Mates & Lovers: A History of Gay New Zealand

NZSA BEST FIRST BOOK OF NON-FICTION 2009

Mates & Lovers: A History of Gay New Zealand - Chris Brickell

Godwit, ISBN 978-1-86962-134-6, $49.99 pbk

A landmark publication, this first-ever New Zealand gay male history combines lively and engaging scholarship with a remarkable collection of images. Chris Brickell tells the evolving story of New Zealand gay men through the lives of clerks, labourers, shop assistants, soldiers, actors and writers of all classes, and he shows that our erotic past was vibrant, complex and often surprising.

Chris Brickell was born and raised in Lower Hutt, and completed his doctorate in sociology at Victory University. He is now a senior lecturer in gender studies at the University of Otago.

Chris’s academic interests include the historical and social aspects of gender relations, sexuality, social debate and consumer culture, mostly in relation to New Zealand. His writings in numerous journals and edited collections cover a range of topics, from asylums to a political correctness, house design, shopping, fashion and sex education.