Many steps involved in launching new Literary Walking Tours

By Beverly Martens | Posted:

Developing a new venture conducting literary walking tours through the University of Otago campus took the best part of a year, but the stops and starts along the way were all worth it says their founder and guide, Ms Beverly Martens.

“Because the University has so much of the early New Zealand literature scene embedded in its walls, it felt like the natural place to conduct these walks, so I was determined to keep pressing on until I got their official seal of approval,” says Beverly who held many meetings at the University to check all parties were comfortable with the idea. This included the Head of English & Linguistics, the Vice Chancellor for External Engagement, the deputy Proctor, Hocken and University library staff, the management team at the University bookshop, the Health and Safety team, Marketing and Communications staff, and so on.

“It was a long process, but absolutely necessary to keep everyone in the loop. And I got nothing but positive feedback because ultimately these walks help make our UNESCO City of Literature status more ‘tangible’ somehow.”

Her strongest support came from the DCC’s Arts Collaboration group, chaired by COL Director, Nicky Page, who provided Beverly with unflagging advice and encouragement. “When you’re a sole operator, trying to start a new business, having someone of her expertise to be able to sound out ideas with was just brilliant”, explains Beverly. “In fact the whole process has really strengthened both my literary and business networks.”

Another integral part of setting up the tours was a 9-week Co-Starters business course organised (and co-facilitated) by Antony Deaker from the DCC Enterprise team. Participants were all budding entrepreneurs from Dunedin’s creative tourism sector including Victoria Gilliand from the Small City, Big Walls street-art tours. “Even though Victoria had been running her tours for a year, she also got a lot out of the course and while we’re technically ‘competitors’ we’re actually much more like colleagues now.”

The aim of Beverly’s Literary Walking Tours is to showcase why Dunedin thoroughly deserves its UNESCO City of Literature designation by sharing Informative and anecdotal stories about the famous New Zealand writers that have been based In Dunedin such as Charles Brasch, Janet Frame, James K Baxter and Hone Tuwhare..

The 90-minute walks also cover the early history of Dunedin for example, the Rev Thomas Burns, (nephew of Robbie Burns) the most influential early religious leader of the province, who went on to become the first Vice Chancellor of the University; through to Thomas Bracken, a poet, publisher and politician, who wrote the words to God Defend New Zealand; and the city’s first coroner Dr Thomas Hocken, an avid collector of books, pamphlets and artwork which later formed the basis of the Hocken Library.

“Between this historic perspective right through to the current literary scene. It’s a lot to cover in 90 minutes but I tailor it to suit my guests,” Beverly says.

The tours also actively celebrate the gothic architecture of the University’s earliest buildings. “James K Baxter’s only novel, Horse, references the Archway (where exams results used to be posted up on the baize glass-framed notice-boards) while scenes from the 1990 Janet Frame biopic An Angel at my Table were filmed in the Quadrangle.”

As well as being the tours’ guide, Beverly is herself a creative writer and actively involved in the Dunedin literary scene. She has had poems published in several anthologies and was one of the Fortune Theatre’s ‘emerging playwrights’ last year.

The Literary Walking Tours leave from the University Visitors’ Centre four times a week. The cost is $30 per person with a $5 discount for University of Otago staff, NZSA members and students from any NZ secondary or tertiary institution.

To make a booking or for general enquires email info@literarytours.nz or visit www.literarytours.nz