Kiran Dass

In loving memory of Kitsey 25 March 2012-28 September 2025 Deep and inscrutable singular name… Kitsey. Nick and I are heartbroken and devastated that our beautiful Kitsey died suddenly and unexpectedly one week ago last Sunday evening. Kitsey found and chose us 13 years ago! A rescue kitty, she lived her best life in three cities across two islands: beginning her time with us in Freemans Bay and Waterview in Auckland, then Saint Johns Hill in Whanganui, then finally across the sea in Lyttelton, which she loved! She loved being up high on her deck and in her garden, she loved the big sky and the sun. Demander of laps and snuggletime, a constant purring machine, that expressive face! She was obsessed with the sound of the hairdryer, a calico cutie with crack up tortitude, a creature of routine, a sun seeker, lover of 60s Nuggets and bass heavy dub records. Our constant companion. Kitsey was a real sweetie, we are so privileged to have loved her. Kitsey lives on in the celestial golden glow of the eternal sun patch. 💐🌺🐾💔❤️‍🩹🌸🌻🌼🌞☀️🌈

Dass activities this week: Friday 15 May, 7pm at Waitākere Room, Aotea Centre, Auckland In conversation with International Booker Prize shortlisted Japanese literary superstar Mieko Kawakami. Two bobs on one stage with interpreter extraordinaire Melanie Taylor. Sunday 17 May, 11.30am at Limelight Room, Aotea Centre, Auckland A Heavy History: Girmitiyas in Fiji: in conversation with Shana Chandra & Krish Naidu. Tickets are available for these events. Huge congrats to Lindsey Fineran and the AWF team on another blockbuster programme and thank you for including me. Very sad to not make it up in time to catch Patrick Radden Keefe 🫠😵‍💫 Also sending my very best to all the writers, artists and their publishers ahead of the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards tomorrow. Anyone who wrote/ published a book is a winner in my eyes. I’m in awe of you all. - writing is hard work! The longlists in each category make a brilliant reading list. Writing in Aotearoa is STRONG. Looking forward to catching up with everyone at AWF for natters! Do get in touch for wine and book goss. Coming together for BOOKS and WRITERS - I am so here for it. See you? . . . #MiekoKawakami #ShanaChandra #AWF26 #TheOckhams

Go Shuggie! (But not too far, please) 🧡

Popped by to visit my favourite example of public transport in New Zealand - the Durie Hill Elevator and its majestic 213 metre adit. I wrote about the visionary backstory of the Durie Hill Elevator a few years ago for the Guardian and you can still find the link to that piece in my bio. Also clambered up to the lookout deck which has sweeping views over the beautiful city.

Beaut Brutalism 🩶

The Brutalist. Checked in on my favourite building in New Zealand. Ministry of Works, 1979.

Do it clean, know what I mean! Was a real pleasure to write about ten of my favourite songs by The Clean for the Guardian to mark the publication of Richard Langston’s oral history of the band ‘The Clean: in the dreamlife you need a rubber soul’. Link in bio. . . . #TheClean #DavidKilgour #HamishKilgour #BobScott #PointThatThingSomewhereElse

Wee Shuggie’s first taste of the Lyttelton outdoors!

Publisher appreciation post. (And a major publisher for once). Picador is smashing it this year. Patrick Radden Keefe! (‘London Falling’ is yet another immersive masterclass of narrative nonfiction from my favourite writer of the form), Douglas Stuart! (‘John of John’ is as beautiful and atmospheric of a time and place as you’d expect from this wonderful writer. My copy here is grubby from lugging it around with me everywhere), Gwendoline Riley! (This just arrived and I wish I could just drop everything to read ‘The Palm House’. Copy already dinged because it fell off the rail before I could snap the pic: Can be a backup to lend out - I love her writing so much I also ordered the NYRB edition). You’ll know how I evangelise about these three writers! And we have a new novel from. Sarah Moss to look forward to, too. I LOVE BOOKS! . . . #PatrickRaddenKeefe #DouglasStuart #GwendolineRiley

I declare today ‘The Clean Sunday’ with the mighty group on the music box all day. This stunning book about them ‘The Clean: In the Dreamlife You Need A Rubber Soul’ by @richard.langston is a beaut, out next month @aucklanduniversitypress everywhere. It’s an oral history, too, which is one of my favourite formats for music books. Beautiful production inside and out too, good job! . . . #TheClean #HamishKilgour #DavidKilgour #RobertScott #FlyingNunRecords

Was a real privilege to be a part of the ‘Letter to My Art Mother’ session at the @aotearoanzfest to read an essay I’ve written about my mother. Really grateful to @clairemabey for the invitation. Definitely out of my comfort zone to read out my own work! Was such a lovely audience. Loved hearing brilliant writers Rachel Buchanan, Henrietta Bollinger, Elizabeth Knox, Kate Camp, Khadro Mohamed, Natasha Brown read their beautiful pieces too (we all interpreted the brief in such different ways!) and I loved the warmth of our MC Jo Randerson. The image behind me is a film still of Elizabeth Taylor doing her eye makeup up in the 1973 Italian film ‘Identikit’, a brilliant metaphysical psychodrama based on Muriel Spark’s ‘Driver’s Seat’. Also loved being in conversation with Charlotte Grimshaw about her new novel ‘The Black Monk’. What a truly galvanising conversation! Charlotte is such a bracingly intelligent, thoughtful, generous, empathetic and funny interviewee. A gift to an interviewer. Loved hearing Natasha Brown speak. Her novels are absolutely brilliant and if you haven’t read it, I highly recommend ‘Assembly’. In praise of the slim gut-punch novel! And the Pōneke Poetry Showcase. Wow! Such formidable talent. Hosted by our NZ Poet Laureate Robert Sullivan of Oamaru. Thank you so much to @verb_wellington Claire, Melanie and Kate for having me, and for such generous and warm hospitality. I loved being there and left feeling so inspired and topped up. 1 - 📸 @palavermedia 3 - 📸 @clairemabey 4 - 📸 @auchmill

DASS ACTIVITIES: Delighted to be participating in two events at the @aotearoanzfest in Wellington this weekend! 10AM Saturday 7 March Letter to my Art Mother I’ll be reading a new essay I wrote about my much-missed mother. There’s seven of us reading and I’ll be the thorn between two roses Elizabeth Knox and Kate Camp - no pressure! Very excited about hearing all of the other readers who are wonderful, especially Natasha Brown whose writing I love a lot. Do come if you’re in Wellington, it’d be lovely to see some friendly kind faces out there. 10AM Sunday 8 March Charlotte Grimshaw: The Black Monk I’ll be in conversation with the brilliant Charlotte Grimshaw about her new novel. Has been a bracing joy reading this literary Aotearoa novel! With many thanks to Claire Mabey and Melanie Hamilton for thinking me into their lovely programme.