom in New Zealand.

There were the entertainers and sports stars – the Kiwis who made us laugh and made us proud.

These – and many, many more – were the stories that shaped a nation, 1986 to 2011, revisited in the March collector’s edition.

Also in the bumper March issue

North & South explores the risky business of being a New Zealander. Graham Adams goes looking for evidence of Kiwi recklessness and its effects – from our appalling road crash statistics to the high accident rate among “weekend warriors” and DIY enthusiasts.

Activist entrepreneur and local boy-made-good Selwyn Pellett lays out his vision for New Zealand’s economic salvation.

And it’s the Year of the Dog for senior writer Mike White who, with his huntaway pup Cooper, discovers a whole new world among the dog walkers of Wellington.

It’s all in the special 25th anniversary edition (March) of North & South, on newsstands from February 14.

Ends

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