Special Renters United illustrated edition of Rat King Landlord
By Murdoch Stephens
NZ $10,517 pledged
289 people pledged
Closed
NZ $1,500 minimum target
This campaign was successful and closed on 17/02/2023 at 9:00 PM.
Make a PledgeAbout
Special Renters United Illustrated Edition Of Rat King Landlord
Project 2023-01-20 14:28:47 +1300
UPDATE: (11 Feb): Thank you all so much for ensuring that this project will go ahead in style. We've just made an update to show how any more pledges will be spent. We're really excited to reach these stretch goals and allow this new edition to spread around the whole country, hopefully bringing a whole new set of people to the kaupapa of Renters United this election year. Check out the Update tab above for more details.
Renters United is collaborating with the Lawrence & Gibson publishing collective to produce thousands of copies of the great New Zealand novel Rat King Landlord ("last year’s surprise literary hit" Stuff) to share across the country for absolutely free.
Rat King Landlord was originally published in 2020 and tells the story of a group of flatmates who discover that the rat who they were trying to get rid of has become their landlord. As the rats of Wellington begin to organise, cryptic posters appear around Wellington inviting renters to join an evening of mayhem.
The special Renters United edition will be printed at a tabloid newspaper size and will contain the full novel and 16 original illustrations by well-known NZ artists as well as additional resources and information for renters.
We've already got the book laid out and have 16 artists to make this a really unique publication. Featuring illustrations by Kelly Chang, Danz, Cassie Elizabeth, Pinky Fang, Zoe Hannay, Matt Jennings, Hingyi Khong, Asia King, Huriana Kopeke-Te Aho, Toby Morris, Gavin Mouldey, Christian Pearce, Pepper Racoon, Hannah Salmon, EJ Thorpe, and Thomas Zeal. On top of this, the new version will feature Renters United’s updated plan to fix renting, tips for renters and just the right amount of propaganda.
WHY DONATE?
To get this great edition printed and distributed around the country we need those who can chip in to chip in. Your contribution will get you a copy (or more) but will also allow us to share copies with individuals and communities that can't afford to pay. Doing so will expand the reach of Renters United to all those people who are sick of renters being treated as second class citizens.
And of course, you'll secure your own copy of the special edition from the first print run.
Other ways to support
If you can't chip in financially we'd love your help with distribution. We're looking for people willing to distribute copies in their area, if you'd be interested in helping sign up here: Distributor Sign Up Form
HOW WILL YOU SPEND THE MONEY?
$1,500 was the absolute minimum we needed to get the special edition printed. We're really excited that so many people have supported the project. We've already passed four of our stretch goals but we have plenty more planned:
REWARDS
SHIPPING
Postal delivery to one NZ address is included in reward pricing. For overseas delivery please add $15 or $25 for Homeowner and Investor packs.
MORE ABOUT RENTERS UNITED
Renters United is an advocacy group that organises renters and campaigns to make renting in New Zealand better for everyone. Formed in 2015, it sees decent housing as a basic human right and our broken renting system as a barrier to realising this right for all.
In 2018, Renters United launched the Plan to Fix Renting. The Plan sets out 36 changes to the law and its application that will make the private rental sector healthy, safe, affordable, stable and — most importantly — fair. Since then Renters United has been a strong advocate for renters across the country. Together we’ve won: an end to letting fees; improvements to the quality of rental homes; an end to no cause evictions; rent freezes during the pandemic; privacy protections for renters; and much more.
Find out more about Renters United
MORE ABOUT RAT KING LANDLORD
And if supporting Renters United is not enough, here's what some book people said about Rat King Landlord:
“Stephens takes us on a thrilling, surreal, often hilarious ride through a series of staccato chapters each snowballing into the next as mayhem descends upon (or is it rises up from?) the capital, culminating in a heart-thudding climax.” Newsroom
“Last year’s surprise literary hit.” Stuff
“Rat King Landlord is written for us, the undergraduate renter. The conditions and possibilities of full land ownership reform are only one rat sentience away.” The Spinoff
“I find your rat sympathetic.” Elizabeth Knox
Find out more about Rat King Landlord
Comments
Updates 7
Hamilton & Auckland Leg this Weekend of the Nationwide Tour of Rat King Landlord!
