Otherhood

In Aotearoa the number of people who will never have children is growing - and they're pushing back against the narrative that if they don't, their lives will be somehow 'less than'. Otherhood's essays are by writers who've felt on the outside looking in, who've lived unexpected lives and who've given the finger to social expectations. Some chose to be childfree, some didn't get to choose and some - through bereavement or blended family dynamics - ask themselves: Am I a mother or am I other? Thought-provoking, moving and often hilarious, Otherhood opens a more inclusive conversation about what makes a fulfilling life.

‘The sheer variety of approaches, both thematic and stylistic, is the primary strength of this collection, making it one of the most thorough and varied personal approaches to this topic to date, both in Aotearoa and elsewhere . . . A vibrant antithesis to the assumption that only biological motherhood can fulfil a life and a testament to the various connections that shape our lives’ — Sara Bucher, Aotearoa New Zealand Review of Books

‘This is a book that will resonate with everyone who has found themselves excluded from the traditional conversations around childbearing. It not only deserves a spot on your bookshelf but also on your person, so that the next time someone asks you about children, you can simply hand them this collection.’ — Jackie Lee Morrison, Kete Books

Alie Benge (she/her) is a New Zealand writer who lives in London. She was the essay editor for takahē and has been published in The Spinoff, Turbine | Kapohau, Pantograph Punch and more. She was joint winner of the 2017 Landfall Essay Competition. Her debut essay collection, Ithaca, was published in 2023.

Kathryn van Beek (she/her) is the author of two children’s books and the short story collection Pet (2020), which is also available as a podcast. Her work has appeared in Overland, Landfall, takahē, Newsroom, The Spinoff, Sunday Star-Times and MiNDFOOD. She contributed to Misconceptions, a web series about miscarriage available on the New Zealand Herald website. Kathryn was the 2023 Robert Burns Fellow.

Lil O’Brien (she/her) is the author of Not That I’d Kiss a Girl (2020), a beloved Kiwi memoir about coming out during her years at Otago University, among other things. Lil is currently working on the screenplay of Not That I’d Kiss a Girl with South Pacific Pictures. She’s an award-winning freelance copywriter by day, and has had essays published in takahē, The Spinoff and more.

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