Crete 1941 – an epic poem

By Ramsey Margolis

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Crete 1941 – an Epic Poem

Project 2021-07-26 10:46:42 +1200

Update 3: We now have 2 'stretch goals' – a free guide for reading groups and individual study PLUS an audio book. Please read this update.

 

Update 2: We’re half way there with 20 days to go. We need more pledges to reach our target.

 

Update 1: Dimitrios Mitsotakis asks for your support in a short video ... in Greek.

 

++++

 

The Tuwhiri Project is seeking your help to raise NZD $10,000 (approx. USD $7,000, GBP £5,000, or €5,900) to produce, print, distribute, and promote a book which will feature the epic poem: ‘Crete 1941’.

 

With what we raise we will also pay the author a fee, purchase New Zealand designed typefaces by Kris Sowersby that will be used in this book, and update the Tuwhiri website and online store.

 

In this poem, Bernard Cadogan tells the story of what small nations such as Greece and Aotearoa New Zealand have had to do to uphold international law, and of the extraordinary extent which indigenous citizenship, such as Māori possess, contributes to the international personality of a country.

 

The defence of the island of Crete in the second world war was a mission which Allied forces could have won. The failure to repel the German landings embroiled Cretans in more than three years of bitter occupation.

 

 

It is astonishing, in retrospect, that New Zealanders led the defence of the island against a great power such as Germany. Crete is where the famed 28th Māori Battalion found its feet in battle. Sfakia on Crete is where the revolutionaries began the struggle for a Hellenic republic in 1821, while in 1941, it was where Allied troops were evacuated from; New Zealand’s Dunkirk.

 

This poem presents a story which both Greeks and New Zealanders need to recover for themselves from the myths that the British created around the Battle of Crete.

 

What we ask of you

We are seeking your support for this venture with a pledge. None of the pledge amounts are fixed, which means that you may offer more than the base amount or, if you wish, support us with more than one pledge.

 

Crowdfunding through Pledgeme will give us an idea of how many books to print, as we are effectively pre-selling books before they are printed.

 

Encouraging your generosity emphasises the fact that, as an enterprise, The Tuwhiri Project is doing socially worthwhile work rather than being a profit-focused business.

 

SEE HOW THE BOOK WILL LOOK AND READ THE INTRODUCTION AS WELL AS EXCERPTS FROM ALL FIVE CANTOS HERE.

 

On the poem ‘Crete 1941’, Bernard Cadogan writes

This is a radical poem, not a fuddy-duddy poem. It is composed in Spenserian stanzas, not as a conservative nostalgia trip or whimsy, but as a deliberate act of decolonisation and reparation for Edmund Spenser and our own premier Alfred Domett’s dreadfully racist ‘Ranolf and Amohia’.

 

‘Crete 1941’ does this in the spirit of Wu Ming’s New Italian Epic, inverting Ferrara, Cork, colonial Wellington …… Someone has said ‘Crete 1941’ has put intellect and heart back into New Zealand verse; in a way this is true.

 

About the author

Born in New Zealand in 1961, Bernard Cadogan is an accomplished poet, philosopher and historian. Since 1996, he has worked as a political advisor and speech writer, in particular as the Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Advisor, and has been a consultant to the New Zealand Treasury since 2011. He was appointed an honorary advisor to King Tuheitia in 2015.

 

Bernard holds a Doctorate of Philosophy degree from Oxford University on the political thought, constitutionalism and racial policy of Sir George Grey (1812–98) in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

 

He lives in the Cherwell Valley near Oxford, with his wife Jacqueline and their children.

 

‘Tuwhiri’ … what does this mean? 

A group of people from Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia came together to publish a book in 2018. Looking for a name for an imprint that would express what we stood for as secular Buddhist practitioners, we adopted a word in te reo Māori: tuwhiri. For us, this is our way of acknowledging and offering respect to tangata whenua, the indigenous people of Aotearoa.

 

This idea was discussed within and beyond the small communities of secular Buddhists in our two countries. ‘Tuwhiri’ captures our response to our encounter with the forms of Buddhism that had arrived in our countries: the notion of revealing, making known, discovering something lost or hidden, matched our experience of finding fresh insights in the early Buddhist teachings when we had examined them anew. 

Tuwhiri word mark

Who is involved in this project?

