Dead Letters: Censorship and subversion in New Zealand 1914–1920

by Jared Davidson

In 1918, from deep within the West Coast bush, a miner on the run from the military wrote a letter to his sweetheart. Two months later he was in jail. Like millions of others, his letter had been steamed open by a team of censors shrouded in secrecy. Using their confiscated mail as a starting point, 'Dead Letters: Censorship and subversion in New Zealand 1914–1920' reveals the remarkable stories of people caught in the web of wartime surveillance.

Among them were a feisty German-born socialist, a Norwegian watersider, an affectionate Irish nationalist, a love-struck miner, an aspiring Maxim Gorky, a cross-dressing doctor, a nameless rural labourer, an avid letter writer with a hatred of war, and two mystical dairy farmers with a poetic bent. Military censorship within New Zealand meant that their letters were stopped, confiscated and filed away, sealed and unread for over 100 years. Until now.

Intimate and engaging, this dramatic narrative weaves together the personal and political, bringing to light the reality of wartime censorship. In an age of growing state power, new forms of surveillance and control, and fragility of the right to privacy and freedom of opinion, 'Dead Letters' is a startling reminder that we have been here before.

Genres: History

306 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

An archivist by day and author by night, Jared Davidson is a writer based in Lower Hutt, Aotearoa New Zealand. His research explores the lives of workers overlooked by traditional histories – from radicals of the early twentieth century to farmhands and convicts of the nineteenth. He is currently the Research Librarian Manuscripts at the Alexander Turnbull Library.

Reviews

[Trish McCormack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead Letters is so much more than a book on censorship during WW1. That subject alone is fascinating but Davidson’s writing skills and superb evocation of character gives the reader the chance to know and understand the people who could otherwise have been consigned to a footnote of history. Always interesting, these people live and breathe. Highly recommended and an important story for our times

[Sarah Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jared Davidson brings the letters of the dead to life with compelling writing that evokes great sympathy for the writers of these letters, all of which were censored in New Zealand between 1914-1920. Letters that never reached their intended audience are now brought to life for a much wider audience. Individuals in the wrong place, at the wrong time, caught up in the fear and suspicion propelled by WWI, suffered greatly for penning their thoughts on paper. In this book their thoughts are given life and reflected on with the passing of time. The hardships they suffered are recorded for all time.

This book is a great read, that really brings history alive in a way anyone can relate to and leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

[Asher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating stories told beautifully - bringing pieces of the hidden history of Aotearoa into the light.

Well worth a read for anyone interested in resistance to war, state surveillance or just knowing the stories of people's lives in this country.

[Peter Lineham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming and insightful writing

[Larrykins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting topic.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting.