The Other Side of the Sunset — Book Launch

Save the date for this special book launch on Friday 8 May, 5:30pm, at the Dante Auckland!

Freemans Bay Community Centre

Freemans Bay,

Auckland

The Other Side of the Sunset:  The cultural benefits of New Zealand and Italian connections through Italian immigration to Aotearoa from the 1950s to the mid-2020s

By Antonella Sarti Evans.  $50.00   — Book launch special: $40

Published by Steele Roberts New Zealand

Media Release

 

The Other Side of the Sunset, by Antonella Sarti Evans traces the multi-faceted influence of Italians and their culture in New Zealand over the last six decades.

 

Through vivid stories and historical insight, this book reveals how Italian culture has woven itself deeply into the fabric of Aotearoa, creating rich and unexpected connections between languages, traditions, professions and ways of life. 

 

From post-war migrants to the highly skilled newcomers of today, Antonella spent many hours over a two year period undertaking new research interviewing a wide range of New Zealanders who all have cultural ties to Italy.  

 

“I spoke with people who often started by saying they didn’t think they had a story to tell, only to still be talking two or three hours later” says Antonella as she reflects on the many migrants, their descendants and whānau she spoke with across kitchen tables, workrooms, garages and gardens all over New Zealand.

 

“As an Italian-Kiwi myself, I’ve always been able to notice Italian cultural influences in New Zealand day to day life, but this was an opportunity to delve a lot deeper and to document that impact; from food, design, cinema, and the arts - to architecture, restauration, sustainability, marine biology, geology and cutting-edge innovation.”

 

As an academic and writer, Antonella conducted comprehensive historical research alongside her many hours of one-on-one interviews. Her research, (partially funded by a Manatū Taonga, NZ Ministry for Culture and Heritage grant), took her deep into New Zealand archives, statisics and news stories of the past. 

 

Antonella says that one of the special areas of focus of her book, is the cultural and historical connections between Italians and tangata whenua in Aotearoa, that have enriched the nation's understanding of cross-cultural relationships.

 

“Italians often feel at instantly at home with Māori people in Aotearoa and vice versa.  I believe that exposure to the languages and cultures of different countries is an important part of a nation’s growth from many perspectives. Cross-cultural understanding is essential to achieve broader insight, more successful communication, and a deeper knowledge of history.  Connections are the soul of NZ identity.”

 

Antonella’s Italian-Māori interviews featured in the book include Rob Mokaraka, (co-author of film Maunga Cassino and play Strange Resting Places with Paolo Rotondo); Tu Sciascia (the youngest son of kaumātua Prof Piri Sciascia), Sir Horomona Horo (a national taonga in playing taonga pūoro), Patricia Grace (acclaimed author of TU, the historical novel based on the 28th Māori Battalion’s campaign in Italy), Kawiti Waetford (first opera singer in te reo), as well as some of the Italian–Māori families of former tunnellers from Turangi.

 

At its heart says Antonella, the book is a vibrant tapestry of resilience, creativity, and cultural exchange an ongoing story that continues to shape New Zealand society. 

 

“I think this will resonate with both the Italian and Kiwi community as the book is all about celebrating the extraordinary contributions Italians have made to Kiwi culture and the pride that many Kwis take in their Italian connections too.” 

ABOUT ANTONELLA SARTI-EVANS

Antonella Sarti Evans is an Italian-born translator, writer, and Italian-language teacher based in Wellington, New Zealand. 

 

She holds a PhD in “Literatures of English speaking countries” with a specialization in New Zealand contemporary literature from Università di Roma, La Sapienza. 

 

She has taught at Victoria University of Wellington Te Herenga Waka and at Circolo Italiano di Wellington for a number of years. Currently, she is a lecturer in Italian at the House of Philosophy.

Antonella’s main contribution lies in researching and translating New Zealand literature into Italian. 

