An elderly and reclusive West Coast-based sculptor goes on hunger strike ‘to the end’ as a protest against the Gaza genocide. A political innocent, from making a one man stand in Greymouth’s civic square, he is swept into the growing protest movement, finding his own voice, before being ‘disappeared’ by the US government. A historian, discovering his journal, fleshes out the personal story through interviewing the diverse people the sculptor from Runanga has come in contact with during his journey to martyrdom.
Setting up a small tent in Greymouth’s town square, Mike begins a hunger
strike. What starts as a quiet, personal protest soon draws attention from
friends, strangers, and critics alike. As the days pass and his strength fades,
his journey takes him far beyond the place he calls home.
Told through Mike’s own journal and the voices of those around him, The
Sculptor from Runanga is a powerful and deeply human story about courage,
conviction, and the limits of what one person can do.
By turns intimate and wide-reaching, it explores the impact of global events
on ordinary lives, and asks a question that lingers long after the final page:
when faced with suffering, what is our responsibility?
Moving, thought-provoking, and unforgettable, this is a novel about one
man’s stand-and the ripple effects it creates.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 212
Imprint: Small New Zealand Publisher
Publication date: 04/05/2026
