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Non-fiction - Essays - Christchurch City Libraries

Journalistic writing that can encapsulate moments in time, as well as the personality of its writer. If you want to explore an important social or political issue, hear a great story, or gain a deeper understanding of literature and other art forms, then these titles give you a chance to do so, all while enjoying the thoughts and opinions of great writers. A Christchurch City Libraries list.

Christchurch City Libraries Ngā Kete Wānanga o Ōtautahi

19 items

  • Though beloved novelist Ann Patchett has control over the stories she tells, life itself is a journey full of unexpected surprises. Patchett contemplates this truth in her radiant, critically acclaimed essay collection. Intimately personal…
    BookLondon : Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021. — 814.54 PAT
  • The Anthropocene Reviewed

    Essays on a Human-centered Planet

    Green, John, 1977-
    The Anthropocene refers to the current period in Earth’s history, commencing from the time when humankind began to significantly impact the planet’s ecosystems, climate and geology. The Anthropocene Reviewed is bestselling author John…
    BookLondon : Ebury Press, 2021. — 306 GRE
  • "Bestselling author and comedian David Sedaris returns with another entertaining essay collection in “Happy-Go-Lucky”. Combining his trademark wit with poignant honesty, Sedaris reflects on the jarring new reality brought about by the…
    BookLondon : Little, Brown and Company, 2022. — 817.54 SED
  • Celebrated writer Joan Didion delivers an intriguing time capsule of California counter-culture in the 1960s and in this collection she also writes about cinematic cowboy John Wayne, keeping a notebook, reclusive millionaire Howard Hughes…
    BookNew York : Simon and Schuster, 1979, c1968. — 814.54 DID
  • World of Wonders

    in Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments

    Nezhukumatathil, Aimee
    A heart-felt collection of insights into natural and personal history in which Aimee Nezhukumatathil draws connections between unusual flora and fauna and her own vibrant life. Her prose is at its most powerful when she adds a dash of…
    BookMinneapolis, Minnesota : Milkweed Editions, 2020. — 590 NEZ
  • Knausgaard evokes the sensations of a Scandinavian winter before diving into topics including birth, Norwegian politics, desire, Christmas, noses and the moon. Winter is a bracing exploration of a creative mind and is one volume in…
    BookNew York : Penguin Press, [2018] — 839.8 KNA
  • Disability Visibility

    First-person Stories From the Twenty-first Century

    An invigorating, rich collection of essays exploring the perspectives and lived experiences of people with disabilities. Bringing together a wide range of voices that are often excluded from mainstream media, this anthology is both…
    BookNew York : Vintage Books, 2020. — 305.9 DIS
  • Dispatches From Continent Seven

    An Anthology of Antarctic Science

    For many of us, travel is on ice so why not read about travelling on the ice? Start with Captain Cook's circumnavigation, join Apsley Cherry-Garrard on The Worst Journey in the World, shadow The Accidental Penguin Biologist, reflect on the…
    BookWellington, New Zealand : Awa Press, 2016. — 998.9 DIS
  • Contemporary Voices

    From the Asian and Islamic Art Worlds

    Sand, Olivia
    Eighty seven interviews with artists offer insights into creativity and expression and provide a comprehensive survey of the Asian and Islamic art scene. Artists covered include Yoko Ono, Huang Yong Ping, Etel Adnan, Ghada Amer, Rina…
    BookMilano, Italy : Skira, 2018. — 709.5 SAN
  • Trick Mirror

    Reflections on Self-delusion

    Tolentino, Jia
    "Our society revolves around the individual - yet, this only makes it harder to see one’s self clearly. In Trick Mirror, fresh journalistic talent Jia Tolentino examines our self-delusion in an increasingly confusing personal and political…
    BookLondon : 4th Estate, 2019. — 814.6 TOL
  • Celebrated novelist Zadie Smith displays a flair for the essay with this collection in which she brings her analytical focus to bear on topics including teen idols, Brexit, hip-hop, the cinematic horror of racism, Joni Mitchell and the…
    Book[London] : Hamish Hamilton, 2018. — 824.914 SMI
  • Cultural commentator Rebecca Solnit uses her acute powers of analysis to deliver a celebration of walking amidst contemplation. Bestselling writer Alain de Botton hailed Wanderlust as “Radical, humane, witty, impassioned and serious” and…
    BookLondon : Granta Books, [2014] — 796.51 SOL
  • This Book Will Blow Your Mind

    Journeys to the Extremes of Science

    Science writers present the most surprising scientific discoveries of recent times and use them to discuss mind-boggling questions about life on our planet and indeed, in the universe. Topics include white and black holes, forbidden…
    BookLondon : John Murray Publishers Ltd, 2018. — 502 THI
  • For poet Mary Oliver, the natural world is intimately connected with her art. "Upstream" brings together a collection of dazzling essays that express Oliver's deep love and fascination with her environment. She also reflects on the great…
    BookNew York : Penguin Press, 2016. — 814.54 OLI
  • Montaigne, Michel de. (1533-1592). The French Renaissance thinker is credited with popularising the essay as a genre. Access Video offer a half-hour programme that discusses his life and impact on human thought. The video starts with many…
    Streaming Video[Place of publication not identified] : Hossick, Malcolm, [2015] — FILM
  • The essays of Michel Montaigne, the French Renaissance thinker credited with popularising the essay as a genre.
    BookLondon : Penguin Books, c1958. — 844.3 MON
  • The essays of Michel Montaigne, the French Renaissance thinker credited with popularising the essay as a genre.
    Book[s.l.] : O.U.P, [c1927]. — 844.3 MON
  • Montaigne

    a Very Short Introduction

    Hamlin, William M., 1957-
    Website or Online DataNew York, NY : Oxford University Press, 2020. — DIGITAL