As Fair as New Zealand to Me

ISBN 0-86473-398-4

When Katherine Mansfield lived in Menton on the French Côte d' Azur in 1920-1, she wrote "This place is as fair as New Zealand to me." The book of this name was published by Victoria University Press in 2000 as a celebration of the (then) Meridian Energy Katherine Mansfield Fellowship.

The book consists of a series of imaginary letters to the late Mansfield, written by some of the Fellows who spent time in "Mansfield's Menton."

Menton and the Villa Isola Bella
Menton is a "small, fragrant and lustrous"KM town in the South of France. There, Mansfield lived and wrote in the Villa Isola Bella, and was very happy and productive.

The Fellowship
(see full article)

The Meridian Energy Katherine Mansfield Fellowship enables a different New Zealand writer each year to live for four months or more in Menton, and to write in the Katherine Mansfield Memorial Room, where Mansfield wrote in 1920 and 1921.

Contributors
The foreword is written by Jacky Musnier, Ambassador of France to New Zealand in 2000, and there are messages from Dr Keith Turner, Chief Executive of Meridian Energy and Richard H.Cathie, Chairman of the Meridian Energy Katherine Mansfield Memorial Trust. On page 12 is an extract from one of Mansfield's letters to her husband, John Middleton Murry, in which she describes Menton.

There are letters 'to Katherine Mansfield' from 23 of the New Zealand writers to receive Fellowships since it was first awarded in 1970.

Catherine Chidgey is mentioned as the 2001 Fellow, but is not a contributor to the book.
 * Margaret Scott, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1971
 * C.K. Stead, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1972
 * James McNeish, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1973
 * Michael King, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1976
 * Spiro Zavos, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1978
 * Philip Temple, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1979
 * Marilyn Duckworth, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1980
 * Lauris Edmond, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1981
 * Michael Jackson, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1982
 * Rowley Habib, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1984
 * Michael Gifkins, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1985
 * Michael Harlow, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1986
 * Russell Haley, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1987
 * Louis Johnson, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1988
 * Lisa Greenwood, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1990
 * Nigel Cox, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1991
 * Maurice Gee, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1992
 * Witi Ihimaera, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1993
 * Vincent O'Sullivan, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1994
 * Fiona Farrell, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1995
 * Owen Marshall, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1996
 * Roger Hall, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1997
 * Elizabeth Knox, Katherine Mansfield Fellow 1999

For a full list of recipients, see the Katherine Mansfield Fellowship.