Book review: Re-Inventing New Zealand, an intellectual history

Re-Inventing New Zealand 
By Roger Horrocks
Atuanui Press
RRP $45.00

The problem with intellectuals in New Zealand is that they are generally not listened to or understood and there has always been a degree of anti-intellectualism.

This distrust is fairly universal but one of the great things about them is that they are generally aware of the issue of anti-intellectualism and tend to write and speak with a common touch. Their aim is to inform a wider public rather than engage in a closed intellectual or academic debate with colleagues ort institutions.

Roger Horrocks has always been a clear and insightful writer and communicator and his wide-ranging approach to the media has meant an awareness of the need to be clear and accessible.

As a lecturer, writer, librettist, poet, film maker curator and researcher, he constantly produced refreshing approaches to his topics. This is obvious from his new book Re-Inventing New Zealand – a series of essays on the arts and media in which he wryly notes “How many New Zealanders have ever willingly described themselves as intellectuals."

The two dozen essays were written over 1983 to 2016 and concentrate on the cultural changes occurring since the 1960s, such as the evolving visual arts scene, a growing film industry, feminism, the Māori renaissance, economic extremism, and the digital age.

Such changes have transformed our literature, visual arts, music, film, and television, and reInvented our way of seeing ourselves both locally and internationally.

The titles of the chapters are an indication of the range of his subjects – from the wide-ranging “A Short History of ‘The New Zealand Intellectual” and “How to Create a Film Industry,” to the more focused “Julian Dashper and the Art of Misreading” and “Douglas Lilburn: Nationalism Now,” these are elegantly crafted essays.

While these are disparate essays, collectively they are able to say much about New Zealand society and culture and the author provides a consistent point of view for viewing the cultural landscape.

He also provides a formidable essay on the work of Leigh Davis, the creative genius whose writing and art failed to attract public attention. That he worked for Fay Richwhite may have curtailed his literary career as Horrocks notes, “Davis’ impeccable suits and gleeful determination to become a rich man infuriated most of the literati who expected artists and poets top register in public their unceasing opposition to mammon.”

Such examples of writing, a combination of description and personal, witty assessments are characteristics of Horrocks’ writing, making it an enjoyable and entertaining read. One is aware of the author analysing and reflecting on his own approach to his topics.

Tune into NBR Radio’s Sunday Business with Andrew Patterson on Sunday morning, for analysis and feature-length interviews.