Zarah Butcher-McGunnigle and Rachel O’Neill read from their debut collections in Auckland last night. What a stellar job Hue & Cry Press is doing (Publisher Chloe Lane and editors Amy Brown and Lawrence Pratchett). These collections offer much for the reader both on the page and in the air—I will post a review of Zarah’s Autobiography of a Marguerite early next week. My review of Rachel’s One Human in Height is here.
Hue & Cry Press invites you to the Auckland launch of
Autobiography of a Marguerite by Zarah Butcher-McGunnigle
and One Human in Height by Rachel O’Neill
6PM THURSDAY 12 JUNE 2014
RM GALLERY, 1st Floor, 307 K Road, Auckland, Entrance on Samoa House Lane
Friday 13th June Poetry Slam 2014: Auckland Regional Heat #1
Twelve poets compete in three rounds of performance poetry
for the chance to represent Auckland in the national finals in Wellington.
The Thirsty Dog, 469 Karangahape Rd
MC: Michelle Durey
7 00pm –
facebook.com/events/244972342362496/
Wednesday 11th JUNE
INSIDE.OUT Open Mic for Writers
OneTwoOne Cafe Ponsonby Road
All writers welcome to read their work, or come as audience
Bring your fiction/poetry/non fiction/memoir/flash fiction
Guest musician: Otis Mace – guitarist, singer, songwriter
Five word competition: incorporate these words into a short piece <50 words:
breath(e) – groove – flash – string – intense
Random prizes awarded. Bring on the night or email to MC Anita
7.00 – 10 00pm, koha for musician
anitaarlov@hotmail.co.nz
facebook: inside.out open mic auckland
Tuesday 3rd June Poetry Live
Guest poet: Rachael Naomi
Guest musician: Kieran Cooper
MC: Kiri Piahana-Wong
Open mic poetry
The Thirsty Dog, 469 Karangahape Rd
8 00pm, koha for guests
http://www.poetrylive.co.nz
Details to donate here
The Auckland Writers Festival clearly demonstrated how much we love books, conversations about books, and engaging with authors. To have an intelligent book programme on our small screens seems utterly vital as a means to promote our stories and our love of words. It also seems to be a place that will embrace poetry and children’s books as much as fiction and non-fiction. Go support, I say!
From the funding site:
‘Calling all book lovers!
Face TV, working with two of this country’s most well-known book people, wants to respond to audience demand; and produce & screen a weekly TV show. Called simply THE BOOK SHOW, it will be written and presented by Graham Beattie and Carole Beu.
Graham Beattie has the most widely read book blog in NZ and beyond; and Carole Beu runs the highly successful Women’s Bookshop in Ponsonby – and also beyond!
Both of them are chatty and charming and amazingly informed about the written word – whether it’s in print or on your Kindle or Kobo.
Each week the programme will feature author interviews, reviews and great reads from both NZ contributors and visiting international book people.
Face Television (formerly Triangle TV) is Sky’s non-profit public media contribution and started broadcasting early this year – filling a gap in the media landscape and allowing independent programme makers and communities the opportunity to create and broadcast content nationwide.
THE BOOK SHOW will be screened weekly on Face TV – prime time with a daytime repeat; as well as being made available online.
Because Face TV is a non-profit television service we are able to produce a 12 part series for $6,000 and we’re looking for donations to fund this.
To see more of Graham and Carole’s work visit:
This is a terrific piece of writing. Emma offers us a moving tribute to Sarah, her love of her poetry and a poem– amongst other things.
‘Now that I am settling down a bit from the giddy whirl of the Auckland Readers and Writers Festival, I want to repeat here how much admiration I have for Michael Gleissner and the other trust members who set up the Sarah Broom Award. To do this so soon after losing Sarah must have taken an enormous amount of energy and focus at a very raw and vulnerable time. I know from all the positive feedback and well-wishing I was lucky enough to receive even as a short-listee, that the wider poetry community has been highly aware of the award and the chance it offers to local poets.
It was a hoot to meet Sam Hunt at the session, and Kirsti Whalen showed really professional slam-background confidence. I’ve owned Sam’s poems since I was 13: though back then I didn’t have a clue what all the fuss about love and desire was. Adults seemed tortured by such bizarre emotions. Sam not only takes poetry to the people but also does a mean tap dance — look him up on YouTube. Also his interview on National Radio about the Sarah Broom Award is a marvellous recording. It’s the kind of radio that makes you forget how to multi-task. You just end up frozen in place, dishcloth at the window, struck in an attitude of intense distraction.’
See the rest of Emma Neale’s post here.
In one hour: I did a mad dash up Queen Street to catch the launch of Siobhan Harvey’s wonderful new poetry collection and then a mad dash back down Queen Street to catch Corneila Funke reading (I had just spent the day with Cornelia showing my favourite haunts on the West Coast). So I missed part of the launch and the reading but my early morning runs at Bethells paid off!
Siobhan’s launch, fittingly, was a special occasion for a special book– a book I plan to write about soon! Lots of Auckland poets came in support, including Janet Charman who launched the book with verve and tantalising extracts.
More soon!
NZ Poetry Shelf 