Treading in the footsteps of Dame Ngaio Marsh and Katherine Mansfield

In April 2025, we invited groups of literary enthusiasts to join us at the homes of two of New Zealand’s most distinguished writers as a taste of things to come later this year. From 19 September until 3 October 2025, our tour “A Literary Pursuit: Homes of the Authors” will traverse much of England visiting the homes of some of the greatest writers of English literature to see first-hand how their environment influenced their creative writing. It therefore made perfect sense for us to get together with potential clients in New Zealand at the home of the ‘Queen of Crime’ Dame Ngaio Marsh in Christchurch, and the childhood home in Wellington of the celebrated author of short stories Katherine Mansfield. Both properties are now heritage museums dedicated to the memory of their most famous residents. Our first visit was to Marton Cottage, the delightful home on the Cashmere Hills, where Dame Ngaio Marsh lived from the age of 10 until she died at the age of 87.

After a guided tour of Marton Cottage, our guests gathered under the mulberry tree in the garden. The weather was ideal. The sun shone and the bellbirds sang so it was the perfect place to enjoy a cup of tea while listening to an entertaining presentation from our tour’s primary escort, the legendary columnist and author Joe Bennett and his co-escort, former academic Richard Scragg.

Together they talked knowledgeably and entertainingly about the places on the tour they were most looking forward to visiting and it was very apparent to all of us that the forthcoming tour would be both educational and great fun. A week later, we were fortunate to spend an equally delightful afternoon at Katherine Mansfield House in Wellington. This home in Thorndon was built for Katherine Mansfield’s father in 1888. Katherine lived there with her parents, sisters, two aunts and her maternal grandfather. The house is charming to visit but it was the garden which inspired much of Katherine’s later writing in stories such as “The Garden Party” and “Prelude.” Katherine loved flowers and the garden today is full of the plants that were popular during her lifetime. Katherine left New Zealand permanently at the age of 20 and lived the rest of her short life in England and Europe, where she sadly died of tuberculosis at the age of 34. Once again, the weather was perfect for our afternoon tea in the garden with a canopy of trees providing welcome relief from the Autumn sun.

Everyone enjoyed Joe’s and Richard’s presentation, and we were delighted to make the acquaintance of some other literary experts in the audience.

These two events will have given those present an inkling of what to expect on what we are confident will be a unique literary adventure. There will be gardens of course, including the wonderful Sissinghurst but also visits to homes where some of the greatest works of English literature were created. Stately homes, imposing town houses, cottages in the country and in villages, timbered and thatched houses, a parsonage and several famous hostelries all feature in our itinerary.  It’s not too late to join us but you will need to be quick as registration closes soon.

Click on the link below to download your booklet and registration form:

https://www.connectitalia-nz.com/aliterarypursuithomesoftheauthors