The conference -seminar? remembrance? get-together? - was in recognition of it being 20 years after the thing won the Booker-McConnell award (the novel was published in February, 1984.) Sponsored by Ngai Tahu, with monetary support also forthcoming from Picador/Macmillan, the day was a unique combination of academic papers of high quality; Maori formality (and traditionally-based informality - Riki Pitama's whakamutanga/poroporoaiki was a very personal & moving recognition of 'Sis/Cuz' Iri Ramsden); film (a short compilation put together by Irihapeti's children, Peter & Pirimia Berger) and herstory/history, reading, and reminisence, leavened with humour & finished joyfully with wine. All attendees probably feel many thanks should be offered to Lydia Wevers of the Stout Centre, her co-administrator Frances Phillip;, the afore-mentioned sponsors, all attendees -because everybody contributed to an amazing event: to the people who sent extraordinary responses by email (thinking paticularly of Joy Cowley & Heather McPherson) and the writers who leant the mana of their physical support -among others, Patricia Grace, Keri Kaa, and the lone senior male writer representative, Michael O'Leary; the indefatigable signers translating for a truly motivated woman from England - and above all, and always, to the members of Spiral Collective #5, Marian Evans, Miriama Evans, and the late Dr Irihapeti Ramsden...if the next convention of the Association for the Study of NZ Literature has such depth and breadth and richness - and I am sure it will-all bodes well for longevity...

Wasn't The Bone People published in 1983?

Nope. Copyright dates from December 1983 - the actual publication & launch date was February 1984.