National Poetry Day: readings, interviews and a poetry launch!

Friday August 25th is Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day! To celebrate we’re diving into our video archives to showcase Pōneke’s talented and thriving community of poets, many of which have blessed us with intimate readings, revealing interviews and special events over the years.

As we celebrate the magic of poetry across Aotearoa, watch as these poets give us a sneak peek behind their creative processes and perform readings of their works.

And don’t miss our upcoming poetry launch at Te Awe Library, read on for all the event details…

Continue reading “National Poetry Day: readings, interviews and a poetry launch!”

Youth Poetry Workshop at Newtown Library, Friday 25 August

Are you aged between 10 and 18? Enjoy writing and poetry? Sign up and come along to our Youth Poetry Workshop this Friday 25 August, from 4-6pm, at Newtown Library in collaboration with Landing Press!

We’ll be celebrating National Poetry Day and writing on the theme of ‘generations’, so bring your thoughts, feelings and ideas and come and join a published poet and workshop your poems!

Spots are limited, email to register (put ‘Newtown Poetry Workshop’ in the subject line):

Email enquiries@wcl.govt.nz

The poets among us: Our literary librarians

Today is the 25th anniversary of Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day, and as part of our celebration we’re highlighting the emerging talents within our own ranks. When these writers aren’t penning new poems or performing live, they double as our Librarians, who help connect their local communities to the literary world they are a part of.

We open with Emma Rattenbury’s swirling and almost melancholic interior insights, before diving into Jo McNeice’s subtle and tender homage to Aro Valley. Rogelio Guedea’s work follows, which intimately speaks to bridging the gaps between countries, language and the fissures of love. Alayne Dick takes us on a comedic trip, wryly losing keys and thoughts along the way, as she careens through an endless stream of apt questioning. Belinda Davis then turns a familiar and mundane suburban sight into a sweeping story that you can feel twisting and turning around you. And be sure to catch Tarns Hood’s slam poem finale, it’s truly epic. Full of building energy, she hits the nail on the head of all our frustrations and knocks her performance out of the park.

Enjoy the broad array of voices and styles that these six creatives embrace, as they perform an original work for National Poetry Day. We encourage you to discover, support and enhance Wellingtonian voices across the city today, to share in the joys and power of poetry.


To experience a bi-lingual poetry reading today, drop by Waitohi Johnsonville Library at 3:30pm, to see Rogelio Guedea perform works from his new poetry collection ‘O me voy o te vas / One of us must go’ (2022) in Spanish and English, accompanied by live music.

 

 

Belinda Davis (she/her/ia) is a long-time librarian, singer, poet, writer and comedian. Performing regularly at the Fringe Bar and elsewhere, she is published in journals all over her house.

Alayne Dick is  is a writer and performer based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara/ Wellington, New Zealand. Her poems have been featured in Cordite Poetry Review, Sport and Stasis. She has performed her poetry live on Radio New Zealand and had a poem featured on musician Pickle Darling’s album ‘Cosmonaut’. Alayne will be performing her set ‘Deep and Meaningful’ at Sydney Fringe Festival on 13 -17 September 2022.

Rogelio Guedea is a Mexican-born poet and novelist of more than 40 books. His poetry collection ‘Kora’ was awarded the prestigious Spanish Premio Adonáis de Poesía in 2008, and in 2013 his novel, ‘El crimen de Los Tepames (Mondadori)’, was one of the top five best-selling novels in Mexico. Rogelio is currently based in Wellington and is the director of The New Zealand Hispanic Press.

Tarns Hood is a Wellington based Performance Poet and the 2019 AND 2020 Wellington Regional Poetry Slam Champion! Her poetic works focus around addiction, mental health, being oddly observant and general irreverence. Tarns performs at festivals, variety shows, fundraisers, competitions and corporate events. She’s a frequent contributor to NZPS and Regenerate Magazine and her words have been heard across local and national radio.

Jo McNeice has a Masters in Creative Writing from Te Pūtahi Tuhi Auaha o Te Ao, Te Herenga Waka/International Institute of Modern Letters, Victoria University of Wellington.  Her poems have appeared in Turbine/Kapohau, Sport, Mayhem and JAAM.