Bernard Cadogan, Oxford, UK – poet, and author of this book 

Trevor J Moeke, Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand – contributed the karakia, invocation

Rt Hon Trevor Mallard, MP – Speaker of the NZ House of Representatives, contributed the foreword

Ramsey Margolis, Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand – publisher, and a member of the Tuwhiri editorial board 

Suzanne Franzway, Adelaide, Australia, Winton Higgins, Sydney, Australia – members of the Tuwhiri editorial board 

Alex Carr, Damon Vassiliadis, Julia Wells, Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand – Trustees of Aotearoa Buddhist Education Trust, owner of The Tuwhiri Project 

Peter Cowley, Gisborne, Aotearoa New Zealand – the company’s director 

 

Risks and challenges 

While publishing a book always poses a certain amount of risk, between us we have considerable experience in bringing our ideas to fruition, and that includes writing, designing, printing, and selling books. 

 

One area in which we have little experience is crowdfunding. If for any reason we experience a setback, we’ll get in touch. We will, of course, let you know when you can expect your book(s) to be printed and shipped. 

 

If we don’t reach our Pledgeme target, we receive nothing. We ask that you tell your friends and colleagues about this appeal, particularly once you’ve pledged. Doing this, you will double your efforts to help us be successful! 

 

FAQs 

In what currency is this Pledgeme campaign? 

Fundraising is in New Zealand dollars, with an initial goal of NZD $10,000. If you’re pledging from outside Aotearoa New Zealand, your debit card or credit card will be debited with the NZD amount of your choice, converted into the currency of your card.

 

What if you don’t have a debit card or a credit card?

If you don't have a debit card or a credit card and would like to make a pledge, please email [email protected] and the PledgeMe team will help you out. 

 

What will the book cost? 

The bookshop price will be NZD $28.00 and the price for mobi/ePub/PDF digital books will be USD $9.95 each. These prices will be confirmed at the end of this crowdfunding process when we know the print run. The print version will have 160 pages plus the cover. 

 

What percentage of the cover price will you get from bookshop sales? 

In Aotearoa New Zealand, around 25 percent. A bookshop takes 40 percent, a distributor gets 20 percent and 15 percent is GST. We expect a good number of online sales, though, and will be delivering paper copies outside Aotearoa New Zealand by printing on demand in Europe, Australia and the USA. From sales by bookshops outside New Zealand, Tuwhiri will receive a lot less than 25 percent. 

 

What will the author receive from sales of the book? 

If we are successful at reaching our goal through Pledgeme, allowing Tuwhiri to publish the book, the author will receive 25 percent of the net revenue from sales. 

 

I have a question; how do I get an answer? 

Write to [email protected] or go to https://tuwhiri.nz/crete-1941/.

 

What is The Tuwhiri Project?

A company owned by Aotearoa Buddhist Education Trust, The Tuwhiri Project Ltd:

• Produces, publishes, distributes, sells and donates books and other publications to help people find meaning in a difficult world, in particular through engaging in the practice of meditation and other aspects of a creative, secular appreciation of the dharma. 

• Assisted in the development of an online course. 

• Is bringing together a community consisting of meditators looking to introduce a creative aspect to their meditation and creative artists looking to develop a meditative sensibility around the newsletter ‘Creative Dharma’. 

• Has created a website to promote a secular approach to the dharma, sell Tuwhiri’s books, offer an online course, and promote ‘Creative Dharma’, a newsletter. 

• Is helping to develop a culture of generosity.

 

Ownership and financial structure 

Wholly owned by a charitable trust, The Tuwhiri Project Ltd has no investor shareholders to expect dividends at the end of each year. Rather than profit maximising, we operate on a profit-conscious basis, enabling us as a social enterprise to help people find meaning in a difficult world.

 

Comments

Updates 6

Book launch – you’re invited!

10/11/2021 at 2:20 PM

Books for PledgeMe supporters have gone out

Those of you outside Aotearoa New Zealand will have received your book(s) by now; if you haven’t please let us know. After the box of signed books arrived in Aotearoa New Zealand, they were swiftly packaged and sent out, together with unsigned copies for some of you. If they’ve not arrived within a week please let us know.

 

Book launch

Unity Books Wellington and Tuwhiri warmly invite you to celebrate the launch of Crete 1941 on Thursday 25 November from 6–7pm NZST. The author, poet Bernard Cadogan, will Zoom in for a conversation with the Rt Hon Trevor Mallard MP.