17/05/2023 at 5:08 PM
Kia ora e hoa,
Off the back of events in Palmerston North, Dunedin, and Christchurch over the last few weeks we're incredibly excited to be hosting the Hamilton & Auckland leg of our Nationwide Tour of Rat King Landlord this weekend!
Thank you so much for making these possible!
We hope you'll be able to join us at our launch events and exhibition in Kirikiriroa Hamilton tomorrow and Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland on Friday and Saturday. We'll have free copies available all weekend as well as the chance to connect in person with our team including Rat King Landlord's author Murdoch Stephens.
The Hamilton Launch of the Renters United Edition of Rat King Landlord
A full launch-style event this Thursday the 18th at 5pm at Go Eco Waikato Environment Centre featuring art-gallery quality reproductions of some of our favourite illustrations from Rat King Landlord, the chance to grab some limited edition prints as well as more budget-friendly art goodies, and of course a reading and talk from Murdoch and the Renters United team.
Tāmaki Makaurau Launch of the Renters United Edition of Rat King Landlord
A full launch-style event this Saturday the 20th at 5pm at Flying Out Records featuring art-gallery quality reproductions of some of our favourite illustrations from Rat King Landlord, the chance to grab some limited edition prints as well as more budget-friendly art goodies, and of course a reading and talk from Murdoch and the Renters United team as well some of the amazing illustrators who've contributed to the project.
Rat King Landlord: The Exhibition
We managed to fit a whole novel, 16 beautiful illustrations, and a bunch of pro-renter propaganda into one free, 40 page, newsprint text so what's the natural next step? Making it far bigger of course! We're reproducing the entire text into a full scale art exhibition where you can get up close and personal with some of our favourite rats and renters. Join us between 12pm-6pm on Friday 19th and Saturday 20th at Flying Out Records!
We'd love if you were able to join us and connect as a community, do you think you'll be able to make it?
Even if you can't, if you know any other local renters who might be interested please do forward this on to them inviting them! As well as raising awareness of renters issues across Aotearoa we really want these events to be a space where renters can come together in community and build the connections that we know are so crucial to achieving a better future together.
In Solidarity and With Thanks,
Éimhín on behalf of the Renters United x Rat King Landlord Team
Introducing the Nationwide Tour of Rat King Landlord!
19/04/2023 at 11:30 AM
Introducing the Nationwide Tour of Rat King Landlord!
Rat King Landlord Nationwide Tour
You can find the details for all the events and RSVP on Eventbrite or via the event pages on our Facebook Page, we're looking forward to seeing you!
In Solidarity,
The Renters United and Lawrence & Gibson team.
You need to pledge to see this update.
You need to pledge to see this update.
You need to pledge to see this update.
Wow, just wow!
11/02/2023 at 10:19 PM
Your support for this project is simply stunning. With your help this project is going to go ahead, and it's going ahead in style. We’ve already raised over $5,000, enough to pay for some fancier paper, extra copies and some cash for our wonderful artists. It’s also enough for us to be able to launch the edition with real life in-the-flesh launch events.
On top of that we’ve got a couple of exciting announcements for the rest of the Pledge Me campaign:
New Pledge
We’ve added a new way to support the project — you can order 10 KILOGRAMS of the special edition to be delivered to one address. We can’t know exactly how many copies that is untll the printing is done but we think it’ll be at least 60 copies. It's 10kg because that the heaviest we can get without getting into ludicrous postage costs territory.
This is perfect if you you’d like to have a stack in your shop or cafe, or maybe you’ve got an event coming up and you want to give it out for free to attendees, or maybe you’d just like to flood your office with affordable activist literature (double merit points if you work in a real estate office).
Stretch goals
Once we ticked over $1,500 we realised we needed to get more specific about our stretch goals but things have happened so fast — we’ve already achieved four of them.
Check out the “About page” for a full list, but we’re hoping we’re now looking onward and upward to get Rat King Landlord events around the country, get copies to overseas renters rights organisations and — if we get to $10,000 — to try to print 10,000 (The Hobbit’s first three printings totalled 8,300 so whose to say Hollywood won’t come knocking?).
