Bad Archive

by Flora Feltham

Bold, beautiful and constantly surprising essays about life, loss, joy and the fabric of memory.

In this deftly woven work Flora Feltham explores the corners where her memories are stashed: the archive vault, her mother’s house, a marriage counsellor’s office, the tip and New World. She takes us on a frenzied bender in Croatia, learns tapestry and meets romance novelists, all while wondering how families and relationships absorb the past, given everything we don’t say about grief, mental illness or even love. Most importantly, she asks, how do you write about a life honestly – when there are so many flaws in the way we record history and, more confrontingly, in the way we remember?

Bad Archive is a lucid, continually surprising, funny and at times bracingly personal essay collection by the winner of the Letteri Family Prize for Creative Nonfiction in 2021.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2024

Reviews

[Miz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why yes, I too am a white wahine living in Wellington with a particular memory-museum-walk-thru while listening to Twain's "You're Still the One" and a fond visitor to New Worlds' (namely Churton Park, Chaffers, Thorndon, and Newtown - in that order).

I am not however a weaver (though I did enjoy that chapter), a Proust-understand-er (I felt dumb reading this bir), nor a writer (and my fav chapter was HEA).

I know exactly who I'm sending this book to after discussing it with my peeps at book club ❤️

[Francis Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection that is both intimate and expansive, inquisitive about overlooked or forgotten documents, creatures and crafts and what they mean both in their own right and what they draw out of Feltham as their observer and archivist. More thoughts here: https://landfallreview.com/a-weavers-...

[Fina · Rating 5 out of 5]

wish I could read it for the first time again already. I’m almost sad I read this while I was back in Wellington, it would’ve been the perfect book to read while away from home

[Laura Giddey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved these essays on a range of topics and life experiences.
I now want to write my own creative non-fiction memoirs, and also a romance book.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

[Talia Forsyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this was a beautiful gift. Not my usual cup of tea but really got into it. Helped that the first chapter was set in lyttleton lol. BUT wow what a talented writer, I found myself not wanting to put her book down. It’s something new for me (the essays) but still had a really beautiful touch of romance. Love

[Maz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shout out to Tals for putting me on to this one! Inhaled it. Loved every moment

[Maddy Berquist · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t think I’m smart enough to have understood a lot of this book lol. I enjoyed like 2 of the essays and then didn’t enjoy the rest. Not for me, but can appreciate that it’s probably a really great piece of work

[Laurence · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great voice comes through this diverse collection of essays and memoir. Fearsome biography. What a talent !

[Scarlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intelligent, craftily told essays from a woman of many faces and many experiences. We cover religious mysticism and medieval anchoresses, work farms, the ecological impacts of the tip, weaving and archiving and marriage, and my favourite subject for literary essays: a romance writers convention 😎 I am, of course, biased.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it - particular the Pōneke vibe.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is one of the best pieces of literature to come out of Aotearoa in recent times. I read it twice in quick succession and I’ll read it again before the end of the year. 10/10, no notes. My god what a talent.

[Fatin Zuhrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flora really pulled me in and got me fully immersed. Felt warm and fuzzy, then all teary-eyed. I get it now why it's shortlisted for the 2025 Ockham NZ Book Awards! Very well-deserved.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful, refreshing selection of essays. Memory and archive is woven into every page — I think it would be fair to call this both a detailed tapestry and its brilliant cartoon.

Reading this away from home did make me disgustingly homesick. I could smell Wellington’s tip. Could see the flashing lights of Cuba Street parties. I would finish each essay with a big grin or tear filled eyes. Top contender for my favourite book of 2025.

[Sarah Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a brilliant collection of essays. I loved reading this, especially the stories about the author’s parents and the romance novelist one. Really funny and sweet and genuine. I hope I can write something this good one day.

[harshitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really do love this collection

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YESSSS EXAMS OVER (let's not think about that portfolio)

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Described as an essay collection, I found this sat closer to memoir (or “creative” memoir perhaps) as it was firmly in the vein of millennials writing about their lives with zippy millennial humour (though I wouldn’t describe it as a comedic memoir). As a millennial myself, that means that there will almost always be some aspects that resonate. In this case, the vibes are of the “liberal city millennial” variety - you probably already know if that’s a category that speaks to you, and thus whether this one is likely to interest you or not.

