Flirting with Wisdom - Hardback Edition

Printed and shipped from the UK with worldwide delivery. Allow 2-3 weeks for bespoke production and shipping.

A book of short essays by Peter Gilderdale about learning to notice, and how wisdom emerges through attention rather than answers. Published by Grokkist Press.

About the Book

Flirting with Wisdom is a book about learning to notice.

It moves through unexpected places — ancient Egypt and Edwardian postcards, steam locomotives and calligraphy, Cézanne and Mr Rogers — touching on history and memory, craft and practice, what we are taught and what we discover for ourselves, trust, marriage, education, and politics.

Peter Gilderdale’s short essays don’t offer answers so much as invitations — to look again, to remain open rather than reach for conclusions, and to see what changes as we do.

In that spirit, wisdom is not something we arrive at.

It’s something we keep learning how to approach.

Book Specs

• Case-bound hardback (236 pages)
• Premium cream paper for comfortable, reflective reading
• Matt laminated cover
• Author: Peter Gilderdale
• Published 2026
• 5.06 x 7.81 (B Format)
• ISBN: 978-1-0670803-3-4 (hbk)
• Includes complimentary eBook copy (you will be directed to the download page immediately after checkout)

For more info visit the Publisher page.

About the Author

Peter Gilderdale’s father was an artist (who taught), and his mother a writer (who taught). Since he could never decide which of them to follow, he spent most of his career teaching Graphic Design and doing calligraphy (disciplines that each combine image and text in the service of communication). After studying Art History and Ancient History, Peter completed a Masters in Ancient Egyptian art. He then worked professionally as a calligrapher, initially in Denmark, where he published the first how-to book on calligraphy, and then in New Zealand, where he lives.

These days his favourite calligraphic work involves creating historical handwriting props for film and television. During his university teaching career, he was head of Graphic Design at Auckland University of Technology for fifteen years before becoming his School’s head of research. His own published research spans Egyptology, Art History, Calligraphy, Typography, Design and Popular Culture. Much of the latter stemmed from his PhD, which examined a type of Edwardian postcard (another genre that pulls together text and image). This research also led to a healthy interest in early Christmas cards, and an unhealthy collecting obsession.

Peter has always enjoyed writing, and while most of his published work has been academic, he is also a children’s author, having taken over writing duties on his parents’ million selling Little Yellow Digger series.