Six by Six: Short Stories by New Zealand’s Best Writers

by Bill Manhire

First published in 1989 and reprinted numerous times, Six by Six remains the definitive introduction to the classic New Zealand short story. Six by Six is a big, generous book. It shows the full range and vitality of New Zealand fiction published in the twentieth century. These are stories of pace and invention, mischief and melancholy, darkness and joy. From a two-page sketch by Patricia Grace to Maurice Duggan’s short novel ‘O’Leary’s Orchard’. From classics like Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Garden Party’ and Frank Sargeson’s ‘Conversation with My Uncle’ to the contemporary brilliance of Owen Marshall and Janet Frame.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

560 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Bill Manhire was born in Invercargill in 1946. He was his country's inaugural Poet Laureate and has won the New Zealand Book Award for Poetry four times. He holds a personal chair at the Victoria University of Wellington, where he directs the celebrated creative writing programme and the International Institute of Modern Letters. His volume of short fiction, South Pacific, was published by Carcanet in 1994.

Reviews

[Erin Milham · Rating 3 out of 5]

All the stories in this collection that I actually read made me very uncomfortable but I guess that's the point?

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

NZ is lucky, these are good stories! Still, Janet Frame is in a class of her own.