Registration is required for this one-hour event. Please register here for a free ticket:

https://events.humanitix.com/book-launch-crete-1941-by-bernard-cadogan

Capacity for safe distancing is 50. You will be able to enter Unity Books’ Willis St entrance from 6pm, your ticket will be checked, and you will be asked to sanitise your hands and scan Unity Books’ QR code. Manual contact tracing also available. No food or drinks available will be due to Covid-19 alert level restrictions.

If you can’t make it to Unity Books you can register for the Zoom event at:

https://lu.ma/tuwhiri

  

poetry & polis

The second issue of Bernard’s newsletter, poetry & polis, will be going out on Friday 12 November (13 November in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia). It’s amazing, totally unlike any other.

To read the first newsletter, and register to receive them as they go out, go to:

https://bernardcadogan.substack.com

  

Thank you again for supporting Tuwhiri’s PledgeMe campaign, and author Bernard Cadogan.

Ramsey Margolis • [email protected]

 

Crete 1941 would not be in the shops without you

19/10/2021 at 11:13 AM

Tuwhiri will be publishing Bernard Cadogan’s epic poem Crete 1941 on 29 October 2021! Thank you, again, for supporting this project. Bernard is excited, writing this I’m feeling excited, and others who are involved in Tuwhiri tell me they’re excited too.

Available through the Tuwhiri online store and from 29 October in bookshops in Aotearoa New Zealand, Crete 1941 will – we hope – appear in good bookshops around the world soon afterwards.

Those of you who are expecting one or more signed books will receive them towards the end of November. If you’ve pledged for a mixture of signed and unsigned books, you will get the unsigned books first, and the signed copy or copies after that. Unsigned books will be going out early November.

As Bernard lives in the UK, he won’t be coming to Aotearoa New Zealand to take part in a launch event, so we will be bringing him here virtually. We do hope you’ll be joining us for this event, of which more very soon.

If you’d like to buy copies of Crete 1941 as gifts for friends, colleagues, whanau, and of course mokopuna, you can do so here:

https://tuwhiri.nz/store

Outside New Zealand in your local bookshop, tell them that Crete 1941 is distributed by Ingrams, while shops in Aotearoa should order it from Tuwhiri.

You probably weren’t expecting this: Bernard has decided to send out a newsletter – poetry & polis. Going out once a week, it will contain:

Poetry, essays, political commentary, how to write and read poetry, how to understand and practise politics, info on geopolitics, and how to think like a political philosopher

The first one will go out this Saturday, 23 October. You can subscribe now at:

https://bernardcadogan.substack.com

There’ll be no charge for this newsletter. Think of it, though, as the prelude to a more significant offering which will be announced very soon.

 

We've reached our target – so what's next?

04/10/2021 at 11:13 AM

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e nga karangatanga maha, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa!

We did it. We reached our target, and we couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you who offered your support with a pledge for the production and publication of Crete 1941. Thank you all. 

Bernard has written the coda and we’re giving the complete book a final read through before producing proof copies. We hope to be able to publish the on Friday 29 October, which means that you will be receiving copies in November.

In the meantime, we will get in touch with each pledger individually to discuss the rewards you will be receiving.

Naku noa, na Ramsey Margolis
for The Tuwhiri Project

 

Woo hoo – we’ve reached our initial goal, and have 12 days to go

08/09/2021 at 10:10 AM

There’s so much more we can do around ‘Crete 1941’ – it’s an epoch-shifting poem, it will truly be a visceral, nationhood moment for Aotearoa New Zealand when it gets into bookshops towards the end of the year.

You can buy books now through PledgeMe at reduced early-bird prices until 20th September when the campaign ends. Please do so.

We are also looking for substantial support to produce:

1 – a free guide for reading groups and individual study – NZD $3,000 to write, illustrate, design, produce and make available;

2 – an audio book – produced in the UK where author Bernard Cadogan lives, this will cost about GBP £4,000 (NZD $7,500) to record text and music, produce, and make ready for distribution to platforms such as Audible.

Whatever amount you pledge from now until 20th September, every dollar will go towards achieving these goals. 

We thank everyone who has supported this campaign so far, and those of you who are about to pledge (or pledge again). Your support is enabling us to publish an epic poem the like of which has not been created before for this country.

Please continue to pledge your support – far more people will enjoy and benefit from ‘Crete 1941’ when they listen to it, learn from studying it in depth, and discussing it.

