Media Releases

Shine On Katherine Mansfield: Today's creatives inspired by her legacy

Released at 10:52 am on 13 March 2025

Shine On Katherine Manfield Photo: Artwork by Jayne Joyce

Katherine Mansfield’s not dead. She lives vibrantly in hearts and minds of scores of people here and everywhere, 100 years since she died.
 
Shine On Katherine Mansfield is an eight-part video series featuring some the country’s most prominent artists and their new works inspired by one of our greatest writers, a century on from her death.
 
Episodes feature a new ballet by Laughlin Pryor, a concert by Charlotte Yates, Poet Laureate Chris Tse, father daughter duo CK Stead and Charlotte Grimshaw and others across the creative spectrum.
 
RNZ Commissioning Manager Tim Burnell says the series showcases an extraordinary collection of talented New Zealanders and introduces new audiences to Katherine Mansfield’s life and work through a modern lens.
 
“Mansfield’s legacy is undeniable, and Shine On Katherine Mansfield is a wonderful and creative celebration of her legacy.”
 
Director and producer Anna Cottrell says Mansfield was one of our greatest short story writers with an extraordinary output before her early death at 34.
 
“She is still celebrated internationally for her stories and poetry, many that were uniquely New Zealand, but relevant to many others of her time and now.
 
“It has been amazing to work with writers including Witi Ihimaera, graphic writer Sarah Laing and emerging talent like poet and musician Cadence Chung and many other creative Kiwis to bring this series to life. The willingness of so many to be involved speaks to Katherine Mansfield’s enduring influence.”
 
Shine On Katherine Mansfield will stream at rnz.co.nz/shine-on from Tuesday 18 March. The series was produced by AC Productions and scored by acclaimed screen composers Plan 9. Made with the support of NZ On Air.
 
The series was originally published on Newsroom in 2024.