Visitors from Jerusalem, Christchurch and Dunedin, friends and family of Baxter, as well as writers and academics were present at the seminar and launch.
Speakers at the seminar included its editor, John Weir; Colin Durning, who recounted his close friendship with Baxter, and playwright Eli Kent, who read an essay by Baxter about his own plays and his dreams for theatre in New Zealand.
Professor Paul Millar talked about his research on Baxter, and John Baxter, spoke of his memories of his father, which he said had been brought back through the publication of the prose.
Dave Dobbyn finished the launch with a moving performance of Baxter’s ‘Song of the Years’.
The publication of Complete Prose by its editor, John Weir, marks the completion of some 40 years of work, researching and collecting Baxter’s enormous prose output.
Complete Prose will be made freely available to the public later this year through the New Zealand Electronic Text Collection.