 

She translated works by prominent New Zealand authors — e.g. Janet Frame, Patricia Grace, Robin Hyde, Vivienne Plumb, Hone Tuwhare, Apirana Taylor, Anahera Gildea, Kiri Piahana-Wong, Maringikura Mary Campbell — making them accessible to Italian readership, including novels Pōtiki and Tu by Patricia Grace and Janet Frame’s The Lagoon and Other Stories. She edited a selection of contemporary Māori women’s poetry translated into Italian in parallel text — Matariki, sciame di stelle (2020) — and the anthology Let it Rain E Ua Te Ua: Tukuna ki teMārama — Poetry from Aotearoa in Multilingual Translation (te reo Māori, Cook Island Māori, English, Italian, French and Japanese) along with Maringikura Mary Campbell (2023).

 

A special course coming up in June: Vita Romana — Life in Ancient Rome

 

Vita Romana: Life in Ancient Rome 

What did it mean to be Roman two thousand years ago? This course explores beyond emperors, coups, and battles to consider the lived experiences that shaped daily life in the ancient world. Using both written sources and archaeological evidence, we will uncover how Romans grew up, worked, played, aged, and commemorated the milestones of life and death. Designed for newcomers and history enthusiasts alike, this course offers a window into the everyday world of ancient Rome.

Each session will end with 30 minutes for coffee and discussion. This is a relaxed space to ask questions, delve into your favourite topics, or simply enjoy chatting about Rome with others who share a passion for history.

(The language of instruction for this course is English.)

 

Instructor:

Saskia Herren is an expert in Latin language and literature who has taught and tutored courses in Roman history and religion, Latin, and Ancient Greek language at the University of Auckland. In 2020, Saskia was the Provost Scholar at Worcester College in Oxford where she researched Latin magical texts. Her research explores representations of gender and power in Greek and Latin literature.

 

Class Schedule: 

Class 1, 6 June: Who and what is Roman? + Roman Childhood

Class 2, 13 June: Roman Work

Class 3, 20 June: Roman Play

 

The lessons will last an hour and a half (including 30 minutes of discussion and coffee). The full course will cost 80$, but you can also attend individual lessons for 30$.

The course will start in June and will take place on Saturday.

 

Introduction to Dante's Comedy Life,Works, The Divine Comedy, Inferno and readings

A seminar at the School of Philosophy, Auckland

taught in English by Dr Antonella Sarti Evans and lecturer Flavia Flamini

Saturday morning, 9 May, from 9am to 12.3O pm

Saturday afternoons, 9 May, from 2pm to 4.30 pm

Sunday morning, 10 May from 9 am to 12.30 pm.

School of Philosophy

268 West Tamaki Road

Wai O Taiki Bay, Auckland

Fees: 60 NZD for the whole seminar.

Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea will be provided. Costs included in the fees.

For more information, get in touch with Nigel Rankin

apn.rankin@gmail.com

m.021 495 428

 

"L’anno delle mille vite" di Heddi Goodrich

Dopo il successo di Perduti nei Quartieri Spagnoli (2019) (che è stato presentato anche nella nostra sede della Dante a Freemans Bay) e L’americana (2021), la nostra membra e amica Heddi Goodrich torna alla pubblicazione con un nuovo romanzo, L’anno delle mille vite appena uscito con Bompiani. 

Heddi è al momento in Italia per un ciclo di presentazioni, ma sarà ancora una volta nostra ospite qui ad Auckland nel proseguo dell'anno, per un incontro con i nostri membri e studenti. 

Stay tuned!!! 

