Poets in Tūranga

National Poetry Day 27 August

An event organised by John Allison, Jenna Heller, and David Gregory

under the auspices of the Canterbury Poets Collective

First session 12.00-12.50pm

Nathan Joe is a Chinese-Kiwi playwright, critic and poet who spends his time between Christchurch and Auckland. He won the Playmarket b425 award twice for Hippolytus Veiled and Like Sex. Recently he wrote and directed I am Rachel Chu, a satire and deconstruction of box-office hit and best-selling novel Crazy Rich Asians. 

Kerrin P Sharpe has published four collections of poetry: three days in a wishing well (2012); there’s a medical name for this (2014); rabbit rabbit (2016) and Louder (August 2018). She has appeared in Best New Zealand Poems six times and in Oxford Poets 13 (Carcanet Press UK) and Poetry (USA) 2018.

David Gregory David has had three books published in New Zealand, Always Arriving, Frame of Mind, and Push by Black Doris Press. His poetry has appeared in numerous  publications and anthologies. He is also an editor for Sudden Valley Press which has produced over 30 editions of poetry. David is a co-MC for these sessions.

Annabel Wilson is a teacher, poet and playwright from Wanaka, living in Lyttelton. Her first poetry collection Aspiring Daybook published in 2018 by Makaro Press. Annabel’s work has been published in journals in NZ and overseas. Annabel regularly performs her poetry at literary festivals and open mic events.

Andy Coyle is a narrative poet who relishes the opportunity to take an audience on a journey. He performs regularly at live venues, with jazz and folk musicians, at street festivals, literary festivals, poetry slam, and solo poetry shows. He twice has represented Christchurch at the National Poetry Slam finals.

Second session 5.00-5.50pm

Gail Ingram‘s first poetry collection Contents Under Pressure was published by Pūkeko Publications in 2019. Her work has been widely published and anthologised locally and internationally. Awards include winner of NZPS poetry competition and third Poets Meet Politics poetry competition. She is also an editor and teacher of creative writing.

Ciaràn Fox is a whisky-chasing enthusiast of words whose writing has appeared in NZ literary journals such as Catalyst, Takahe, Landfall, and JAAM and was recently included in the Hellfire Poets Anthology. He is a co-organiser of the long-running open mic events and literary journal Catalyst.

Catherine Fitchett is a Christchurch poet, published in Poetry NZ, takahe, JAAM, The Press and various anthologies including Big Sky, Leaving the Red Zone, and broken lines / in charcoal. She has worked as a forensic scientist, which might explain the meticulous attention to detail in her poems.

Erik Kennedy is the author of There’s No Place Like the Internet in Springtime (Victoria University Press, 2018), which was shortlisted for best book of poems in the 2019 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. He is a noted performer of his poetry, and is widely published here and overseas.

Jenna Heller is an American-New Zealander living and writing near the beach in New Brighton, Christchurch. Her poetry has been published widely throughout NZ and the US, and occasionally appearing in publications based in Australia, Canada, and the UK. Jenna is a co-MC for these sessions.