On Saturday 18 July, we celebrated the launch of Out of the Box by Trish Harris at Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui | Wellington Central Library.
Friends, contributors, whānau and supporters gathered to mark the publication of this collection, which shares the stories of 25 Deaf and disabled artists, activists and adventurers from Aotearoa New Zealand.
The afternoon celebrated the people whose stories fill the pages of Out of the Box, with beautiful music from Fonotī Pati Umaga, wonderful dance performances by Rodney Bell and Duncan Armstrong, and a powerful poetry reading by Helen Vivienne Fletcher of Crip the Lit. Interpreted throughout in New Zealand Sign Language, the event reflected the inclusive spirit at the heart of the book.
In her opening remarks, publisher Dr Sue Wootton reflected on the collaborative nature of publishing, noting that ‘it takes a village to create a book’. That spirit was evident throughout the afternoon, with a large crowd gathering to celebrate Out of the Box.
Our sincere thanks to Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui | Wellington Central Library for hosting the launch, and to Unity Books Wellington for managing book sales on the day. Thank you also to everyone who joined us to celebrate the publication of Out of the Box.