We’re half way there, with 20 days to go

31/08/2021 at 3:48 PM

UPDATE 2

We’re a little over the half way mark with three weeks to go. This is tremendous. To everyone who has pledged so far – a very big THANK YOU! You are showing us that you understand how important Crete 1941 is, and will be for future generations. 

If each person who has pledged so far approaches just one friend, one colleague, one sister organisation, and persuades them to pledge also, we’d be over the line in no time. How about it? 

And if you choose to tell more than just the person or organisation about this crowdfunding campaign this would be even better.

Remember, you can pledge more than once if you wish, so if you want more copies of Crete 1941 for relatives and friends at the early bird price, you’re encouraged to pledge now.

We’ve also been talking about possible stretch goals if we reach our target early. We are keen to let you know what we decide, so I encourage you help us reach our initial target.

A message from Dimitrios Mitsotakis

19/08/2021 at 9:41 PM

 

Thank you everyone who has supported the Crete 1941 book so far, and a particular thanks to Dimitrios Mitsotakis for the video. (A Cretan family name, Mitsotakis is also the name of Greece's current prime minister.)

    Pledgers 40

    Lorna Edwards
    20/09/2021 at 5:28am

    "thanks to the whole team who created this "

    Rodney Tamblyn
    13/09/2021 at 5:23pm

    "Bernard - so pleased to see your crowdfund has exceeded first target."

    Tania Simpson
    13/09/2021 at 2:47pm
    John Davidson
    09/09/2021 at 11:09am

    "Great to see an epic poem about this!"

    Girol Karacaoglu
    09/09/2021 at 8:15am
    Nik Zangouropoulos
    08/09/2021 at 1:32pm

    "Looking forward to reading this book. Many thanks for the efforts."

    Bruce Mcintyre
    08/09/2021 at 10:42am

    "Congratulations on this wonderful achievement and long live epic poems! "

    George Neonakis
    07/09/2021 at 5:58pm

    "It is absolutely important for this publication to succeed. The Battle of Crete was one of the most important if not the most important battle of the 2nd World War. The Cretan civilians' Resistance fighters together with the men from New Zealand and Australian Divisions kept the AXIS invading forces at bay for long enough to ensure that the Russian winter will play its role in the war outcome...thus saving the World from the evil forces of Nazism. The bonds between the people of Crete and New Zealand are "blood bonds" and will continue to exist long after we have gone."

    Daniel Carroll JOYNES
    07/09/2021 at 5:47pm

    "Proud to support this remarkable project."

    Anonymous pledger
    07/09/2021 at 7:57am
    Anonymous pledger
    06/09/2021 at 10:29pm

    "From a Formosan friend"

    Seamus Kennedy
    06/09/2021 at 10:06pm

    "Delighted to see this heading to print, Bernard!"

    John Smith Serepisos
    06/09/2021 at 5:22pm

    "Happy to support a quality project like this! "

    Anonymous pledger
    06/09/2021 at 3:45pm

    "Cato Trust is pleased to be able to contribute towards the publication of New Zealand poet Bernard Cadogan's book 'Crete 1941'."

    Andrew McKean
    06/09/2021 at 11:11am

    "Thanks to Norman Franke for alerting me to this opportunity."

    Jane Kidd
    05/09/2021 at 12:27pm
    Michael Moore-Jones
    04/09/2021 at 10:19am
    Norman Franke
    03/09/2021 at 12:23pm
    Sir Bill English
    03/09/2021 at 10:42am
    Vicki
    27/08/2021 at 9:31pm
    Tony
    25/08/2021 at 7:11pm

    "This pledge is on behalf of the Cretan Federation of Australia & New Zealand "

    Gregory O'Brien
    25/08/2021 at 3:37pm
    Richard Cross
    21/08/2021 at 3:42am
    Anonymous pledger
    21/08/2021 at 2:47am
    Anonymous pledger
    20/08/2021 at 4:12pm
    Anonymous pledger
    20/08/2021 at 9:16am
    Despina Margolis
    20/08/2021 at 9:04am
    Dimitri Mitsotakis
    19/08/2021 at 9:30pm
    Anonymous pledger
    19/08/2021 at 9:24pm
    Vanessa Brown
    19/08/2021 at 8:50pm

    "Well done Bernard. Very proud of you "

    Followers

    Followers of Crete 1941 – an epic poem

    Crete 1941 – an Epic Poem

    Project 2021-07-26 10:46:42 +1200

    Update 3: We now have 2 'stretch goals' – a free guide for reading groups and individual study PLUS an audio book. Please read this update.

