The Artist

by Ruby Solly

At first there is nothing but black sand, then something begins to grow; a gentle song emerges so bright that sound becomes sight . . . And so from the black the world is sung into being, not for us, but for itself, but for the song. In a Southern land, where the veil of time and space has worn thin, twins with otherworldly ways are born to a stone carver and his wife. As they grow into themselves, the landscape and its histories will rise up to meet them and change their whanau forever. Cave art leaps from walls, pounamu birds sing, legends become reality, and history becomes the present in this verse novel by Ruby Solly (Waitaha, Kati Mamoe, Kai Tahu). The Artist brings to life the histories of our great Southern iwi through the whakapapa of its characters and the rich world they and their ancestors call their turakawaewae— their place to stand, their place to sing.

Genres: Poetry

144 pages, Paperback

First published May 11, 2023

Reviews

[Emmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely absorbed by this story, in love with the way the author structures this piece of writing through traditional knowledge and story telling, it just kept pulling me in deeper and I need more writing from Ruby Solly ASAP! It was truly an honour to hear these pūrākau from the authors perspective.

[Zachary Ngow · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of pounamu, hue, Southern rivers, love stories with mythical beings, history of Kāti Māmoe, Kāi Tahu and Waitaha peoples, people who exist between this world and another and music.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The mix of poetry and prose weaves a story of myth and legend. I really enjoyed this book. I feel like I would need many rereads to understand it better and deeper.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from my local library, but I enjoyed it so much I bought a copy to keep.