The Valley: Asher Emanuel

‘This is journalism at its finest – immersive, meticulous, honest and brave. Asher Emanuel brings the messy, gritty, unfair, uneven, imprecise human reality of the criminal justice system into the light. A unique and important new book for Aotearoa New Zealand.’ – Rebecca Macfie

Asher Emanuel’s The Valley is one of the best-selling non-fiction books of the year and a landmark publication for Aotearoa. The book follows three Hutt Valley men through courtrooms, prison, hospital, rehab, boarding houses and welfare offices. With them went Asher Emanuel who, over more than two years, compiled extensive field research and hundreds of hours of interviews to craft this up-close and personal account. The result is an essential read that brings the realities of the New Zealand criminal justice system to life through the voices of those who experience it first-hand.

Join Asher with NZME’s open justice journalist Hannah Bartlett for behind-the-scenes of this remarkable piece of work and its impact so far.

The event is proudly supported by Bridget Williams Books.

‘The Valley is an extraordinary psychodrama, untangling the justice system from its impacts on the people who witness it, work within it and are subject to it. Asher Emanuel has made a nationally important contribution to literary reportage, policy analysis and our collective understanding of class society.’ – Morgan Godfery