     

    Update 2: We’re half way there with 20 days to go. We need more pledges to reach our target.

     

    Update 1: Dimitrios Mitsotakis asks for your support in a short video ... in Greek.

     

    ++++

     

    The Tuwhiri Project is seeking your help to raise NZD $10,000 (approx. USD $7,000, GBP £5,000, or €5,900) to produce, print, distribute, and promote a book which will feature the epic poem: ‘Crete 1941’.

     

    With what we raise we will also pay the author a fee, purchase New Zealand designed typefaces by Kris Sowersby that will be used in this book, and update the Tuwhiri website and online store.

     

    In this poem, Bernard Cadogan tells the story of what small nations such as Greece and Aotearoa New Zealand have had to do to uphold international law, and of the extraordinary extent which indigenous citizenship, such as Māori possess, contributes to the international personality of a country.

     

    The defence of the island of Crete in the second world war was a mission which Allied forces could have won. The failure to repel the German landings embroiled Cretans in more than three years of bitter occupation.

     

     

    It is astonishing, in retrospect, that New Zealanders led the defence of the island against a great power such as Germany. Crete is where the famed 28th Māori Battalion found its feet in battle. Sfakia on Crete is where the revolutionaries began the struggle for a Hellenic republic in 1821, while in 1941, it was where Allied troops were evacuated from; New Zealand’s Dunkirk.

     

    This poem presents a story which both Greeks and New Zealanders need to recover for themselves from the myths that the British created around the Battle of Crete.

     

    What we ask of you

    We are seeking your support for this venture with a pledge. None of the pledge amounts are fixed, which means that you may offer more than the base amount or, if you wish, support us with more than one pledge.

     

    Crowdfunding through Pledgeme will give us an idea of how many books to print, as we are effectively pre-selling books before they are printed.

     

    Encouraging your generosity emphasises the fact that, as an enterprise, The Tuwhiri Project is doing socially worthwhile work rather than being a profit-focused business.

     

    SEE HOW THE BOOK WILL LOOK AND READ THE INTRODUCTION AS WELL AS EXCERPTS FROM ALL FIVE CANTOS HERE.

     

    On the poem ‘Crete 1941’, Bernard Cadogan writes

    This is a radical poem, not a fuddy-duddy poem. It is composed in Spenserian stanzas, not as a conservative nostalgia trip or whimsy, but as a deliberate act of decolonisation and reparation for Edmund Spenser and our own premier Alfred Domett’s dreadfully racist ‘Ranolf and Amohia’.

     

    ‘Crete 1941’ does this in the spirit of Wu Ming’s New Italian Epic, inverting Ferrara, Cork, colonial Wellington …… Someone has said ‘Crete 1941’ has put intellect and heart back into New Zealand verse; in a way this is true.

     

    About the author

    Born in New Zealand in 1961, Bernard Cadogan is an accomplished poet, philosopher and historian. Since 1996, he has worked as a political advisor and speech writer, in particular as the Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Advisor, and has been a consultant to the New Zealand Treasury since 2011. He was appointed an honorary advisor to King Tuheitia in 2015.

     

    Bernard holds a Doctorate of Philosophy degree from Oxford University on the political thought, constitutionalism and racial policy of Sir George Grey (1812–98) in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

     

    He lives in the Cherwell Valley near Oxford, with his wife Jacqueline and their children.

     

    ‘Tuwhiri’ … what does this mean? 

    A group of people from Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia came together to publish a book in 2018. Looking for a name for an imprint that would express what we stood for as secular Buddhist practitioners, we adopted a word in te reo Māori: tuwhiri. For us, this is our way of acknowledging and offering respect to tangata whenua, the indigenous people of Aotearoa.

     

    This idea was discussed within and beyond the small communities of secular Buddhists in our two countries. ‘Tuwhiri’ captures our response to our encounter with the forms of Buddhism that had arrived in our countries: the notion of revealing, making known, discovering something lost or hidden, matched our experience of finding fresh insights in the early Buddhist teachings when we had examined them anew. 

    Tuwhiri word mark

    Who is involved in this project?

