Piha Press and Piha Mosaics
Local books, community stories, and handmade mosaics inspired by Piha's coastline, birdlife, and history. Created by long-time local Glenda Northey.
About
Piha Press and Piha Mosaics are Glenda Northey's twin creative practices — both rooted deeply in the village she has lived in for 45 years, and whose stories, landscapes, and community she has spent decades documenting and celebrating.
Piha Press grew from Glenda's love of writing, local history, and community storytelling. Over the years she has documented the village's people, events, and changing landscape — preserving stories that would otherwise be lost. Through books, articles, and community projects (including her long-running column Good Folks of Piha in the Piha News), Piha Press has become a small but meaningful archive of the village's extraordinary and everyday life. For visitors and locals interested in the history of Piha and the people who have shaped it, Piha Press books are the closest thing the village has to its own literary record.
Piha Mosaics is a separate but connected creative practice. Glenda's mosaics express a connection to nature, memory, and place through colour and texture. Many pieces are inspired by the coastline, the native birdlife, and the natural beauty that surrounds the village. Each mosaic is handmade, and each reflects the character and rhythms of west coast life. They're available at the Piha Market on the third Sunday of the month, or by appointment.
What makes both ventures distinctive is that they are genuinely rooted in Piha. Neither is a business created from a marketing plan — both grew from years of living in the village, raising a family here, participating in community life, and developing a real appreciation for the area's history and people. For anyone who values connection, creativity, resilience, and a sense of place, Glenda's work is the kind of thing you take home from Piha and keep.
Best for:
Visitors wanting a genuinely local piece of Piha to take home; residents building a collection of local history; anyone interested in west coast art with real connection to place.
Worth knowing:
Both ventures are Piha-rooted — the work is inseparable from the place it comes from
Details:
Creator: Glenda Northey
Phone: 027 440 8027
Email: glenda.northey@gmail.com
Piha Press: Books, articles, and community projects documenting Piha's history and people. Contact Glenda for available titles.
Piha Mosaics: Handmade mosaic art inspired by the Piha coastline, native birdlife, and landscape. Available at the Piha Market on the third Sunday of the month, or by appointment.
Where to buy: Piha Market (third Sunday of the month) for mosaics; contact Glenda directly for books or by-appointment mosaic viewings