Emma Rattenbury was born and bred in Taranaki, is a graduate of VUW’s MFA Theatre Programme and is now living in Pōneke. Emma’s work includes ‘The Secret Lives of Sixteen Year Old Girls’ (BATS Theatre), and ‘Wonderkind’ (Circa Theatre) from the newly established Wonderlight Theatre Aotearoa. Her play ‘Weed Wacker’ won ‘Best Original Script & Production – New NZ Short Plays’ at the Manawatu Theatre Awards. She is a member of Long Cloud Youth Theatre.

 

Poet interview: The Meow Gurrrls

The Meow Gurrrls are a group of seven Wellington & Kāpiti Coast poets, named in part after Meow café/bar in Wellington where the group meet, who for some time now have been sharing poetry, wine, food and fine company.

To celebrate National Poetry Day on 26 August, two members of the Meow Gurrrls collective came in to talk to us about the inspirations and ideas behind their poetry, their practices, what it means to be a poet and to give us a few readings.

Rewa Morgan (Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Raukawa) lives on the Kāpiti Coast. Rewa writes poetry, fiction and non-fiction essays. Her poetry feature’s themes of whakapapa, mythology, history and more recently astrology.

Sudha Rao is a Wellington based poet and dancer, originally from South India. She recently released her debut poetry collection, On elephant’s shoulders, published through The Cuba Press. With themes of longing, transition, and memory, On elephant’s shoulders explores the poet’s South Indian heritage relocated to New Zealand and addresses the complexity of the migrant experience.

We wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to the fabulous Sudha and Rewa for taking time out of their busy schedules and for such a fantastic interview and, best of all, their fabulous readings.

This interview was done in conjunction with Caffeine and Aspirin, the arts and entertainment review show on Radioactive FM. It was conducted by host Tanya Ashcroft. You can hear the full interview, as well as find a wide selection of Meow Gurrrls poetry collections available to borrow, below: And in their joint collection of poems called Meowing. Part 1, The Meow Gurrrls’ little book of poetry .

And we also have a wonderful filmed interview of Sudha Rao talking exclusively about her recent solo collection On Elephant’s Shoulders below

On elephant’s shoulders / Rao, Sudha
“With themes of longing, transition and memory, ‘On elephant’s shoulders’ explores the poet’s South Indian heritage relocated to New Zealand and tries to unlayer the complexity of the migrant experience. For Sudha this has meant experiencing the riches of a new culture and a new landscape while managing the realities of marginalisation. And ultimately a transformation into a person of the Pacific, still grounded in her family and her Hindu beliefs.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Social media / Macpherson, Mary
“Is our identity more of a composite than we realise? We often think of ourselves as formed from our core values or our DNA, but in Social Media, Mary Macpherson explores identity as a creation of the interactions we have with others: friends, family and the wider world, and the evolving role technology now plays in this. A playful and provocative collection that drills into our social and media selves using elements from short stories and film scripts.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Millionaire’s shortbread : poems / Duffy, Mary Jane
“”Millionaire’s Shortbread is both book and cake. Meeting at a cafe table in downtown Wellington, sustained by their favourite treat and gathering in an illustrator along the way, the poets put together this selection of their work over three years. It seemed inevitable that the book should be named after the cake, and the distinctive voices of the poets become its flavoursome ingredients.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

Book coverReading the signs / Freegard, Janis
“The poems in Janis Freegard’s new collection take their starting point from the poet’s daily ritual of reading the tea leaves while writing in the Ema Saiko room in the Wairarapa. This leads to unexpected discoveries about the world around her, from spider visitors to the writing room and a papyrus-fine gecko skin in the nearby wildlife sanctuary, to news of the ancient bdelloid rotifers that defy natural disasters and the recently extinct amphibians that did not. Then a gender- and species-fluid interpreter turns up to help the poet work her way through the daily revelations in her tea cup … Reading the Signs is a series of linked poems that are thoughtful and humorous, provocative and tender, and come together as a quiet epic about a planet that is fast running out of puff.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Interview: Aotearoa NZ Poet Laureate David Eggleton

Aotearoa New Zealand’s Poet Laureate David Eggleton is well known throughout the land for his  engaging and dynamic  readings, often performed with a quick-fire delivery and utilising words and language that deliver a constant stream  of images. Described by reviewers as a jazz-bop-beatnik poet, David has so far released over 18 books of poetry, not to mention books on the New Zealand music scene and photography.

