# Event Details

- **Event Name**: Book Launch | Happy Moments by Len Lye
- **Event Start and End Date**: Tue, 07 Jul, 2026 at 05:30 pm
- **Event Description**: Scorpio Books, the Len Lye Foundation and Atuanui Press warmly welcome you to the launch of Happy Moments by Len Lye, edited by Roger Horrocks. Initially published posthumously in 2002 (though written in the 1960s) this new revised edition coincides with the 125th anniversary of Lye’s birth in Christchurch, New Zealand, and features previously unpublished memoirs, photographs, and drawings.

In celebration of the 125th anniversary of Len Lye’s birthday, trustees of the Len Lye Foundation will speak to the legacy of the artist and this colourful account of his early years in New Zealand. It covers his most intense experiences during the first two-dozen years of his life, including his childhood years at the Cape Campbell lighthouse, his passion for drawing, his exploration of sex, and his discovery of modern art. Lye documented his experiences in crisp, rhythmic sentences, full of sensations and feelings, described by the poet Alistair Reid as “beautifully transparent and heart-stopping.”

Happy Moments is the remarkable life story of a street-wise young man who grew up in severe poverty but had the energy and vision to become a highly creative artist. Lye’s text is accompanied by many of his unique drawings, or “doodles” as he called them, and also by personal photographs. Happy Moments is a lively, down-to-earth record of early experiences and a rich introduction to Lye’s original approach to art.

The book launch will be introduced by Sarah Davy and Alexandra Porter of the Len Lye Foundation

All welcome, this is a free event. Refreshments provided. Please send in your RSVP.

About the author
Born in Christchurch in 1901, Len Lye is one of the most important artists to have emerged from New Zealand. He was one of this country’s first modern artists in the 1920s, going on to have a spectacular career as a painter and film-maker in Britain (which has celebrated his film-making on a British postage stamp) and later in the USA (where his art has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney, and other major museums). He earned a global reputation as a pioneer of experimental film-making and as a leading creator of kinetic sculpture. Though working internationally as an artist, Len deeply valued his formative years in New Zealand, and he wrote the book Happy Moments to celebrate them.
- **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/christchurch/book-launch-happy-moments-by-len-lye/200030259172750
- **Event Categories**: art, entertainment, literary-art, photography, fine-arts
- **Interested Audience**: 
  - total_interested_count: 16

## Ticket Details


## Event venue details

- **city**: Christchurch
- **state**: CA
- **country**: New Zealand
- **location**: Scorpio Books
- **lat**: -43.532460954
- **long**: 172.63556387033
- **full address**: Scorpio Books, Christchurch, New Zealand

## Event gallery

- **Alt text**: Book Launch | Happy Moments by Len Lye
  - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events1/banners/0cffce80a285cbedc67b47a6a5d5f88d3baa590f317d0f8ea86b557af9b0835e-rimg-w1200-h628-dc2b6e38-gmir?v=1783383210

## FAQs

- **Q**: When and where is Book Launch | Happy Moments by Len Lye being held?
  - **A:** Book Launch | Happy Moments by Len Lye takes place on Tue, 07 Jul, 2026 at 05:30 pm to Tue, 07 Jul, 2026 at 05:30 pm at Scorpio Books, Christchurch, New Zealand.
- **Q**: Who is organizing Book Launch | Happy Moments by Len Lye?
  - **A:** Book Launch | Happy Moments by Len Lye is organized by Scorpio Books.
- **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me?
  - **A:** Book Launch | Happy Moments by Len Lye is ideal for art lovers, trade professionals, collectors, and exhibition enthusiasts exploring the latest in their field. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Christchurch, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If Book Launch | Happy Moments by Len Lye sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast.

## Structured Data (JSON-LD)

```json
[
    {
        "@context": "https://schema.org",
        "@type": "Event",
        "name": "Book Launch | Happy Moments by Len Lye",
        "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events1/banners/0cffce80a285cbedc67b47a6a5d5f88d3baa590f317d0f8ea86b557af9b0835e-rimg-w1200-h628-dc2b6e38-gmir?v=1783383210",
        "startDate": "2026-07-07",
        "url": "https://allevents.in/christchurch/book-launch-happy-moments-by-len-lye/200030259172750",
        "location": {
            "@type": "Place",
            "name": "Scorpio Books",
            "address": {
                "@type": "PostalAddress",
                "name": "Scorpio Books, Christchurch, New Zealand",
                "addressLocality": "Christchurch",
                "addressRegion": "CA",
                "addressCountry": "NZ"
            },
            "geo": {
                "@type": "GeoCoordinates",
                "latitude": "-43.532460954",
                "longitude": "172.63556387033"
            }
        },
        "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode",
        "description": "Scorpio Books, the Len Lye Foundation and Atuanui Press warmly welcome you to the launch of Happy Moments by Len Lye, edited by Roger Horrocks. Initially published posthumously in 2002 (though written in the 1960s) this new revised edition coincides with the 125th anniversary of Lye’s birth in Chris",
        "organizer": [
            {
                "@type": "Organization",
                "name": "Scorpio Books",
                "url": "https://allevents.in/org/scorpio-books/9133687",
                "description": "Located in the BNZ Centre between Hereford Street and Cashel Mall.\n\nOur Riccarton Road shop has now closed."
            }
        ]
    }
]
```