Press Release

Governor General launches Whitireia Creative Writing tutors new book.

Adrienne Jansen has completed a commission by the Asia New Zealand Foundation to work alongside photographer Ans Westra, on a book recording the experiences of Asian Muslim immigrants in New Zealand. The Crescent Moon – The Asian Face of Islam in New Zealand, was launched by the Governor General last Thursday at Pātaka Museum and Gallery.

The Crescent Moon: The Asian Face of Islam in New Zealand features images and experiences from 37 individuals.

Over two years Westra and Jansen travelled New Zealand to create The Crescent Moon: The Asian Face of Islam in New Zealand. They met, interviewed and photographed an ethnically and culturally diverse group. The subjects were disarmingly honest. Jansen describes the result as “correcting some perceptions. There is a lot of misunderstanding and this is a way to give people a voice.”

The launch of the book coincided with the opening of an exhibition that features text and photography from the book and which will travel the county.

An author of fiction, non-fiction and poetry; Jansen is a Creative writing tutor at Whitireia Community Polytechnic. After working as a teacher of English as a second language and in community education for a number of years, Jansen established the creative writing programme in 1993 and continues to tutor on the course.

Jansen’s other published titles include; I Have in My Arms Both Ways (1990), Borany’s Story (1991) and Spirit Writing (1999).

The New Zealand Governor-General, the Honourable Anand Satyanand, launches The Crescent Moon, with writer Adrienne Jansen and photographer Ans Westra.