Differing interpretations can define and bind us, as New Zealanders have discovered with the Treaty of Waitangi. The starting-off point for this collection of short stories is a piece of text or image that is read differently by different people: be it because of ambiguity, or misapprehension, a problem of translation, or opposing perspectives or cultures. This book is not meant to explore the issues of the Treaty of Waitangi in any literal or direct way, but rather explore the human paradox that has followed from its writing 170 years ago: in trying to bring people together, words can also push them apart. Lying at the core of our interactions, words are both salves and weapons, they can be simple and fork-tongued. How we read, how we misinterpret each other, can reveal the nature of our society, its diversity, complexity and richness. Written by a mix of leading New Zealand writers, with Maori, British, Irish, Polynesian, Chinese and Greek backgrounds (among others), this entertaining book of fictional stories engages with the idea of ambiguity creatively. This collection reflects our society in provocative, humane and intriguing ways.

Table of Contents

Michelle Arathimos -- Ben Brown -- Ellie Catton -- David Eggleton -- Travis Gasper -- Stevan Eldred-Grigg -- Briar Grace-Smith -- Charlotte Grimshaw -- Peter Hawes -- Tim Jones -- Fiona Kidman -- Tze Ming Mok -- Kelly-ana Morey -- Paula Morris -- Sue Orr -- Vincent O'Sullivan -- Alice Tawhai -- Apirana Taylor -- Albert Wendt.

Author Biography

Marco Sonzogni is an award-winning editor, translator and poet. A widely published acdemic, he is a lecturer in the School of Languages and Cultures at Victoria University of Wellington.