Finally, we wanted to end this update with some more of the stunning artwork from the edition:
We’ve hit our minimum target!!
07/02/2023 at 9:34 PM
Kia ora comrades!
Thank you so much for backing our campaign. We’ve already reached our minimum goal, the propaganda machines are standing by to print thousands of copies to distribute throughout Aotearoa!
But just because we’ve reached our goal doesn’t mean we have to stop, with more backing we’ll be able to improve the paper quality we print on (ensuring our propaganda lasts beyond the revolution), allow us to print more copies, and it’ll mean we can make sure our illustrators are paid a little something to keep their landlords at bay.
All you have to do is let your friends know! Send them the link, show them the awesome illustrations, we know they’re keen!!! They just haven’t heard about it yet!
In solidarity,
The Renters United and Lawrence & Gibson crew
Pledgers 289
17/02/2023 at 8:54pm
17/02/2023 at 8:53pm
17/02/2023 at 8:47pm
17/02/2023 at 8:20pm
"Ratlords 5ever 🐀🐀🐀"
17/02/2023 at 8:09pm
17/02/2023 at 7:51pm
17/02/2023 at 7:48pm
17/02/2023 at 7:28pm
17/02/2023 at 7:28pm
17/02/2023 at 7:05pm
17/02/2023 at 6:53pm
17/02/2023 at 6:38pm
17/02/2023 at 6:32pm
17/02/2023 at 6:20pm
17/02/2023 at 6:08pm
17/02/2023 at 6:02pm
17/02/2023 at 5:32pm
17/02/2023 at 5:25pm
17/02/2023 at 5:19pm
17/02/2023 at 5:16pm
17/02/2023 at 4:41pm
17/02/2023 at 4:39pm
17/02/2023 at 4:38pm
17/02/2023 at 4:24pm
17/02/2023 at 4:20pm
17/02/2023 at 4:08pm
17/02/2023 at 3:53pm
17/02/2023 at 3:49pm
17/02/2023 at 2:41pm
"Good work Cuz"
17/02/2023 at 2:31pm
"This looks fun!"
Followers
Followers of Special Renters United illustrated edition of Rat King Landlord
Special Renters United Illustrated Edition Of Rat King Landlord
Project 2023-01-20 14:28:47 +1300
UPDATE: (11 Feb): Thank you all so much for ensuring that this project will go ahead in style. We've just made an update to show how any more pledges will be spent. We're really excited to reach these stretch goals and allow this new edition to spread around the whole country, hopefully bringing a whole new set of people to the kaupapa of Renters United this election year. Check out the Update tab above for more details.
Renters United is collaborating with the Lawrence & Gibson publishing collective to produce thousands of copies of the great New Zealand novel Rat King Landlord ("last year’s surprise literary hit" Stuff) to share across the country for absolutely free.
Rat King Landlord was originally published in 2020 and tells the story of a group of flatmates who discover that the rat who they were trying to get rid of has become their landlord. As the rats of Wellington begin to organise, cryptic posters appear around Wellington inviting renters to join an evening of mayhem.
The special Renters United edition will be printed at a tabloid newspaper size and will contain the full novel and 16 original illustrations by well-known NZ artists as well as additional resources and information for renters.
We've already got the book laid out and have 16 artists to make this a really unique publication. Featuring illustrations by Kelly Chang, Danz, Cassie Elizabeth, Pinky Fang, Zoe Hannay, Matt Jennings, Hingyi Khong, Asia King, Huriana Kopeke-Te Aho, Toby Morris, Gavin Mouldey, Christian Pearce, Pepper Racoon, Hannah Salmon, EJ Thorpe, and Thomas Zeal. On top of this, the new version will feature Renters United’s updated plan to fix renting, tips for renters and just the right amount of propaganda.
WHY DONATE?
To get this great edition printed and distributed around the country we need those who can chip in to chip in. Your contribution will get you a copy (or more) but will also allow us to share copies with individuals and communities that can't afford to pay. Doing so will expand the reach of Renters United to all those people who are sick of renters being treated as second class citizens.
