Massey University PhD candidate Jess McLean will be joining us at Te Manawa on Thursday 24th April to present a public talk all about Anzac Day.

The First World War has become a central part of Aotearoa New Zealand’s national consciousness.

Anzac Day remains a key, nearly untouchable part of how New Zealanders understand themselves and their national narrative.

But does that mean that we have a good understanding of that narrative?

The recent WWI centenary period demonstrated that there is still a massive interest in the war, particularly the Gallipoli campaign, but it also exposed gaps in New Zealanders’ knowledge of this conflict.

So we must ask: how do we remember something that we don’t always fully understand?

What exactly is it we are remembering on Anzac Day, and are we doing it ‘right’?

And how can marginalised voices make their narratives part of the national understanding?