Interview: Kevin Chapman talks about Arohanui
- NZ Booklovers
- Aug 15
- 3 min read
Kevin Chapman has worked in book publishing in New Zealand, Britain, Canada and Australia for far longer than he wishes to admit. He returned to NZ in 1998 as Managing Director of what is now Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand and also ran Anne Geddes Publishing before starting his own company, Upstart Press, in 2013.
Tell us a little about Arohanui: My Aotearoa New Zealand.
Arohanui: My Aotearoa New Zealand is essentially a love letter to the country, but one in which people not only say what is special or why they are connected, but also what they see as wrong with it and what it should do better. We gave people questions about the country, and they chose what to answer and in what way. We didn’t edit, but we did choose portions of the contributions that we felt embodies the essence of their answers. We cleared their final pages with each contributor. People were kind, helpful, and engaged. It felt like a very collaborative project.
What inspired you to publish this book, and why is this book important?
I saw a Canadian book that is along these lines, and having lived in Canada for seven years and still feeling strongly about the country, I was moved by it. Then I thought that New Zealand raises similar feelings in us and why not let us tell our own story. This is a book I will be proud to share with friends overseas. Not because it paints a perfect country, but because it paints a country of great strengths and weaknesses, great accomplishments and challenges, and we are proud to be here through all of it.
How did you and editor Rosemary Hepozden choose the people who feature in the book?
We (Upstart Press) started work on it five years ago and drew up an extensive list of people that we thought might have something to say in an interesting way. We wrote to a lot of people then but in the midst of Covid most just didn’t want to engage. It kept simmering and when Rosemary came on board we restarted it with that list but made some substitutions that we felt rounded out the list. We didn’t want it to just be famous New Zealanders, although quite a few are famous in their own areas. We wanted a cross-section. We just kept adding people until we felt that we had that cross-section.
What is the story that moved you the most?
I spent my time with this book constantly moved, but Farid Ahmed’s story of love and forgiveness does stay with me.
What person’s story did you find the most uplifting?
The one that always makes me laugh is Buddy Mikaere being brought back to earth. Very funny.
What are some of the other standouts from the book for you personally?
It is the breadth that stands out to me. I feel that to focus on one or two contributions is to miss the point of it all, which is that our views on this country are personal and each is unique. Along with much of the world we are becoming more divided and if you look at the contributions as a whole you are almost certain to be moved in different ways.
What did you enjoy the most about publishing Arohanui: My Aotearoa New Zealand?
It was a special book to work on because as the contributions came in it felt like one long, inspiring, voyage of discovery. Whether they were happy or worrying they all hit a chord in me. It has become what I hoped it would be.
What is the favourite book you have read so far this year and why?
It is probably a tie between Catherine Chidgey’s The Book of Guilt and Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life by Anna Funder. But I have also enjoyed keeping up with the Rebecca Yarros Empyrean series. Variety is important.
What’s next on the agenda for you?
We are working on getting the last books off to the printer for 2025 and some nice projects for 2026 and beyond.
