Where the Day Begins - Wry, laconic and deeply poetic

Wry, laconic and deeply poetic, this is a fine collection of writing, brimming with the fresh insight that only an outside perspective can bring.

Martin Bettinger is a German novelist and short story writer. He spent several years living in New Zealand, principally in Golden Bay, and this collection of 61 ‘shortcuts’ as he calls these short prose pieces, is a collection of writing that came out of this experience. 

In Golden Bay he found an intriguing mix of people: expatriates from many countries, mavericks, bach owners, alternative life-stylers and those down on their luck, most of whom were drawn to the Bay to build a new life. But so often he found that this land of promise provided no new answers, just another opportunity to make the same mistakes anew.

About the author:

Martin studied German literature and philosophy in Saarbruecken and Freiburg. He has published four novels Der Himmel ist einssiebzig gross (The sky is one-seventy high),Panfloetenman (Panflute man), Engelsterben (Angel death), Die Liebhaber meiner Frau (The lovers of my wife) as well as the short story collection Dachschaden (Roof-damage). He spent several years living in New Zealand, the last stay as a Writer-in-residence in Wellington. Martin Bettinger lives as a freelance author in the Saar-Pfalz region of Germany.

Here are a few snippets from Where the Day Begins

The Bay

When God had finished creating the Earth, so the

legend goes, he had a piece of each country left

over. A mountain from Switzerland, a river from

Sweden, a field from Ireland. From all this he created

New Zealand. When the people had finished

with God, to continue the story, something was

missing in each of them. So they set off to search.

And those who travelled longest finally arrived in

New Zealand, Golden Bay. . .

Forget about New Zealand

This country, says Father George,

is a bit like Marlynn.

Every fool goes blind in the face

of her beauty.

But that’s only a trick

to keep strangers at bay.

If you want to find Marlynn,

you have to discover her scars.

And if you want to look for New Zealand

forget about its beauty!

One for Tessie

Yesterday she made a friend,

and today they are building a castle,

and even though it’s raining, they

fetch seawater in a bucket for the moat,

and as the sun comes out, they stick

little flags on each tower,

they beg for ice cream up at

the kiosk, and as the tide

comes in, they run down to the beach

and build a dam, pushing back

all the water with hands and feet,

so the people in the castle won’t

drown.

When the day begins

When the day begins

Marlynn paddles

to the small island.

On her return

her shirt shows

a drawing of salt.

As if the sea

wrote her a letter.

Every day a new one

RRP: $29.99

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781927213162 - Carig Potton Publishing