‘Amethyst outlook’: Exploring Katherine Mansfield’s queer identity

Part of the 2026 Wellington Pride Festival | Tū whakahīhī e Te Whanganui-ā-Tara

“From the amethyst outlook my situation is devilishly fascinating, but it cannot be permanent.” – Katherine Mansfield, 1907

Following the success of 2025’s The Magic of Her Body: Readings of Katherine Mansfield’s Queer Writing, dive deeper into Katherine Mansfield’s queer identity from the perspectives of two generations of Wellington writers.

Gill Greer CBE MNZM is a respected Mansfield scholar, who has also led organisations focused on human rights and health. In 2005, she was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to family planning and literature. In 2012, she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for services to international health and women’s rights.

Joy Holley completed her MA in Creative Writing at the International Institute of Modern Letters in 2020 and her debut collection of short fiction Dream Girl was published in 2023. She was the 2024 Verb Wellington Writer in Residence at Katherine Mansfield House & Garden. During the residency, Joy worked on a first draft of her second book; a Gothic novel about a group of young, queer women living in a haunted flat in Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

This event is free, but registration is required due to limited space in the house. Please note that this event will take place upstairs, see the Accessibility page of our website for more information.

You can either attend this event in-person or online via Zoom. If you register to attend via Zoom, a link will be sent to you at least 24-hours prior to the event start time.