Boh Runga says “I never wanted to be a writer” and then quickly corrects herself, shaking her head and scrunching up her face, to add, “I’m still not a writer”. We’re talking today because she’s just published her first book.
Runga lives many creative lives. She burst onto the scene back in 1999 as the brightly-haired frontwoman of award-winning pop-rock faves Stellar*. The band’s debut album Mix topped the charts and hits like What You Do (Bastard), Every Girl and their signature tune Violent would become modern Kiwi classics.
In 2007, a year after Stellar* went on hiatus, Runga re-emerged as a jeweller. Her debut collection Birdland was inspired by Aotearoa’s native birds and its signature design, the elegant and stylish Kissing Feathers, has proven to be an enduring hit appearing on necklaces, earrings and bracelets ever since. After a decade in collaboration with the bullion company New Zealand Mint, she struck out on her own to open Boh Runga Jewellery.
And now, despite her protestations, she can add author to her already impressive CV. The Lotus and the Snowbird is a gorgeously illustrated children’s book that, like her jewellery, was inspired by our native fauna and wildlife before being given a fantastical makeover. Set in a wondrous garden that blends the real with the magical, it dives into themes of friendship and creativity and achieving one’s dreams by working in unison with other people.
Runga describes it as a fairytale.
“It’s a simple, sweet little thing,” she smiles. “It floats.”
The Lotus and the Snowbird has been a long time coming. She wrote the story way back in 2009 to accompany a jewellery range that had, in turn, been inspired by it.
“It kind of seeded itself,” she muses when asked about its origins. However, at that point, it was a story, not a book. She didn’t pursue having it published, although she did do a reading of it at the PR release of the collection it inspired.
“I had this big book and pretended to read this story,” she laughs, thinking back. “It probably horrified everyone that was there. It was a weird thing to do at a PR release.”
After its one reading, Runga packed her story away. But rather than that being the end of the tale, it was just the beginning.
“The lotus became one of my most popular pieces,” she says of the design that to this day features on studs and necklaces. “When we turned 15 years as a jeweller just recently, we were thinking about what we could do to celebrate that and I was like, ‘Oh! We should turn this story into a children’s book!’.”
The timing was fortuitous. Alongside the birthday celebrations, Runga and her business partner Toyah Attwell had just launched bohboh, a baby and child lifestyle range (“Bohboh’s my actual first name,” she says) and were looking for other areas to expand into.
“I’ve always wanted to do the story in its full form,” she says. “Elaine Chan did the beautiful illustrations and they’re gorgeous.”
Runga published the book herself, which she wearily describes as a process that was “interesting”. But, when the boxes of realised books finally came in from the printers, it wasn’t excitement she felt.
“It felt like a relief,” she grins. “I just wondered what people will think of it.”
Talking with her, it’s evident she’s pushed herself out of her creative comfort zone with this project. She gets excited talking about it, and of the art of writing itself, but then will backtrack. It’s almost as if she’s worried she’s about to be found out or labelled a fraud for following this creative muse.
“I remember as a kid I used to love reading. Books were these precious things to have. Even if I couldn’t read something entirely, I’d be looking at the pictures,” she says. “It’s exciting when you, as a young kid, realise that there’s this whole other incredible, fantastical world you’ve got access to.”
Runga has well and truly been bitten by the writing bug. She has plans to expand the world of The Lotus and the Snowbird, creating an animal encyclopedia detailing all the various animals and creatures that live in and outside of the book’s magical garden. But she’s not only thinking about the kids. She’s also working on more adult-orientated fare.
“I started writing a short story, which is actually turning into a longer story...” she says, sounding every bit the writer. “I have to grind it back a bit.”
The story is deeply personal and is causing her some problems. It consists of vignettes and snippets and jumps around its timeline. It deals with the passing of her father but she describes it as humorous yet sorrowful.
