i’m really grateful to Asher for taking the time out of a really busy month to chat with me about writing The Valley: Crime and Punishment in a New Zealand City published by Bridget Williams Books (BWB)

There are quite a few places to see Asher talk about the content of The Valley. Most recently Asher appeared on Q & A with Jack Tame

In this conversation i was keen to talk to Asher about how he wrote the book. i was particularly interested in the journalism as a form.

As someone who has spent a bit of time with people who live in prisons, i am always a bit anxious about a work of journalism that investigates justice and specific people in the justice systems. i started The Valley by reading the ‘About the Research’ section at the back of the book and felt a degree of hope. i think this is why i wanted to talk to Asher about process. Asher has made decisions around narrative, voice, citation and other elements of writing that mean this book is a compelling work of long-form journalism and one that de-centers the author and lets the people of the work speak for themselves. Obviously, as Asher says, the idea of complete objectivity is a myth. However this book does a great job of resisting dominant journalistic and literary solutions in a way that produces something unlike a lot of other ‘true crime’ i’ve read. i’ve found it hard to work out how to talk about this book. At first i thought it was a work that offered the reader an opportunity for compassion. But i think now, what it offers through it’s literary choices is something far more profound – information. i think in the absence of editorializing the book gives us a clear picture of the way things are, making it very hard to say every again, ‘I didn’t know.’ We can disagree on the causes and solutions but The Valley makes it very hard to disagree on what is happening in our neighborhoods, on our streets, in our courts and prisons.

i also just want to say thanks so much to Te Matapihi Ki Te Ao Nui | Central Library where i’ve recorded the last three episodes. i can’t say loudly enough how great it is to have you back and how wonderful it is to be able to record in one of your awesome meeting room spaces!

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Action: Citizens Advice Bureau | Ngā Pou Whakawhirinaki o Aotearoa and Community Law

i wanted to highlight the work of two organisations that support people in finding information and advice. Asher suggested these two.

Citizens Advice Bureau | Ngā Pou Whakawhirinaki o Aotearoa say:

We are a nationwide, but locally based, community organisation. We help people to know and understand their rights and obligations, and how to use this information to get the best outcomes. We provide people with the confidence and support they need to take action. We use insights from our clients’ experiences to work for positive social change.

Citizens Advice Bureau | Ngā Pou Whakawhirinaki o Aotearoa website

Citizens Advice Bureau Petitions Wellington Council To Restore CAB Funding

Community Law says:

Legal problems can be serious and frightening, and for many people lawyers are completely unaffordable. But everyone has the right to high-quality legal help – that’s where Community Law comes in.

Community Law New Zealand website

Community Law Wellington and Hutt Valley says:

We provide initial legal advice only at our drop-in sessions and community outreach clinics. If you require ongoing legal assistance with your legal issue we will help you find an appropriate lawyer.

Community Law Wellington website

You can support Better off Read financially at Buy Better off Read a Coffee

Music in Better off Read was made by Brent McIntyre.

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