Overall, this collection was enjoyable enough to read, though it didn’t especially wow me, perhaps as a result of expecting essays but getting memoir that was a little more navel-gazing than introspective. I found the bits about Feltham’s archival job the most interesting to read about.

A slightly self-indulgent, memoir-heavy collection exploring family, relationships and memory from a Wellingtonian viewpoint.

[Ruby · Rating 3 out of 5]

the first essay ‘on archiving’ is sooooo perfect. love it so much. immediately after reading it i said out loud it was on par with olivia laing’s work for me. SO good. and it’s not that the rest of the collection isn’t good…it’s just that it never quite meets or exceeds the high of its opening. the writing is interesting and fun. the majority of these essays expertly craft a cultural idea to be examined through a personal framework—the best! my favourite type! i think a lot of the more personal memoir-ish essays are clever and honest and unabashed at sharing. but it just never reaches the high of ‘on arching’ again!!!! i get why it’s first—it introduces a complex net of themes the entire book revisits in different ways—but i think i would have liked the entirety of the book more if i wasn’t waiting the entire time for it to return to how absolutely fantastic the first essay was.

[Kate Fortune · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging series of essays, a great read.
I particularly enjoyed the first one, "On Archiving", which is much more than insights into the mind of a committed archivist/research librarian. The glimpse into the life of the real people behind the archival diaries was totally absorbing and rewarding. I was simply entranced.
The book moves on across a spectrum of big issues, dealing with "life, loss, joy and the fabric of memory", as the blurb promises. Flora Feltham is a shining star, and reading her consideration of family, sexuality, marriage, employment is immensely worthwhile.
And the essay on seagulls, "Bogans of the Sky", is simply amazing and insightful.

[agnes]

Because it is a memoir I will not rate it, but it was a good and entertaining read. Since spending much time in New Zealand, I thought it was important to read a book written by a Kiwi author during my time there. The book, consisting of essays, mentioned many familiar places that I had been often or a few times. It was cool to read about that, but most essays were not connected and some I found completely useless. I did not find any meaning behind the majority of them, but it was still interesting to read. Definitely not a binge read though.

[Quin Bright]

Read this during shifts at work (I work 2 days/week right now). It’s really great! Obviously captured me with its opening essay on archiving but there’s a variety of topics here: weaving, bad drug fueled vacations, alcoholism and relationships, family and memory, landfill ecology, romance novels, etc. Flora is concise and unpretentious and tender in her writing. I’ve been unable to read much recently and this was really the only thing that I could stick with, that hit whatever particular balance of intimacy and humor and distance I needed right now.

[Karen Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a surprise. I had never heard of Feltham and perhaps I should have. Feltham's day job is at Archives.

These essays open the reader up to Feltham but also the social commentary of the past decade. Most of the locations are identifably Wellington so its like finding out the secrets of your home town.

I loved these stories and Feltham's writing, I''l be keeping an eye out for more.

[Sarevans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Authentic and entertaining writing. Each short story in this collection leaves an impression. Flora captures the challenges and glimmers of modern life, deftly. Love how she ties in so many weaving related metaphors. This is an extension of her identity and it enhances the sincerity of her writing. Have bought this book for others as I enjoyed it so much.

[Ariana Tikao · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books that I read late last year, and one of my favourite books of essays I’ve ever read. So brave and beautifully written, and such interesting subject matter. Some of my favourite bits were around trying to eat the meat pie to bring back memories, and the weaving essay. Mīharo!

[Leilani Tamu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Organised as a series of personal essays, this book is beautifully written and immersive. Flora’s writing is poignant and compelling. From the first essay, which seamlessly moves between the imagined world of the past and the present, to later essays that explore the eco-systems in and around her world, Flora deftly takes us on a journey that is satisfying and meaningful.

[Honor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving it so much I'm trying to slow down and never reach the end!

[teddybearbrown · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite essay was ‘The HEA’ :)

[Jaimie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could give 6 stars

[Georgia Trass · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite book of the year ❤️ I am not a non fiction girl but boy did I love this book, and thank the author so much for writing out her personal archive so beautifully.