    Bernard Cadogan, Oxford, UK – poet, and author of this book 

    Trevor J Moeke, Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand – contributed the karakia, invocation

    Rt Hon Trevor Mallard, MP – Speaker of the NZ House of Representatives, contributed the foreword

    Ramsey Margolis, Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand – publisher, and a member of the Tuwhiri editorial board 

    Suzanne Franzway, Adelaide, Australia, Winton Higgins, Sydney, Australia – members of the Tuwhiri editorial board 

    Alex Carr, Damon Vassiliadis, Julia Wells, Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand – Trustees of Aotearoa Buddhist Education Trust, owner of The Tuwhiri Project 

    Peter Cowley, Gisborne, Aotearoa New Zealand – the company’s director 

     

    Risks and challenges 

    While publishing a book always poses a certain amount of risk, between us we have considerable experience in bringing our ideas to fruition, and that includes writing, designing, printing, and selling books. 

     

    One area in which we have little experience is crowdfunding. If for any reason we experience a setback, we’ll get in touch. We will, of course, let you know when you can expect your book(s) to be printed and shipped. 

     

    If we don’t reach our Pledgeme target, we receive nothing. We ask that you tell your friends and colleagues about this appeal, particularly once you’ve pledged. Doing this, you will double your efforts to help us be successful! 

     

    FAQs 

    In what currency is this Pledgeme campaign? 

    Fundraising is in New Zealand dollars, with an initial goal of NZD $10,000. If you’re pledging from outside Aotearoa New Zealand, your debit card or credit card will be debited with the NZD amount of your choice, converted into the currency of your card.

     

    What if you don’t have a debit card or a credit card?

    If you don't have a debit card or a credit card and would like to make a pledge, please email [email protected] and the PledgeMe team will help you out. 

     

    What will the book cost? 

    The bookshop price will be NZD $28.00 and the price for mobi/ePub/PDF digital books will be USD $9.95 each. These prices will be confirmed at the end of this crowdfunding process when we know the print run. The print version will have 160 pages plus the cover. 

     

    What percentage of the cover price will you get from bookshop sales? 

    In Aotearoa New Zealand, around 25 percent. A bookshop takes 40 percent, a distributor gets 20 percent and 15 percent is GST. We expect a good number of online sales, though, and will be delivering paper copies outside Aotearoa New Zealand by printing on demand in Europe, Australia and the USA. From sales by bookshops outside New Zealand, Tuwhiri will receive a lot less than 25 percent. 

     

    What will the author receive from sales of the book? 

    If we are successful at reaching our goal through Pledgeme, allowing Tuwhiri to publish the book, the author will receive 25 percent of the net revenue from sales. 

     

    I have a question; how do I get an answer? 

    Write to [email protected] or go to https://tuwhiri.nz/crete-1941/.

     

    What is The Tuwhiri Project?

    A company owned by Aotearoa Buddhist Education Trust, The Tuwhiri Project Ltd:

    • Produces, publishes, distributes, sells and donates books and other publications to help people find meaning in a difficult world, in particular through engaging in the practice of meditation and other aspects of a creative, secular appreciation of the dharma. 

    • Assisted in the development of an online course. 

    • Is bringing together a community consisting of meditators looking to introduce a creative aspect to their meditation and creative artists looking to develop a meditative sensibility around the newsletter ‘Creative Dharma’. 

    • Has created a website to promote a secular approach to the dharma, sell Tuwhiri’s books, offer an online course, and promote ‘Creative Dharma’, a newsletter. 

    • Is helping to develop a culture of generosity.

     

    Ownership and financial structure 

    Wholly owned by a charitable trust, The Tuwhiri Project Ltd has no investor shareholders to expect dividends at the end of each year. Rather than profit maximising, we operate on a profit-conscious basis, enabling us as a social enterprise to help people find meaning in a difficult world.

     

    Comments

    Book launch – you’re invited!

    10/11/2021 at 2:20 PM

    Books for PledgeMe supporters have gone out

    Those of you outside Aotearoa New Zealand will have received your book(s) by now; if you haven’t please let us know. After the box of signed books arrived in Aotearoa New Zealand, they were swiftly packaged and sent out, together with unsigned copies for some of you. If they’ve not arrived within a week please let us know.

     

    Book launch

    Unity Books Wellington and Tuwhiri warmly invite you to celebrate the launch of Crete 1941 on Thursday 25 November from 6–7pm NZST. The author, poet Bernard Cadogan, will Zoom in for a conversation with the Rt Hon Trevor Mallard MP.