And of course, you'll secure your own copy of the special edition from the first print run.
Other ways to support
If you can't chip in financially we'd love your help with distribution. We're looking for people willing to distribute copies in their area, if you'd be interested in helping sign up here: Distributor Sign Up Form
HOW WILL YOU SPEND THE MONEY?
$1,500 was the absolute minimum we needed to get the special edition printed. We're really excited that so many people have supported the project. We've already passed four of our stretch goals but we have plenty more planned:
REWARDS
SHIPPING
Postal delivery to one NZ address is included in reward pricing. For overseas delivery please add $15 or $25 for Homeowner and Investor packs.
MORE ABOUT RENTERS UNITED
Renters United is an advocacy group that organises renters and campaigns to make renting in New Zealand better for everyone. Formed in 2015, it sees decent housing as a basic human right and our broken renting system as a barrier to realising this right for all.
In 2018, Renters United launched the Plan to Fix Renting. The Plan sets out 36 changes to the law and its application that will make the private rental sector healthy, safe, affordable, stable and — most importantly — fair. Since then Renters United has been a strong advocate for renters across the country. Together we’ve won: an end to letting fees; improvements to the quality of rental homes; an end to no cause evictions; rent freezes during the pandemic; privacy protections for renters; and much more.
Find out more about Renters United
MORE ABOUT RAT KING LANDLORD
And if supporting Renters United is not enough, here's what some book people said about Rat King Landlord:
“Stephens takes us on a thrilling, surreal, often hilarious ride through a series of staccato chapters each snowballing into the next as mayhem descends upon (or is it rises up from?) the capital, culminating in a heart-thudding climax.” Newsroom
“Last year’s surprise literary hit.” Stuff
“Rat King Landlord is written for us, the undergraduate renter. The conditions and possibilities of full land ownership reform are only one rat sentience away.” The Spinoff
“I find your rat sympathetic.” Elizabeth Knox
Find out more about Rat King Landlord
Comments
Hamilton & Auckland Leg this Weekend of the Nationwide Tour of Rat King Landlord!
17/05/2023 at 5:08 PM
Kia ora e hoa,
Off the back of events in Palmerston North, Dunedin, and Christchurch over the last few weeks we're incredibly excited to be hosting the Hamilton & Auckland leg of our Nationwide Tour of Rat King Landlord this weekend!
Thank you so much for making these possible!
We hope you'll be able to join us at our launch events and exhibition in Kirikiriroa Hamilton tomorrow and Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland on Friday and Saturday. We'll have free copies available all weekend as well as the chance to connect in person with our team including Rat King Landlord's author Murdoch Stephens.
The Hamilton Launch of the Renters United Edition of Rat King Landlord
A full launch-style event this Thursday the 18th at 5pm at Go Eco Waikato Environment Centre featuring art-gallery quality reproductions of some of our favourite illustrations from Rat King Landlord, the chance to grab some limited edition prints as well as more budget-friendly art goodies, and of course a reading and talk from Murdoch and the Renters United team.
Tāmaki Makaurau Launch of the Renters United Edition of Rat King Landlord
A full launch-style event this Saturday the 20th at 5pm at Flying Out Records featuring art-gallery quality reproductions of some of our favourite illustrations from Rat King Landlord, the chance to grab some limited edition prints as well as more budget-friendly art goodies, and of course a reading and talk from Murdoch and the Renters United team as well some of the amazing illustrators who've contributed to the project.
Rat King Landlord: The Exhibition
We managed to fit a whole novel, 16 beautiful illustrations, and a bunch of pro-renter propaganda into one free, 40 page, newsprint text so what's the natural next step? Making it far bigger of course! We're reproducing the entire text into a full scale art exhibition where you can get up close and personal with some of our favourite rats and renters. Join us between 12pm-6pm on Friday 19th and Saturday 20th at Flying Out Records!
We'd love if you were able to join us and connect as a community, do you think you'll be able to make it?
Even if you can't, if you know any other local renters who might be interested please do forward this on to them inviting them! As well as raising awareness of renters issues across Aotearoa we really want these events to be a space where renters can come together in community and build the connections that we know are so crucial to achieving a better future together.
