Books

Books

Cover Fifty Years a Feminist'Fifty Years a Feminist' 

A pioneering New Zealand feminist reflects on fifty years of feminism - Published 14 May 2021

Buy now from Massey University Press 

In 1971 Sue Kedgley and a group of other young feminists carried a coffin into Auckland’s Albert Park to protest against decades of stagnant advancement for New Zealand women since they won the right to vote in 1893. From that day, she became synonymous with Second Wave feminism in this country, most notably organising a tour by Germaine Greer that ended in an arrest and court appearance.

In this direct, energetic and focused autobiography, Kedgley tracks the development of feminism over the last five decades and its intersection with her life, describing how she went from debutante to stroppy activist, journalist, safe-food activist and Green politician.

Her rich and rewarding life has included encounters with Betty Friedan, Yoko Ono, Kofi Annan, Sonja Davies and the Dalai Lama, and she has never abandoned her feminist convictions. She regrets that there is still a culture of male entitlement, sexism and double standards, and that women are still victims of violence. Even so, she argues, feminism has achieved an extraordinary amount. Fifty years ago women were a sort of underclass. Now they have entered almost every sphere of national life, even if many pay a high price for their hard-won success.

Thanks to the movement, she says, after centuries of subjugation, women are finally coming into their own. It is, she says, their time now, and their turn.

Buy now from Massey University Press

Read sample pages of 'Fifty Years a Feminist'

Read an interview: 10 Questions with Sue Kedgley

Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Massey University Press (May 2021)
Language: English
ISBN-13: 9780995135444

Cover of Eating Safely in a Toxic WorldEating Safely in a Toxic world

What really is in the food we eat?

A startling expose of the hidden hazards in New Zealand's food.

But the news isn't all bad: Eating Safely in a Toxic World outlines simple steps we can all follow to reduce the toxic load on our bodies.

  • many additives in our food have been banned overseas
  • natural foods such as vegetables, fruit and meat can contain residues of toxic substances
  • fruit could have been sprayed twenty times before picking
  • fish may contain ten times the amount of legally permitted mercury
  • a typical Kiwi lunch could include sixteen different pesticides
  • some children consume more than 150 additives a day

But the news isn't all bad: Eating Safely in a Toxic World outlines

Paperback: 324 pages
Publisher: Penguin Books (NZ) (1998)
ISBN-10: 0140279954
ISBN-13: 978-0140279955

Cover of Mum's the WordMum's the Word

The Untold Story of Motherhood in New Zealand

An account of New Zealand motherhood since the 1880s. The text combines interviews and research to create a picture of what it has meant to be a mother in New Zealand since the 1880s and how women's role as mothers has changed in subsequent years. She looks at the traditions surrounding childbirth and childcare, scientific innovations and their tyranny, the influence of such figures a Truby King, and the changes that have taken place in the ideology and practice of Pakeha motherhood in New Zealand.

Unknown Binding: 359 pages
Publisher: Random House New Zealand (1996)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1869412923
ISBN-13: 978-1869412920

Interviews

10 Questions with Sue Kedgley

Interview on 16 March 2021 with Sue Kedgley about her upcoming book, Fifty Years a Feminist, published by Massey University Press. 

Read the full interview on the Massey University Press website

Living Life Out Loud: 22 Inspiring New Zealand Women Share their Wisdom

Sue Kedgley was interviewed for this compilation of stories from 22 inspiring New Zealand women.

Living Life Out Loud by Kay Douglas is a positive and inspiring read, combining fascinating first-hand accounts from some of New Zealand's most loved and respected women with practical, uplifting information about the achievement of dreams.

Kay Douglas has interviewed 22 New Zealand women - to learn how they achieved their success. Their stories are sometimes incredibly personal and honest and, as a result, are often inspirational. Their journeys are both inward and outward, and it is surprising how often a spiritual theme emerges.

Paperback: 216 pages
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers PTY Limited (February 1, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1869503783
ISBN-13: 978-186950378