White Fungus Issue 8 to be launched Wednesday

White Fungus Issue 8 to be launched at Happy this Wednesday

Irreverent Wellington-based arts and culture mag White Fungus is about to launch its eighth issue at Happy Bar and Venue this Wednesday, September, 26.

The mag, which recently celebrated its third birthday, has grown from a free photo-copied handout to a print publication distributed around the world, but editor Ron Hanson says its roots remain firmly in Wellington.

"We're interested into tapping into stuff that's going on all over the place, but we've actually
managed to connect to other cultures through the magazine without actually having to physically leave Wellington."

The magazine is now on-sale in Australia, Berlin and through out Asia. Recently the publication signed a distribution contract with Ontario-based company Disticor to distribute White Fungus in Canada and the US. The mag recently received a grant from CNZ to support the new growth.

"The distribution contract was an amazing surprise to us," Hanson says. "But we think there's growing interest in New Zealand arts and also the company, Disticor, being from Canada, I think, can relate to our situation. The founders actually started the company about 30 years ago after leaving Gordon & Gotch because it refused to actually distribute Canadian publications."

The new issue features articles on Wellington artists including electro producer Disateradio and painter Rob McLeod, as well as new poems by Vivienne Plumb, whose play, The Cape, was recently staged at Circa. The issue also includes an interview with Nicky Hager discussing The Hollowmen and election spending.

The mag is being launched at Happy for the second time, following the release of issue 7 in December last year. The party kicks off at 8pm with a hilarious and gruesome short film directed by Wellington artist Kelly Pendergrast and produced by Thierry Jutel, currently head of Victoria University media studies.

Following the film screening will be music by Fertility Festival (featuring Jeff Henderson) and the Stumps (featuring Antony Milton) and a performance by artist Tao Wells.

Entrance is $10 an includes a complimentary copy of the new issue.

ENDS

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