L’anno delle mille vite, (2026) Bompiani

Il 69 dopo Cristo è chiamato dagli storici “l’anno dei quattro imperatori”. In un brevissimo volgere di tempo, alla morte di Nerone, si avvicendano Galba, Otone, Vitellio e, alla fine, Vespasiano, che reggerà l’impero per dieci anni. Non è un periodo tormentato solo per la storia, perché è come se l’inquietudine si estendesse alla terra stessa che, a Ercolano, nel cuore della Campania felix, si agita, squassata da tremori, tempeste, un’insonne attività che evoca oscuri presagi. In questo luogo mai così vitale proprio mentre si trova sull’orlo della catastrofe, in questa ricca città in cui i commerci si mescolano con il fervore delle scuole filosofiche, una donna romana, Turia, sposata con il mercante Felice, una famiglia da gestire con l’aiuto di servi, precettori e della schiava egizia Anù, che mentre scioglie i nodi della sua chioma le narra le leggende degli dèi che abitano la favolosa valle del Nilo, affida la sua vita interiore a un lungo monologo. Parole che hanno un destinatario, un uomo che non è suo marito: il centurione Marco Gavio Firmo, ufficiale della leggendaria XXI legione Rapax. Ferito e momentaneamente ritirato dal fronte, Firmo viene assunto da Felice per occuparsi della formazione militare del figlio maschio. È un uomo riservato, di poche parole, abituato alla disciplina rigida dell’esercito, ma sotto i suoi silenzi e nei laconici insegnamenti che impartisce al figlio Turia intuisce un animo sensibile, una trattenuta dolcezza. A questo ignaro confidente, lontano eppure incredibilmente vicino, una donna romana trova il coraggio di raccontare la sua ricchissima attività immaginativa che, per quanto reclusa tra le pareti della domus, spazia tra paure, sogni e turbamenti raccontati con una stupefacente sensibilità nella loro aderenza a un’epoca remota eppure attualissima, specchio dell’anima di ogni donna, immutabile, senza tempo. 

HEDDI GOODRICH 

Heddi Goodrich, nata negli Stati Uniti nel 1971 e cresciuta a Washington, ha studiato in Italia all’Istituto universitario Orientale di Napoli. Ha pubblicato, con Giunti, Perduti nei Quartieri Spagnoli (2019) e L’americana (2021). 

Attualmente vive con la sua famiglia ad Auckland, in Nuova Zelanda. Tradotta in molti paesi, scrive in italiano.

Società Dante Alighieri Auckland Annual General Meeting 2026 and President's Report

Dear Friends,

The Annual General Meeting of the Società Dante Alighieri Auckland was held yesterday, Saturday 7 March, in the new Dante Rooms of the Freemans Bay Community Centre, Auckland. Please find below the President's report.

We also would like to inform our members that it is time to renew your Dante membership, and that the committee has deliberated that there will be no changes on membership fees for 2026, as we wish to keep these low and affordable to everyone.

You can renew your membership online, with a bank transfer to Società Dante Alighieri BNZ a/c 020192-0309263-00 with the reference "LASTNAME/MSHIP”.
Language students can also pay by eftpos when they attend classes.

If you like you can also add a donation to the Society with your membership. The Dante Alighieri Society of Auckland is a registered charity with ‘donee’ status, and we can provide receipts for your donations on request. 

Any donation, no matter how small, greatly helps us with the day to day running of our society.

Grazie for all your donations!

The current annual subscription for membership (including GST) is: Single membership - $30 per person Couples or family - $40 per couple or family Seniors and tertiary students - $15 per person

Children up to 18 years of age come under Student or Family membership.

Vi ricordiamo che la Società Dante Alighieri è una Charity e che come tale accettiamo con entusiasmo le vostre donazioni e volontariato. 

Le donazioni possono essere dedotte dalle tasse e permettono alla nostra Società di offrire classi, attività ed eventi culturali.

Dante Auckland AGM – President's Report

Cari amici e soci della Dante Auckland,

 

Welcome everyone and thank you for joining us for our 2026 Annual General Meeting.

 

This has truly been a year of change and new beginnings for our Society. After many years in our historic rooms, we moved into our new home at the Freemans Bay Community Centre.

This move marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the Società Dante Alighieri Auckland.

It took months of planning, organising, packing, and decluttering. There were moments of chaos along the way! But thanks to the dedication of our committee and volunteers, we made it happen. This has given us a space that will allow more flexibility and more opportunities to grow our activities and bring our community together. At the same time, we are aware that the move has increased our fixed costs, and we remain mindful of managing these responsibly.

I would like to sincerely thank all the committee members who helped to make this move possible. In particular, thank you to Valeria Santillo, Luca Manghi and Riccardo Lucignani, as well as the many volunteers who supported us before, during and after the move. A special thank you also goes to our students for their patience while we adjusted to our new space.

 

Despite the challenges of relocating, we continued to offer a rich programme of activities.

Our CineDante film series brought several screenings, followed by engaging discussions.

Our monthly Cantastorie sessions continued to be a wonderful opportunity for families to come together. These mornings allow children and parents to reconnect with their Italian background through stories, play and conversation in Italian. 

