Landfall Reinvents Itself For The New Century

Media Release 1.12.00 A BRAND NEW ENGINE Landfall reinvents itself for the new century

There's a sense of excitement about the transformation of New Zealand's oldest literary journal. Landfall celebrates a number of changes with the launch of its 200th issue in Auckland on 5 December. Authoritative, provocative and indispensable, issue 200 brims with a mix of vital new work by the country's best writers and artists.

From the first glimpse of John Reynolds' elegantly wonky signposts on the cover, it is clear that Landfall is heading off in a new direction. There's a new editor at the wheel of the 'Landfall bus' with issue 200 - Justin Paton. Editor for the past seven years, Chris Price, is on board as co-driver and will hand over some maps and tools before jumping off on her own explorations.

The bus itself has undergone a facelift. Landfall has a whole new look, choreographed by Aaron Richardson of Designworks in Auckland. Paton wanted to rethink the format and design of Landfall in line with his desire to make more space for the visual arts and other media in the journal's distinctive mix. He and Richardson worked closely to create the new look and feel, reviewing size, masthead, colour and typography. The result is a more dynamic journal, where text and image work to create a full experience. In this issue there are stunning portfolios by John Reynolds, Jennifer French and Bill Hammond.

Paton has broadened the horizons of the reviews section, too. The focus remains on books, but there is also exciting new writing about drama, art, film and dance. Michael Billington surveys New Zealand theatre, Claire Murdoch anatomises Marilyn Duckworth's recent memoir, and Adrian Martin surveys 'the decline of Jane Campion.' Also reviewed are film-maker Alison Maclean, painters Grant Hall and Stephen Bambury, playwright Stuart McKenzie, and dancer Douglas Wright.

The mainstay of Landfall - creative writing from New Zealand's best writers - is still there and as strong as ever. Landfall 200 is a 'traveller's guide', a collection of essays, poems, stories and art that traverse the distances between New Zealand and the wider world - from the Wellington waterfront to Pushkin's Russia, from the Port of Lyttelton to the Republic of Fiji.

Highlights of Landfall 200 include: o major new poems from Ian Wedde and Allen Curnow o Len Lye in Paris o John Newton on the fate of women poets in the '60s and '70s o fiction from new writers Tim Corballis and Alison Wong o Geoff Park on scenic Aotearoa o and a new section - 'Paper Cuts' - offers short, sharp takes on everything from crosswords to comics

With Landfall 200, one of New Zealand's most venerable literary institutions enters the twenty-first century with energy, momentum and promise. Says Justin Paton, "The thing to do, when you're given the keys to a tradition, is not to park it up and polish the bonnet, but to see where it can take you."

Contributors to Landfall 200 Fiction: Tim Corballis, Fiona Farrell, Alison Wong Essays, Criticism & Autobiography: Nick Ascroft, Gerald Barnett, Jon Bywater, Peter Ireland, Andrew Johnston, Lloyd Jones, John Kinsella, Adrian Martin, Anna Miles, John Newton, Geoff Park. Mark Williams Poetry: Nick Ascroft, Allen Curnow, David Eggleton, Bernadette Hall, John Kinsella, Cilla McQueen, Anne Michaels, Sudesh Mishra, Emma Neale, James Norcliffe, Vincent O'Sullivan, Ian Wedde Art: Jennifer French, Bill Hammond, John Reynolds Cover Art: John Reynolds Reviews of Books by: Ruth Dallas, Marilyn Duckworth, Lauris Edmond, Andrew Johnston, Chris Kraus, Lydia Wevers Reviewers: Michael Billington, Michael Gifkins, Michael Hulse, Philip Matthews, Claire Murdoch, Gregory O'Brien, Jennifer Shennan, Elizabeth Smither, Gabriel White, Mark Williams

THE EDITORS

Justin Paton was born in Timaru in 1972. Previously a lecturer in the history and theory of painting, sculpture and photography at Unitec Institute of Technology in Auckland, he is now curator of contemporary art at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. His art criticism, articles and book reviews have been published in a wide range number of newspapers and magazines. His recent exhibitions and publications include 'Hills of Gold: Michael Smither's Central Otago' and 'Warren Viscoe: Life and Limb'.

CONTACT: tel 03 474 3256 (bus), 03 477 4470 (home), or email justin.paton@dcc.govt.nz

Chris Price has been sole editor of Landfall since 1993, commencing with Landfall 186. Landfall 200, a 'hand-over' issue co-edited with Justin Paton, will be her last. She continues to coordinate Writers and Readers Week for the New Zealand Festival, and is working on a collection of poems with the assistance of Creative New Zealand. She is one of the judges for the 2001 Commonwealth Writers' Prize (South-East Asia and Pacific Region).

CONTACT: tel 04 472 7403

Landfall 200 edited by Justin Paton & Chris Price paperback, 216 pages ISBN 1 877133 89 2 ISSN 0023 7930 Published December 2000 $21.95

CONTACT Philippa Jamieson, Publicist University of Otago Press PO Box 56, Dunedin tel 03 479 9094 fax 03 479 8385 philippa.jamieson@stonebow.otago.ac.nz or contact the editors (see above)

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