Old Books from Brancepeth Station Library with Lydia Wevers

The Brancepeth Station Library has survived intact since the 1880s and provides a unique history of what station workers were reading at the end of the nineteenth century. Most of the library was fiction but very few of these were New Zealand novels. Why not? What were New Zealanders writing and reading towards the end of the nineteenth century? The JC Beaglehole Room at Victoria University, which holds the Brancepeth library, also holds a wealth of material from the literary culture of the time. This talk will discuss the historical riches that lie in archival materials, and how they help us build a picture of daily life over a century ago. 

This is an event involved in the Featherston Booktown Festival on Friday 10th, Saturday 11th & Sunday 12th May celebrating everything to do with books, writers and reading. The three-day programme includes writing workshops; poetry readings; talks by leading authors and illustrators; and a book fair including stalls with rare and second-hand books. There are also events specifically for children.

Take a look at our website for the full programme of events.