I’m a New Zealand writer with over thirty years hands-on professional experience as a published author and in publishing. My main interests are in the sciences – physics, particularly, though I’m deeply curious about a lot of stuff, especially the human condition. I have qualifications in writing, music and anthropology among other fields, and hold multiple post-graduate degrees in history. I’m also a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society at University College, London. I write a lot. My published writing, sold on merit, includes over 550 articles, academic papers, reviews, novellas and short stories, and over 50 books on topics ranging from travel guides to biography, engineering, military and social history. I’ve been published principally by Penguin Random House.
New Zealand is amidst a grave housing crisis just now. It was predictable. The National government that came to power in 2008 also initiated one of the largest immigration booms since the 1870s. But they didn’t alter neo-liberal era planning laws relating to land use – meaning new housing districts weren’t developed. And what was … More The way out of New Zealand’s housing crisis
This week’s obscure English word is mountant. It’s the technical term for an adhesive used to fix a piece of art to its mount. Your challenge: write a sentence or two in the comments using this word. Copyright © Matthew Wright 2021
I am often puzzled by the idea that – in this enlightened day and age – people with cognitive differences such as dyslexia are properly considered and catered for. Actually, it’s not really happening. As the latest example, cheques are being taken out of use in New Zealand. I guess it had to happen one … More Cognitive issues in a digital world
This week’s obscure English word is spanghew. It’s an obsolete term that primarily means hurling something into the air, especially a frog. Yes, you read that right. In the early medieval period, in England, it was something of a sport to use sticks to hurl frogs or toads into the air. A practise we rightly … More The obscure word of the week is spanghew
A little ago I encountered someone whose arguments highlighted how conspiracy theorists get traction, and how they disable any who object. Let me explain. On the night of 16-17 January 1945, U-862 – under Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Timm – cruised across Hawke Bay on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island and loitered off Napier … More How conspiracy theorists get traction
This week’s obscure English word is scumble. It’s an artistic technique involving adding a thin layer of paint to an artwork to reduce contrast. Your challenge: write a sentence or two in the comments using this word. Copyright © Matthew Wright 2021
It’s 105 years, this 31 May, since the Battle of Jutland – the only clash of the great dreadnought fleets built during the Anglo-German naval race that came before the First World War. One of my two great uncles serving with the Royal Navy at the time was there, aboard the super-dreadnought HMS Orion. And … More Remembering Jutland – New Zealand style
This week’s obscure English word is goods. But – but, you say, that’s not obscure. Actually, it is. Let me explain. In economics, ‘goods’ refers to something real that’s tradable or exchangeable. Back when I was editing and publishing economic papers and journals, I always kept correcting economists who referred to ‘a good’, when trying … More The obscure word of the week is goods
Over the years I’ve signed an awful lot of publishing contracts. And every one of them has had a clause which reads much the same way. The publisher has full control not just of the appearance of the book but also its title. It’s done for good reason. An author might well call their book … More When the title doesn’t match the content – a cautionary writing tale
This week’s obscure English word is oarlock. It’s an archaic term for something that holds an oar in place: these days it’s usually called a ‘rowlock’. Your challenge: write a sentence or two in the comments using this word. Copyright © Matthew Wright 2021
