What’s the Story? Reading Afternoon

Hear short stories inspired by the Rotorua Museum collection

Talented local writers have been busy crafting fictional stories inspired by items from the Rotorua Museum collection. Hear these wonderful short stories at a special event hosted at McLeods Booksellers (1148 Pukuatua Street) on Sunday 8 September at 2pm.

Writers were given a selection of unique items that had been chosen by the Rotorua Museum collection team and were asked: “What story can you conjure up about this strange selection of objects?”

Some of the objects included a photo of the first ever electric kettle in Rotorua from 1910, and the contents of a writing case which includes a set of fleams (for blood-letting), along with various train, ship, theatre and racecourse tickets, pieces of gold and a notebook.

Rotorua Museum cares for more than 55,000 objects and photographs. Some of these have fantastic stories behind them and some of them have no information whatsoever. A third group have scattered tempting nuggets of information which make the staff wonder “What’s the story?”

Enjoy hearing what fictional lives were associated with these collection items as creative writers share their stories.

For further information contact Rotorua Museum, phone 07 350 1814 or email rotorua.museum@rotorualc.nz

Image credit: Writing case and contents, date unknown. Maker unknown, Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa (1991.81.1)