The Athenaeum Blog

The Athenaeum hosted an incredible event.  Three Dunedin songwriters performed and discussed their writing processes.  Dunedin It Girl Nadia Reid, Karl Bray and mystery guest Bianca Prujean. The Athenaeum library space has lofty ceilings to store plenty of books but as a wonderful bonus the space has great sound quality.  Sitting at the back at the librarians desk… Read More

The Athenaeum held a lovely lunchtime reading of five young poets as part of the Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival.  Otago Access Radio is doing a series called Profile of 20 Young Poets and the Youth Co-ordinator Domi Angelo-Laloli organised for some of them to give a public reading.  There was a hush in the… Read More

The Athenaeum was the venue for another success group book launch or ‘Chain Reaction’. There was Peter Olds’ with his new poetry collection Taking My Jacket for a Walk, Paddy Richardson’s novelThrough the Lonesome Dark, Victor Billot’s poetry Ambient Terror, Huberta Hellendoorn’s memoir Astride a Fierce Wind and John Gibb’s poetry collectionWalking by a River… Read More

The use of the Athenaeum Library’s rooms as a pit stop for the people doing the Labour Party’s Art Trail (afterall we can not live on art alone!) was a great success. Jackie kindly volunteered her Sunday to attend and sign up new members and here are some of the photos she took of the… Read More

On Sunday 13 November 2016 from 10.30am to 4pm the New Zealand Labour Party is holding an art trail around the city and the Athenaeum will be the refreshment venue for hords of thirsty art lovers. Tickets are $20.00 each and to purchase tickets, call Islay: (03) 473 0278 or email her at:islaylittle@gmail.com This years featured… Read More

Our Evening with Holmes on the 6th of October was a great success with a good turn out to hear Barry Dorking read The Mystery of the White Stick.  Everyone agreed that it was incredibly soothing to be read to and they hope for more events like this – so watch this space we are… Read More

The Dunedin Athenaeum invites you to an evening of conviviality with a reading by the eminent Dunedin thespian Mr Barry Dorking from Dr Edwin Nye’s tale of intrigue and investigation by the legendary detective Mr Sherlock Holmes in the story of the “Mystery of the White stick”. Followed by refreshments 7pm on Thursday 6 October,… Read More

On Wednesday night an excited group of poetry lovers gathered to perform and listen to mostly original poetry at the Athenaeum Library. Last years Secondary schools Poetry Slam was so popular they decided to hold it again. We had fewer people attending this time which was a pity because we all agreed that the standard… Read More

Golly the ABC has been up and running for over nine months now. In that time we have discussed: An Imperfect Marriage by Tim Waterstone Live’s we Leave Behind by Maxine Alterio No! I don’t want to join a Book Club by Virginia Ironside The Children Act by Ian McEwan Time and Time Again by Ben… Read More

We are excited to have a page up and running on Facebook.  Look for us under groups as Dunedin Athenaeum & Mechanics Institute you can like us or even become a member. See you in cyberspace!