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Spiral (publisher)
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Spiral (publisher)
Spiral, also known as Spiral Collective or Spiral Collectives, is a New Zealand publisher and group of artist collectives established in 1975 with a focus on female artists and voices. Members of Spiral have published and created a number of projects and works including, notably, the Spiral journal (seven issues published from 1976 to 1992), A Figurehead: A Face (1982) by Heather McPherson, The House of the Talking Cat (1983) by J.C. Sturm, the bone people (1984) by Keri Hulme (the first New Zealand novel to win the Booker Prize), numerous art exhibitions and documentary films.
Spiral was originally founded in 1975 in Christchurch by a group of women including Heather McPherson, Paulette Barr, Allie Eagle (also known as Alison Mitchell) and Kathryn Algie. McPherson had formed a Women Artists Group in order to encourage women writers and artists, and Spiral grew out of this group and out of the women's liberation movement. Their goal was to publish a literary journal for and by women. The first issue, Spiral 1 (1976) was printed by Wellington-based feminist press Herstory Press, and was described by newspaper The Press as containing "poetry, prints, literary criticism, and thoughts on women's special place in the world of art". The collective described itself in the second issue as follows:
We are a collective of Christchurch women with a feminist perspective eager to provide New Zealand women with a literary/arts journal which is a forum for their own thoughts, feelings, attitudes in a nuturant supportive atmosphere.
Many of those involved in Spiral participated in women's activism more widely, which influenced the art produced by the group. A letter published in an early issue suggested that work should be accepted on merit rather than limited to work by women only; in response, McPherson said she supported positive discrimination for women and noted the barriers faced by women to publication in most magazines.
Six more issues of Spiral followed between 1977 and 1992, and contained poetry, essays, letters, paintings, drawings, photographs, short stories and other artworks. Different groups of women throughout New Zealand took responsibility for each publication, meaning that the issues varied in formatting and appearance. The first four issues were published in Christchurch, the fifth in Wellington, the sixth in the Coromandel and the final issue by a New Zealand-wide group. Local printers were used and women's bookstores and communities helped distribute the issues throughout the community. The magazine at times faced financial difficulties and was supported through fundraising efforts like poetry readings. The collective became a floating imprint used by different feminist groups.
In 1977, artist Joanna Paul, an early member of Spiral, connected a number of artists including McPherson, Eagle, Gladys Gurney (also known as Saj Gurney), Anna Keir, Bridie Lonie and Marian Evans in Wellington, with her project "A Season's Diaries". This project developed into the Women's Gallery, a Wellington art gallery focussing on the expression of women's everyday lives through art. Spiral was closely connected with the Women's Gallery which was itself run as a collective, and with children's book publishing collective Kidsarus 2. The latter published Patricia Grace's well-known picture book, Kuia and the Spider / Te Kuia me te Pungawerewere (1981), in both English and Māori. Although the gallery closed in 1984, the Women's Gallery Incorporated charity continued until 2005 and was a fiscal sponsor for Spiral's projects.
In 1982, the members of the Wellington collective that had published Spiral 5 (including Evans and Keir) decided that Spiral would become a publisher of books that were unable to find traditional publishers.
Spiral published seven books between 1982 and 1987, including notably A Figurehead: A Face (1982), a collection of poetry by McPherson (the first collection of poetry published in New Zealand by an out lesbian), The House of the Talking Cat (1983) by J.C. Sturm and the bone people (1984) by Keri Hulme. In 2021, Emma Espiner commented: "If you consider the history of New Zealand writing, it is both frightening and inspiring how influential the Spiral collective has been."
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Spiral (publisher)
Spiral, also known as Spiral Collective or Spiral Collectives, is a New Zealand publisher and group of artist collectives established in 1975 with a focus on female artists and voices. Members of Spiral have published and created a number of projects and works including, notably, the Spiral journal (seven issues published from 1976 to 1992), A Figurehead: A Face (1982) by Heather McPherson, The House of the Talking Cat (1983) by J.C. Sturm, the bone people (1984) by Keri Hulme (the first New Zealand novel to win the Booker Prize), numerous art exhibitions and documentary films.
Spiral was originally founded in 1975 in Christchurch by a group of women including Heather McPherson, Paulette Barr, Allie Eagle (also known as Alison Mitchell) and Kathryn Algie. McPherson had formed a Women Artists Group in order to encourage women writers and artists, and Spiral grew out of this group and out of the women's liberation movement. Their goal was to publish a literary journal for and by women. The first issue, Spiral 1 (1976) was printed by Wellington-based feminist press Herstory Press, and was described by newspaper The Press as containing "poetry, prints, literary criticism, and thoughts on women's special place in the world of art". The collective described itself in the second issue as follows:
We are a collective of Christchurch women with a feminist perspective eager to provide New Zealand women with a literary/arts journal which is a forum for their own thoughts, feelings, attitudes in a nuturant supportive atmosphere.
Many of those involved in Spiral participated in women's activism more widely, which influenced the art produced by the group. A letter published in an early issue suggested that work should be accepted on merit rather than limited to work by women only; in response, McPherson said she supported positive discrimination for women and noted the barriers faced by women to publication in most magazines.
Six more issues of Spiral followed between 1977 and 1992, and contained poetry, essays, letters, paintings, drawings, photographs, short stories and other artworks. Different groups of women throughout New Zealand took responsibility for each publication, meaning that the issues varied in formatting and appearance. The first four issues were published in Christchurch, the fifth in Wellington, the sixth in the Coromandel and the final issue by a New Zealand-wide group. Local printers were used and women's bookstores and communities helped distribute the issues throughout the community. The magazine at times faced financial difficulties and was supported through fundraising efforts like poetry readings. The collective became a floating imprint used by different feminist groups.
In 1977, artist Joanna Paul, an early member of Spiral, connected a number of artists including McPherson, Eagle, Gladys Gurney (also known as Saj Gurney), Anna Keir, Bridie Lonie and Marian Evans in Wellington, with her project "A Season's Diaries". This project developed into the Women's Gallery, a Wellington art gallery focussing on the expression of women's everyday lives through art. Spiral was closely connected with the Women's Gallery which was itself run as a collective, and with children's book publishing collective Kidsarus 2. The latter published Patricia Grace's well-known picture book, Kuia and the Spider / Te Kuia me te Pungawerewere (1981), in both English and Māori. Although the gallery closed in 1984, the Women's Gallery Incorporated charity continued until 2005 and was a fiscal sponsor for Spiral's projects.
In 1982, the members of the Wellington collective that had published Spiral 5 (including Evans and Keir) decided that Spiral would become a publisher of books that were unable to find traditional publishers.
Spiral published seven books between 1982 and 1987, including notably A Figurehead: A Face (1982), a collection of poetry by McPherson (the first collection of poetry published in New Zealand by an out lesbian), The House of the Talking Cat (1983) by J.C. Sturm and the bone people (1984) by Keri Hulme. In 2021, Emma Espiner commented: "If you consider the history of New Zealand writing, it is both frightening and inspiring how influential the Spiral collective has been."
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