Wellington
Katherine Mansfield grew up in Wellington and left it, and the city appears in her stories as a place of gardens, harbours and uneasy families. Bliss and The Garden Party were written in Europe, but the childhood they draw on was formed here, and New Zealand readers have claimed her ever since.
The Alexander Turnbull Library, part of the National Library, holds the major collection of Mansfield manuscripts and papers as well as the country's documentary heritage. It is the obvious place to check a date, a letter or the text of a story as it was first published.
A library to check
- Alexander Turnbull Library — catalogues and digital collections, open to readers online
Books connected to Wellington
- Bliss and Other Stories — Katherine Mansfield, 1920. The best short stories written in English in the early twentieth century.
- The Garden Party and Other Stories — Katherine Mansfield, 1922. Mansfield's most famous collection, and the best place to start with her.
A note on accuracy
We describe literary connections and public collections, not street addresses, opening hours or ticket prices. Those change and we cannot verify them for every reader. Follow the institution's own site for current visiting information.