    Registration is required for this one-hour event. Please register here for a free ticket:

    https://events.humanitix.com/book-launch-crete-1941-by-bernard-cadogan

    Capacity for safe distancing is 50. You will be able to enter Unity Books’ Willis St entrance from 6pm, your ticket will be checked, and you will be asked to sanitise your hands and scan Unity Books’ QR code. Manual contact tracing also available. No food or drinks available will be due to Covid-19 alert level restrictions.

    If you can’t make it to Unity Books you can register for the Zoom event at:

    https://lu.ma/tuwhiri

      

    poetry & polis

    The second issue of Bernard’s newsletter, poetry & polis, will be going out on Friday 12 November (13 November in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia). It’s amazing, totally unlike any other.

    To read the first newsletter, and register to receive them as they go out, go to:

    https://bernardcadogan.substack.com

      

    Thank you again for supporting Tuwhiri’s PledgeMe campaign, and author Bernard Cadogan.

    Ramsey Margolis • [email protected]

     

    Crete 1941 would not be in the shops without you

    19/10/2021 at 11:13 AM

    Tuwhiri will be publishing Bernard Cadogan’s epic poem Crete 1941 on 29 October 2021! Thank you, again, for supporting this project. Bernard is excited, writing this I’m feeling excited, and others who are involved in Tuwhiri tell me they’re excited too.

    Available through the Tuwhiri online store and from 29 October in bookshops in Aotearoa New Zealand, Crete 1941 will – we hope – appear in good bookshops around the world soon afterwards.

    Those of you who are expecting one or more signed books will receive them towards the end of November. If you’ve pledged for a mixture of signed and unsigned books, you will get the unsigned books first, and the signed copy or copies after that. Unsigned books will be going out early November.

    As Bernard lives in the UK, he won’t be coming to Aotearoa New Zealand to take part in a launch event, so we will be bringing him here virtually. We do hope you’ll be joining us for this event, of which more very soon.

    If you’d like to buy copies of Crete 1941 as gifts for friends, colleagues, whanau, and of course mokopuna, you can do so here:

    https://tuwhiri.nz/store

    Outside New Zealand in your local bookshop, tell them that Crete 1941 is distributed by Ingrams, while shops in Aotearoa should order it from Tuwhiri.

    You probably weren’t expecting this: Bernard has decided to send out a newsletter – poetry & polis. Going out once a week, it will contain:

    Poetry, essays, political commentary, how to write and read poetry, how to understand and practise politics, info on geopolitics, and how to think like a political philosopher

    The first one will go out this Saturday, 23 October. You can subscribe now at:

    https://bernardcadogan.substack.com

    There’ll be no charge for this newsletter. Think of it, though, as the prelude to a more significant offering which will be announced very soon.

     

    We've reached our target – so what's next?

    04/10/2021 at 11:13 AM

    E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e nga karangatanga maha, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa!

    We did it. We reached our target, and we couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you who offered your support with a pledge for the production and publication of Crete 1941. Thank you all. 

    Bernard has written the coda and we’re giving the complete book a final read through before producing proof copies. We hope to be able to publish the on Friday 29 October, which means that you will be receiving copies in November.

    In the meantime, we will get in touch with each pledger individually to discuss the rewards you will be receiving.

    Naku noa, na Ramsey Margolis
    for The Tuwhiri Project

     

    Woo hoo – we’ve reached our initial goal, and have 12 days to go

    08/09/2021 at 10:10 AM

    There’s so much more we can do around ‘Crete 1941’ – it’s an epoch-shifting poem, it will truly be a visceral, nationhood moment for Aotearoa New Zealand when it gets into bookshops towards the end of the year.

    You can buy books now through PledgeMe at reduced early-bird prices until 20th September when the campaign ends. Please do so.

    We are also looking for substantial support to produce:

    1 – a free guide for reading groups and individual study – NZD $3,000 to write, illustrate, design, produce and make available;

    2 – an audio book – produced in the UK where author Bernard Cadogan lives, this will cost about GBP £4,000 (NZD $7,500) to record text and music, produce, and make ready for distribution to platforms such as Audible.

    Whatever amount you pledge from now until 20th September, every dollar will go towards achieving these goals. 

    We thank everyone who has supported this campaign so far, and those of you who are about to pledge (or pledge again). Your support is enabling us to publish an epic poem the like of which has not been created before for this country.

    Please continue to pledge your support – far more people will enjoy and benefit from ‘Crete 1941’ when they listen to it, learn from studying it in depth, and discussing it.