Dedicated to the children was also our Festa di Pasqua, another lovely occasion to share the Italian traditions with the youngest in our community.

Our Colazione gatherings also continued, together with activities such as the Italian Quizzone and special guest speakers, including Federica Bressan, who presented her book Nel cuore della Tuscia.

 

In October, we celebrated the Italian Language Week under the theme Italophony – A Language Beyond Borders. Thanks to Professor Bernadette Luciano, Barbara Martelli and Elia Bressanello, a rich programme of talks, screenings and events was organised at the University of Auckland, finishing with the beautiful All Vivaldi Concert and Aperitivo.

 

We ended the year with a joyful Festa di Natale, which also marked the official opening of our new space. It was lovely to welcome members and friends to celebrate together, with live music from the Auckland Mandolinata Orchestra, games for the bambini and families, panettone and other Italian treats, and the photographic exhibition Italians of Auckland by Francesca Brugnoli.

 

As always, we began the year with our popular Intensive Course, which welcomed more than 50 students for a five-day immersive experience in Italian language and culture.

None of this would be possible without the support of our members, students, and volunteers. I am pleased to say that the Society is in a stronger financial position compared to previous years and has achieved a positive result for the year. Our Treasurer, Lynne Webb, will shortly present the financial report in more detail. Because of this positive position, the committee is pleased to confirm that membership fees will remain the same for the coming year.

 

I would also like to thank our committee members and teachers. 

In particular, I would like to acknowledge Valeria Santillo, who has decided to step down from the committee after many years of dedicated service, including her time as Treasurer. We are very grateful for her contribution and are pleased to offer her an honorary membership.

Fiorella Tomasi is also stepping down from the Committee as she prepares to move back to Italy. Fiorella spent a long time managing our playgroup, where her energy and creativity were both inspiring and contagious. Her generosity and always going above and beyond will be greatly missed. We wish her all the very best in this new chapter.

At the same time, we are also delighted to welcome back Martina Depentor to the committee. Martina has been part of our Society for many years, and we are very happy to have her supporting us again — both from Auckland when she is here and from Treviso when she is in Italy.

 

Finally, a very special thank you to Lynne Webb, who stepped into the role of Treasurer last year. Her expertise and dedication have been invaluable. Under her guidance, our Society was formally re-registered under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 on 2 December 2025 — an important achievement for our organization.

 

As we look ahead, the committee remains committed to offering a lively and meaningful programme that promotes and celebrates Italian language and culture in Auckland.

Grazie a tutti for your continued support, enthusiasm, and for being part of our community.

 

Flavia Berucci
President
Società Dante Alighieri Auckland

 

 

Colazione di marzo: Che lingua parli? Varieties of Italian in Auckland

La colazione del 28 marzo sarà speciale!

Il 28 marzo presenteremo il mini-documentario Che lingua parli?, realizzato con gli studenti del secondo anno dell’Università di Auckland e dedicato all’italofonia.

Il progetto ha rappresentato un’esperienza di apprendimento nuova e coinvolgente, accolta con grande entusiasmo dagli studenti, che hanno contribuito a una vera e propria iniziativa di documentazione linguistica. Hanno infatti individuato una persona di origine italiana, preparato e condotto un’intervista in italiano seguendo una traccia flessibile, registrato e montato il materiale raccolto e partecipato alla realizzazione di un documentario collettivo.

Il risultato è un film amatoriale di 40 minuti, curato con il prezioso supporto di Mike Hurst, Senior Technician della Faculty of Arts. Dopo un'anteprima in occasione della Settimana della Lingua Italiana nel Mondo 2025, sarà ora presentato a tutti i partecipanti, alla comunità e ai simpatizzanti. 

Sarà un’ottima occasione per scoprire le tante varietà regionali dell’italiano — dai dialetti parlati nelle zone di confine con l’Austria al celebre napoletano, dal savonese al bel parlare fiorentino, dal veneto e dal parmigiano ai dialetti dell’Italia centrale.

Il documentario è anche una riflessione anche sulle strategie che aiutano a preservare una cosa preziosa come la lingua madre: trasmetterla alle nuove generazioni, condividerla con gli amici, insegnarla, giocarci e anche farne una professione.