In Solidarity and With Thanks,
Éimhín on behalf of the Renters United x Rat King Landlord Team
Introducing the Nationwide Tour of Rat King Landlord!
19/04/2023 at 11:30 AM
Introducing the Nationwide Tour of Rat King Landlord!
Rat King Landlord Nationwide Tour
You can find the details for all the events and RSVP on Eventbrite or via the event pages on our Facebook Page, we're looking forward to seeing you!
In Solidarity,
The Renters United and Lawrence & Gibson team.
You need to pledge to see this update.
You need to pledge to see this update.
You need to pledge to see this update.
Wow, just wow!
11/02/2023 at 10:19 PM
Your support for this project is simply stunning. With your help this project is going to go ahead, and it's going ahead in style. We’ve already raised over $5,000, enough to pay for some fancier paper, extra copies and some cash for our wonderful artists. It’s also enough for us to be able to launch the edition with real life in-the-flesh launch events.
On top of that we’ve got a couple of exciting announcements for the rest of the Pledge Me campaign:
New Pledge
We’ve added a new way to support the project — you can order 10 KILOGRAMS of the special edition to be delivered to one address. We can’t know exactly how many copies that is untll the printing is done but we think it’ll be at least 60 copies. It's 10kg because that the heaviest we can get without getting into ludicrous postage costs territory.
This is perfect if you you’d like to have a stack in your shop or cafe, or maybe you’ve got an event coming up and you want to give it out for free to attendees, or maybe you’d just like to flood your office with affordable activist literature (double merit points if you work in a real estate office).
Stretch goals
Once we ticked over $1,500 we realised we needed to get more specific about our stretch goals but things have happened so fast — we’ve already achieved four of them.
Check out the “About page” for a full list, but we’re hoping we’re now looking onward and upward to get Rat King Landlord events around the country, get copies to overseas renters rights organisations and — if we get to $10,000 — to try to print 10,000 (The Hobbit’s first three printings totalled 8,300 so whose to say Hollywood won’t come knocking?).
Finally, we wanted to end this update with some more of the stunning artwork from the edition:
We’ve hit our minimum target!!
07/02/2023 at 9:34 PM
Kia ora comrades!
Thank you so much for backing our campaign. We’ve already reached our minimum goal, the propaganda machines are standing by to print thousands of copies to distribute throughout Aotearoa!
But just because we’ve reached our goal doesn’t mean we have to stop, with more backing we’ll be able to improve the paper quality we print on (ensuring our propaganda lasts beyond the revolution), allow us to print more copies, and it’ll mean we can make sure our illustrators are paid a little something to keep their landlords at bay.
All you have to do is let your friends know! Send them the link, show them the awesome illustrations, we know they’re keen!!! They just haven’t heard about it yet!
In solidarity,
The Renters United and Lawrence & Gibson crew
17/02/2023 at 8:54pm
17/02/2023 at 8:53pm
17/02/2023 at 8:47pm
17/02/2023 at 8:20pm
"Ratlords 5ever 🐀🐀🐀"
17/02/2023 at 8:09pm
17/02/2023 at 7:51pm
17/02/2023 at 7:48pm
17/02/2023 at 7:28pm
17/02/2023 at 7:28pm
17/02/2023 at 7:05pm
17/02/2023 at 6:53pm
17/02/2023 at 6:38pm
17/02/2023 at 6:32pm
17/02/2023 at 6:20pm
17/02/2023 at 6:08pm
17/02/2023 at 6:02pm
17/02/2023 at 5:32pm
17/02/2023 at 5:25pm
17/02/2023 at 5:19pm
17/02/2023 at 5:16pm
17/02/2023 at 4:41pm
17/02/2023 at 4:39pm
17/02/2023 at 4:38pm
17/02/2023 at 4:24pm
17/02/2023 at 4:20pm
17/02/2023 at 4:08pm
17/02/2023 at 3:53pm
17/02/2023 at 3:49pm
17/02/2023 at 2:41pm
"Good work Cuz"
17/02/2023 at 2:31pm
"This looks fun!"
Followers of Special Renters United illustrated edition of Rat King Landlord
I want to embed this project somewhere