    We’re half way there, with 20 days to go

    31/08/2021 at 3:48 PM

    UPDATE 2

    We’re a little over the half way mark with three weeks to go. This is tremendous. To everyone who has pledged so far – a very big THANK YOU! You are showing us that you understand how important Crete 1941 is, and will be for future generations. 

    If each person who has pledged so far approaches just one friend, one colleague, one sister organisation, and persuades them to pledge also, we’d be over the line in no time. How about it? 

    And if you choose to tell more than just the person or organisation about this crowdfunding campaign this would be even better.

    Remember, you can pledge more than once if you wish, so if you want more copies of Crete 1941 for relatives and friends at the early bird price, you’re encouraged to pledge now.

    We’ve also been talking about possible stretch goals if we reach our target early. We are keen to let you know what we decide, so I encourage you help us reach our initial target.

    A message from Dimitrios Mitsotakis

    19/08/2021 at 9:41 PM

     

    Thank you everyone who has supported the Crete 1941 book so far, and a particular thanks to Dimitrios Mitsotakis for the video. (A Cretan family name, Mitsotakis is also the name of Greece's current prime minister.)

      Lorna Edwards
      20/09/2021 at 5:28am

      "thanks to the whole team who created this "

      Rodney Tamblyn
      13/09/2021 at 5:23pm

      "Bernard - so pleased to see your crowdfund has exceeded first target."

      Tania Simpson
      13/09/2021 at 2:47pm
      John Davidson
      09/09/2021 at 11:09am

      "Great to see an epic poem about this!"

      Girol Karacaoglu
      09/09/2021 at 8:15am
      Nik Zangouropoulos
      08/09/2021 at 1:32pm

      "Looking forward to reading this book. Many thanks for the efforts."

      Bruce Mcintyre
      08/09/2021 at 10:42am

      "Congratulations on this wonderful achievement and long live epic poems! "

      George Neonakis
      07/09/2021 at 5:58pm

      "It is absolutely important for this publication to succeed. The Battle of Crete was one of the most important if not the most important battle of the 2nd World War. The Cretan civilians' Resistance fighters together with the men from New Zealand and Australian Divisions kept the AXIS invading forces at bay for long enough to ensure that the Russian winter will play its role in the war outcome...thus saving the World from the evil forces of Nazism. The bonds between the people of Crete and New Zealand are "blood bonds" and will continue to exist long after we have gone."

      Daniel Carroll JOYNES
      07/09/2021 at 5:47pm

      "Proud to support this remarkable project."

      Anonymous pledger
      07/09/2021 at 7:57am
      Anonymous pledger
      06/09/2021 at 10:29pm

      "From a Formosan friend"

      Seamus Kennedy
      06/09/2021 at 10:06pm

      "Delighted to see this heading to print, Bernard!"

      John Smith Serepisos
      06/09/2021 at 5:22pm

      "Happy to support a quality project like this! "

      Anonymous pledger
      06/09/2021 at 3:45pm

      "Cato Trust is pleased to be able to contribute towards the publication of New Zealand poet Bernard Cadogan's book 'Crete 1941'."

      Andrew McKean
      06/09/2021 at 11:11am

      "Thanks to Norman Franke for alerting me to this opportunity."

      Jane Kidd
      05/09/2021 at 12:27pm
      Michael Moore-Jones
      04/09/2021 at 10:19am
      Norman Franke
      03/09/2021 at 12:23pm
      Sir Bill English
      03/09/2021 at 10:42am
      Vicki
      27/08/2021 at 9:31pm
      Tony
      25/08/2021 at 7:11pm

      "This pledge is on behalf of the Cretan Federation of Australia & New Zealand "

      Gregory O'Brien
      25/08/2021 at 3:37pm
      Richard Cross
      21/08/2021 at 3:42am
      Anonymous pledger
      21/08/2021 at 2:47am
      Anonymous pledger
      20/08/2021 at 4:12pm
      Anonymous pledger
      20/08/2021 at 9:16am
      Despina Margolis
      20/08/2021 at 9:04am
      Dimitri Mitsotakis
      19/08/2021 at 9:30pm
      Anonymous pledger
      19/08/2021 at 9:24pm
      Vanessa Brown
      19/08/2021 at 8:50pm

      "Well done Bernard. Very proud of you "

      Followers of Crete 1941 – an epic poem

      This campaign was successful and got its funding on 20/09/2021 at 12:00 PM.