Rewi Alley Book – Phillippa Reynolds -1997

Wrtten by Rewi Alley’s niece Philippa Reynolds in 1997, it details the life of the New Zealand-born writer, educator and political activist who dedicated 60 years to humanitarian causes in China and is written as an easy and engaging read by people of all ages, interests and walks of life.

As an anchor project, the book was updated in 2017 for the 120th Rewi Alley Commemorations by the Christchurch China Sister Cities Committee.

The book has been updated to include new and relevant text. It has also been translated into Mandarin, making it a bilingual book. Additionally, the book has been turned into a hard copy, making it suitable as a coffee table book. Numerous photographs, including many in colour, have been added. The motivation behind this update was the fact that it has been 30 years since Rewi Alley passed away, and there is a desire to introduce him and his achievements to younger generations in both New Zealand and China. While he is widely known and respected in China, he remains relatively unknown in New Zealand. Members of the Christchurch China Sister Cities Committees have visited regions in China where Alley had worked in the 1930s, and the local people still speak of him and pay their respects at a memorial in their town.