Steve Braunias is an award-winning New Zealand journalist, author, columnist and editor. OPINION The new book Otherhood - fantastic title - is a collection of essays from New Zealand writersabout not having children, about not attaining and not wanting to attain that holy fecund state of existence known as motherhood. It’s a very good book.
The editors, Alie Benge, Lil O’Brien and Kathryn Van Beek, have rounded up over 30 contributors; one of the best-written, as I would expect from the author of a very stylish and powerful memoir published two years ago, is by Golriz Ghahraman . She writes, “The question isn’t just ‘Do I want to have a kid?’, but also, ‘Should I actually have a whole lot more therapy and sit this one out?’” The new book Otherhood covers the waterfront of childlessness. Subjects include IVF , fostering, adoption, abortion, widowhood, feminism, indigeneity, queer lives, blended families and tokophobia (a pathological fear of getting pregnant.
) Two women write about losing their only children to suicide . The introduction remarks of co-editor Kathryn Van Beek, “In 2021, Kathryn’s work with MPs Ginny Andersen and Clare Curran led to a change in the law to ensure that people who experience pregnancy loss can take bereavement leave.” It’s not without comedy or bathos.
“I have no children and I don’t own a house or a flat,” writes Paula Morris . “My niece told me once that when she inherits her parents’ house, she will turn it in.