Gloria of Greymouth

In 2020 sculptor and poet Sam Duckor-Jones bought an abandoned church in Greymouth and named her Gloria.

With yarn-bombed rafters, a costume bazaar, a plush loft, papier-mâché parishioners in the pews and pink neon light bouncing off a rhinestone piano, Gloria has become a celebration of queer creativity.

In this record of Gloria’s establishment, Sam wrestles with solitude, religion, intimacy, art and identity. He finds community in fellow artists and friendly locals, and solace in the rhythms of a quiet life. Gloria of Greymouth is a chronicle of a magnificent transformation, a manifesto for play and pleasure, and the story of an artist’s being.

Praise for Sam

'Bloody fantastic' - broadcasters
'Blisteringly good' - bloggers
'Gorgeous' - bornholdts

'An acute sensitivity to ordinary beauty'- editors
'Relentlessly cheerful' - interviewers
'Unafraid' - laureates

'An arrogant prick' - family member
'Hates everything' - family members
'Not actually very tall' - former boyfriend

Sam Duckor-Jones is a sculptor and poet. In 2017 he won the Biggs Poetry Prize from the International Institute of Modern Letters at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. His first book was People from the Pit Stand Up (2018), followed by Party Legend (2021).