Celebrating Aotearoa disability history with 'Out of the Box'

I was lucky enough to attend the book launch for Out of the Box by Trish Harris at Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui Central Library!

I was so thrilled to not only attend, but to get to hear from Trish, and boy was I excited. When I got there I was introduced to Trish, dressed in black and mostly red, along with a red streak in her hair, looking fabulous.

Havilah: What inspired this beautiful book?

Trish: Over many years, a question has kept popping into my head. What does it mean to be part of the stimulating, challenging, funny, fragile, robust, diverse community, the Deaf and disability community, or communities? What does it mean to me as a writer? What's the creative way to respond or represent? Some of the work I've done in the past goes some way to responding to their question, but it's always felt like there was something else. Four years ago, I wondered if I had another book in the one I'd be willing to spend energy and time on. In one day, an email arrived from Arts Access Aotearoa. Shout out to that brilliant organisation. It said, “We've created a fellowship for Deaf or disabled artists to be funded to work on a project for a year. Applications are now open.”

That email from Arts Access lit the fire under my imagination. I've been wanting to write for children and young people for a long time. And after I read their email, I knew what I wanted to write. It was the early idea of this book, a book that would acknowledge people who had contributed in the past and the present. A book that children and young people would read and think, ‘what, cool stories’, or maybe read and think, ‘those people are like me’. So I wrote up my ideas, sent it off, to Arts Access Aotearoa. In a month or two later, I heard back. I didn't get the fellowship. Because guess what? A whole lot of other different design people were having their imagination fired up. So they were applying as well. And isn't that a great thing?

But I found another fellowship, and I applied for that. I had heard back a few weeks later, and I didn't get that one either. I think it might have been at that stage that I realised the book of profiles would be great. But if it wasn't anchored in our history, then those profiles would become more individual. I had to think really hard. Did I have enough energy, or as some say enough spoons, to apply to one more place? I decided I did. I applied to Copyright Licensing New Zealand, and they gave me a grant. It felt like a million dollars, but it wasn't. It was enough to get me started, though. And so I'm incredibly grateful to them for believing and the idea.

And grateful to Creative New Zealand and Arts Access Aotearoa, who came in with funding later on. at just the right time. However, as it's already been acknowledged, this book would be nothing, if 25 people, or their whānau or friends, kids, have not said yes to having their profiles in the book.

Havilah: What has been your favourite part of creating this book?

Trish: This could have been a book about 100 people. It was hard to keep it to 25. They are artists, activists, and adventurers - they all put a flag in the ground claiming their own space, as in the drawing on the cover. They have said, ‘I'm doing life my way and this is what I need in order to be who I am.’ As I've researched their lives, I've loved about their creativity and passion, and I’ve cried about some of the hard things they endured, like you, Victoria. Things that never should have happened. The interesting thing is that people in this book don't need my tears, and I get that. When I was growing up, I didn't always like it when people cried about my life or felt sad about it. Sometimes that's the main way people react to people with disabilities.

They get sad, or else they talk about how inspiring we are, like we’re all scaling mountains all the time. Whereas in reality, many of us have ordinary lives. Besides which, many of the mountains are created by our disabling world; they don't need to be there. This book celebrates achievement, but it also highlights unnecessary mountains.

I also did a short interview with one of the fabulous illustrators responsible for all the beautiful illustrations seen throughout Out of the Box, Peter Woodfield.

Havilah: What was your favourite part of the process?

Peter: My favourite part of the process... I think just, like, telling the story and just having that illustration process, like - I think for me, I just really enjoyed illustrating a lot when I was younger, and I just kind of kept going with it. And it was one thing I could do, since I have pretty bad dyslexia. And I just kept going with that and telling that kind of story in this impactful way in this book was kinda fun and I really enjoyed it.
I think one of the main difficulties was properly representing the people and their disability accurately.

I have to give a massive shoutout to Peggy and Alice for organising such an incredible book launch. For many of us based in Pōneke, we agreed it has been the first time in a VERY long time that we’ve been in such a huge place feeling seen, heard and celebrated so joyously.

From the dancing by Rodney Bell and Duncan from WIDance, to the beautiful song from the one and only Pati Umaga, along with the beautifully articulated poem by Helen from Crip The Lit. It was emotional listening to all the beautiful speeches made and remembrances for those who have passed and weren’t able to see the launch of Out of the Box. They will be celebrated within the pages of this gorgeous book for years to come.

Havilah Arendse is part of our Community Reporters Programme for 2026. This programme supports The D*List's commitment to nurturing the next generation of disabled storytellers in Aotearoa. You can read more about our Community Reporters Programme here.