Wednesday’s Children

Wednesday’s Children returns to print in this beautifully designed edition, celebrating the enduring work of Robin Hyde.

Set in 1930s New Zealand, the novel follows Wednesday Gilfillan, an independent woman who rejects societal expectations in favour of a life defined by artistic and emotional freedom. On an isolated island, she creates a home for her remarkable children and other characters drawn into her life by circumstance. The novel explores her journey through love, loss and survival, focusing on her defiance against the constraints imposed on women—particularly female artists—in a patriarchal society. In vivid prose, Hyde critiques middle-class respectability and delves into the personal costs of living an unconventional life.

With striking cover art by Star Gossage and a new preface and afterword by Genevieve Scanlan, this fresh edition revives a poignant narrative that remains deeply relevant to contemporary readers.

‘Anyone who has ever felt torn between the urge to run away from the world and the urge to improve it will find something resonant in this book.’
—Genevieve Scanlan