Kiwi Conference in Poland

Alan Duff was the guest of honour

The University of Gdansk, Poland, hosted the 18th conference of the New Zealand Studies Association from 6-8 July 2012. Entitled New Zealand and Europe: Borders, Nations, Identities, the conference attracted nearly thirty academics from universities in New Zealand, Poland, Australia, the UK and others.

Alan Duff was the guest of honour. Drawing on his work Once Were Warriors, he spoke about the portrayal of New Zealand culture through literature and cinema.

Other speakers presented and debated New Zealand’s European heritage and its ongoing ties with countries such as Poland (notably through the Polish settlement post WWII in Pahiatua), Maori identity, New Zealand music and food.

Conference participants also had the opportunity to view a photographic exhibition financed through a MFAT PDF project titled “Faces and Places” which presented portraits of New Zealanders and stunning landscapes. One of the meeting highlights was a trip in a 17th century galleon replica around the port of Gdansk.

MFAT was represented by Lisa Futschek from Berlin and Dr Dariusz Zdziech from Warsaw.