The Kiwi pop star headed to Antarctica early last year supported by Antarctica NZ, the Government agency which manages New Zealand’s activities on the protected continent.
In a newsletter to her fans yesterday, Lorde — real name Ella Yelich-O’Connor — says the rare journey was a “great white palette cleanser”.
“When I went to Antarctica, I hadn’t yet started writing again after finishing Melodrama,” she says.
“I realised after the trip that what my brain had been craving was a visit to an alternate realm… Antarctica really acted as this great white palette cleanser, a sort of celestial foyer I had to move through in order to start making the next thing.”
Lorde was accompanied on the trip by friend Harriet Were, a photographer.
Now they’ve combined the talents to release Going South, a 100-page photobook complete with snaps that were took on film while in Antarctica as well as Lorde’s writing about the journey.
It’ll be the pop star’s first published book.
“I’ll always hold this trip up as a life highlight for many reasons, but I’m particularly grateful for it as one that showed me the beginnings of the new world which I continue to build, and am very excited to start showing you soon,” she says.
All proceeds from Going South will be going to Antarctica NZ for a scholarship fund for a postgraduate doctorate in climate change research.
“Imagine if we could put someone through a climate-related PhD with this little book! It’s almost too awesome to think about,” Lorde says.
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Antarctica NZ chief executive Sarah Williamson told 1 NEWS they’re delighted by the move.
“Lorde can reach an audience that few people can. She is engaged in the climate change message and passionate about protecting this planet,” she says.
“Antarctica New Zealand chose to support her to Antarctica so she can share with New Zealanders and the world what it is we do there and the science we support.”
Lorde worked with Antarctica NZ “to create engaging output about Antarctic science that she is sharing with her millions of fans worldwide”, Williamson says.