“It’s horribly sad but there were some moments leading up to it that were very funny. But I can’t quite work out which order to put things in the story because I’m not a writer,” she says, with that oh-too-recognisable writerly doubt. “I gave it to my partner to read and he goes, ‘You’re going all over the place. What’s happening here? It’s confusing.” I said, ‘That’s because I don’t want it to be in [chronological] order. It’s not impactful if it’s in order.’”
She laughs as she relives the conversation.
“So, if I can nail that, it’ll be good.” Then her enthusiasm rushes away and she says, “But I don’t know what I’ll do with this. What’s the point of me writing a story about my father passing away?”
I’ve no doubt Runga will finish this story. And then write another. Creatives create. They can’t not. And Runga’s whole life is creative. She describes herself as a “shocking procrastinator” and explains that’s why she needs a business partner to keep her on task.
“I love having so many balls in the air but I definitely need people to help me stay focused. Deadlines are really hard. I get caught up with details that are not as important as the big picture. It would be better to plan more and I’ve gotten better at it, but it’s hard when you’re trying to get things done for other people’s sake as well.”
Aside from her incredibly common writer’s angst, Runga is in chatty, good spirits. She and her partner recently left Glen Eden and moved out West to “a wincy lifestyle block,” a long-term plan that took them a few attempts to fulfil.
“We love it,” she beams. “It’s really relaxing. Today’s sunny and the birds are singing. So yeah. I really like my life.”
This is an incredibly refreshing thing to hear someone say. More often than not people talk about the aspirations they’re chasing or the things weighing them down. I can’t remember the last time someone told me they were simply happy.
What, I ask, is the secret to this happiness? Surely it must be something more than chirping birds and bright sun?
“Well, I mean, there obviously are things that could be better in my life, but in general, I feel really lucky to have a life where I get to be creative and get to do a bit of music,” she says. “I think... it’s... the secret is... I don’t know... live within your means?”
She laughs at her attempt to concoct an answer to one of life’s big questions on the spot. It may not be the answer but it’s certainly sound advice.
“I don’t want to be stressed about things too much,” she says.
I ask if it’s always been this way for her and she throws her head back and with loud exaggeration says, “Oh hell no!”
“When you’re a musician, or in the arts or someone who’s creative, it can be difficult to earn a living. You’re always in this difficult world where you’re walking a line between earning a living and providing for your family or whatever, but still trying to do something that you really believe in and want to do. That can be very hard and actually is a bit frightening. I don’t want to seem blase about it.”
She says she feels blessed that Boh Runga Jewellery survived the lean Covid years and that people flock to her shows, both solo or with Stellar*. While the band aren’t playing this summer, Runga herself has a very special show coming up that she’s particularly excited about.
“It’s a very cool gig I’m doing with some amazing wāhine for International Women’s Day,” she says. “It’s called Hear Me Roar! and I’ll be performing with Julia Deans, Betty Monga [Ardijah] and Annie Crummer.”
It’s fair to say Runga has a lot on. But she’s happy. And you can’t escape the feeling that she wouldn’t have it any other way. Our time’s running out and it’s felt more like a catch-up with an old mate rather than an interview. I’m about to wrap things up when she jumps up and says: “I’ll show you something really cute.”
She walks over to her fridge where two detailed and clearly laboured-over crayon drawings are stuck on.
“My nieces came around the other day and they’d drawn these,” she says. “This is her version of the cover of my book and that’s a little frog that’s in the book,” she beams like the proud aunty she is. “And then my other niece just drew my dog.”
Being the target market for The Lotus and the Snowbird, and knowing that children can be tough and brutal critics, I ask what they thought of her book.
“I think they really liked and enjoyed it,” she says. Then with a big grin, Boh Runga says: “They had to. They’re my nieces.”
* The Lotus and the Snowbird is available now at bohrunga.com and Boh Runga Jewellery Bohtique on Ponsonby Rd.
Tickets for Hear Me Roar! at Auckland’s Town Hall on Friday, March 8th 2024 are on sale now.
Photo / Dean Purcell. Stylist / Annabel Dickson. Hair and makeup / Claudia Rodrigues.
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