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Green Sea

Lost in the New Zealand Bush
Brief Description
John Summers’ worst nightmare is getting lost in the bush. He has always carefully – myopically, even – followed the track. Death lurks at the edge of his fear, as well as cold, hunger, loneliness and even humiliation. But what is the experience of being lost... Read More
Format: Hardback
$3499
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Releases 10th September 2026 (Approx. Date) Pre-order  "Green Sea" now to secure your copy from our first shipment

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An absorbing and compassionate exploration of what it is like to be lost in the New Zealand bush, from the award-winning author of The Commercial Hotel

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

John Summers’ worst nightmare is getting lost in the bush.

He has always carefully – myopically, even – followed the track. Death lurks at the edge of his fear, as well as cold, hunger, loneliness and even humiliation. But what is the experience of being lost in the New Zealand bush actually like?

Summers talks to those who have survived – from a man who was found near death after 29 days in Kahurangi National Park to a woman who covered herself with earth to stay warm in the Orongorongo Valley. He explores what ‘lost’ really means, a metaphor for everything from addiction to a midlife crisis.

Part reportage, history and personal reflection, Green Sea looks closely at what keeps us going through the tangle of ordinary life – and at the mercies others show us when we feel most alone.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781776923243

Publisher: Te Herenga Waka University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 10 September 2026

Country: New Zealand

Imprint: Te Herenga Waka University Press

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 500g

Pages: 208

About the Author

John Summers is the author of The Commercial Hotel (2021) and The Mermaid Boy (2015). His writing has also appeared in Sport, North & South, New Zealand Geographic, Sunday Star-Times, Landfall, New Zealand Listener, Newsroom and The Spinoff. He was the winner of the 2022 Janet Frame Literary Trust Award for Imaginative Prose, a finalist in the Voyager Media Awards, and winner of the nonfiction category in the 2016 Sunday Star-Times Short Story Awards.

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