Books by Karen Zelas

feathers unfettered features poetic and visual portraits of 25 New Zealand birds, some common garden, forest or sea birds, others in danger of extinction. The poems and drawings 'speak' to each other. Both are ornithologically accurate, while at the same time fanciful. The bo...ok is structured in a 'scientific' manner, in alphabetical order by Maori name, giving also species names and common names. Zelas's poems portray the birds' physical and behavioural characteristics, sometimes with a twist that alludes to their relationship with humans or the environment. Napier artist/poet Jan FitzGerald is well-known for her charming, indigenous-style illustrations, which locate the birds firmly in Aotearoa New Zealand.
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Past Perfect is a story of love and loss, prejudice and resolution, as well as the search for selfhood. Set in modern day Christchurch and France, with a backdrop of the 1840 French settlement of Akaroa, the novel is enriched by the diversity and complexity that make up our past.

The poems in Night's Glass Table are tight and emotionally powerful, and deal with themes such as death, grief and love.