È un progetto in cui abbiamo messo grande passione e impegno.

Venite a vederlo!

Sat 28 March
10am-12pm
Dante Rooms
Freemans Bay Community Centre

The 28 March Breakfast Will Be Special!

On 28 March we will present the mini-documentary Che lingua parli? created with second-year students from the University of Auckland and dedicated to the Italian-speaking community.

The project was a new and engaging learning experience, received with great enthusiasm by the students who took part in a genuine linguistic documentation initiative. They identified a person of Italian origin, prepared and conducted an interview in Italian using a flexible framework, recorded and edited the material, and contributed to the production of a collective documentary.

The result is a 40-minute amateur film, produced with the invaluable support of Mike Hurst, Senior Technician in the Faculty of Arts. After a preview during the Week of the Italian Language in the World 2025, it will now be presented to all participants, members of the community, and supporters.

It will be a great opportunity to explore the many regional varieties of Italian — from dialects spoken near the Austrian border to the famous Neapolitan, from Savonese to refined Florentine speech, from Veneto and Parmigiano to the dialects of central Italy. 

The documentary also reflects on the strategies that help preserve something as precious as a mother tongue: passing it on to new generations, sharing it with friends, teaching it, playing with it, and even turning it into a profession.

It is a project into which we have put great passion and commitment.

Come and watch it!

Primo appuntamento dell’anno con il Cantastorie!

Cari genitori,
primo appuntamento dell’anno con il Cantastorie!

Vi aspettiamo numerosi, per favore confermateci la presenza effettuando il pagamento online (a/c 02-0192-0309263-00) di $20 o $30 per 2 fratelli/sorelle.

Condividete pure, più siamo e più ci divertiamo!

Prossimi appuntamenti da segnare in agenda: domenica 15 marzo e domenica 19 aprile

 

Bollettino di febbraio 2026

 Please click here to read our latest Bollettino

PLIDA B1 exam in Auckland — 11 February 2026

 

PLIDA – Progetto Lingua Italiana Dante Alighieri

The Dante Alighieri Society of Auckland is holding a PLIDA B1 exam session on 11 February 2026.

 

The Dante Alighieri Society in Auckland is the only official examination center of PLIDA exams in New Zealand.

The PLIDA certificate is an official diploma, issued by the Dante Alighieri Society, certifying Italian language proficiency for non-native speakers. The diploma assesses language skills according to the six CEFR levels (A1–C2).

The certificate is useful for those who:

•    need to apply for Italian citizenship by marriage (PLIDA B1 level);

•    plan to study at Italian universities that accept the PLIDA as proof of language competence;

•    require an official certificate for residence permit or work-related applications in Italy;

•    want an official assessment of their language skills after completing a language course.

For details on registration, fees, and preparation courses, contact us at: info@dante.org.nz (with PLIDA in the subject line)

 

 

PLIDA – Progetto Lingua Italiana Dante Alighieri

La Società Dante Alighieri di Auckland organizza una sessione d’esame PLIDA a livello B1 l’11 febbraio 2026.

 

Il certificato PLIDA è un diploma ufficiale rilasciato dalla Società Dante Alighieri che attesta la competenza della lingua italiana come lingua straniera. Il diploma certifica le abilità linguistiche in base ai 6 livelli del QCER (Quadro Comune Europeo di Riferimento per le Lingue), dal livello A1 al livello C2.

Il certificato è particolarmente utile per chi:

•    richiede la cittadinanza italiana per matrimonio, per la quale è necessario un livello PLIDA B1;

•    desidera iscriversi a università italiane che accettano il PLIDA come prova ufficiale di conoscenza della lingua;

•    ha bisogno di un certificato linguistico per pratiche di permesso di soggiorno o lavoro in Italia;

•    vuole una valutazione ufficiale delle proprie competenze dopo aver seguito un corso di lingua.

 Per informazioni su iscrizioni, costi e corsi preparatori, contattateci a: info@dante.org.nz (con oggetto PLIDA)

 

Il bollettino di dicembre 2025

 

Il bollettino di dicembre è in rete, cliccare qui. December Bulletin online now, click here.