During his long and illustrious career David has won numerous awards and accolades such as The Robert Burn’s Fellowship, won “on five separate occasions” the Montana New Zealand Book Awards Book Reviewer of the Year, has been awarded the PEN Best First Book of Poetry award, as well as taking part in the slightly more unusual Ranters Cup and the Poetry Olympics. He is the only New Zealander to have won the London Time Out’s Street Entertainer of the Year. In addition, David has produced several short films, CDs and documentaries. David was appointed the New Zealand Poet Laureate in 2019 and has also received the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Poetry.

Just recently he has undertaken a nationwide tour with the Mad Doggerel Cabaret featuring fellow poet Daren Kamali co-founder of the South Auckland Poets’ Collective. Daren  is also a highly accomplished performance poet, as well as a musician. Daren Kamali’s works are often based on Polynesian and Pasifika legends and his own life story, with  the final part of the Mad Doggerel Cabaret trio being Dunedin-based classical guitarist Richard Wallis .

In the Mad Doggerel Cabaret the trio present a lyrical, vivid, and lightning-fast comic portrait of Aotearoa New Zealand and its place in the South Pacific today.

You can catch a special free performance of the Mad Doggerel Cabaret  at the National Library Wellington on  Friday 26 August  to celebrate National Poetry Day. Find more details of their national tour here.

When David agreed to be interviewed about his latest venture, his time as poet laureate and his poetry career in general, we jumped at the chance. We wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to David for taking time out of his busy schedule and for such a fabulous, fascinating, and informative interview.

This interview was done in conjunction with Caffeine and Aspirin, the arts and entertainment review show on Radioactive FM. You can hear the full interview, as well as find a wide selection of David’s poems available to borrow, below:

 

Keep an eye open for our other fantastic National Poetry day online readings coming soon.

Time of the icebergs : poems / Eggleton, David
“Much of Time of the Icebergs was written while David Eggleton was a Writer-in-Residence at the Michael King Writers Centre in Auckland in 2009. These are poems about the world we live in, tracing a dystopian present ‘hurtling globalisation’s highway’ where ‘Google tells Google that Google saves’. As he says ‘I think of it as a collection for browsing and discovering things: soundscapes, seascapes, landscapes, contemporary politics and contemporary people, histories, traditions, and other things besides.'” (Adapted from Catalogue) Also available as an eBook.

The conch trumpet / Eggleton, David
“The Conch Shell calls to the scattered tribes of contemporary New Zealand. It sounds the signal to listen closely, critically and ‘in alert reverie’. David Eggleton’s reach of references, the marriage of high and low, the grasp of popular and classical allusion, his eye both for cultural trash and epiphanic beauty, make it seem as if here Shakespeare shakes down in the Pacific. There are dazzling compressions of history; astonishing paens to harbours, mountains, lakes and rivers; wrenchingly dark, satirical critiques of contemporary politics, of solipsism, narcissism, the apolitical, the corporate, with a teeming vocabulary to match …” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Fast talker / Eggleton, David
“This dynamic poetry collection combines punchy political and social awareness with tender observations of everyday life. Embracing a wide variety of subjects, these poems constantly shift in tone and rhythm, ranging from hard-hitting “rants” on the South Pacific, the media, big business, war, and capitalism to gentle lyricisms on love, travel, and the landscapes that the author calls home. Part showman patter, part incantation, part prophetic diatribe, these writings display an energetic and witty style that masterfully merges forceful images with inventive language.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Empty orchestra / Eggleton, David
“”Lyrics from a karaoke bard, raps and chants about the place and the people, gestures towards the ultimate poem – Empty Orchestra is a personal diary, of a public history, a demographic pie chart, a vision thing. It says that nowadays we are so saturated with media – layer upon layer – that all we have to go on, in an age of fragmentation, are misreadings, misunderstandings, collective delusions, individual obsessions. The karaoke machine is a pre-eminent cross-cultural symbol.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Ready to fly / Eggleton, David
“A survey and celebration of 50 years of New Zealand popular music. Jammed full of photos, and with a colourful and exuberant text, it is the first book on New Zealand popular music published in 15 years.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

 

Into the light : a history of New Zealand photography / Eggleton, David
“Into the Light is a serious, but readable history of photography in New Zealand. It provides a comprehensive survey of New Zealand’s most significant photographers and is aimed at a general audience. The photographers featured include early colonial professionals such as the Burton Brothers, George Valentine, and William and Fred Tyree, along with those documenting New Zealand’s burgeoning identity in the twentieth Centurey, such as John Pascoe during World War II and the gritty, authentic photography of Les Cleveland. Current senior practioners, such as Marti Friedlander, Peter Peryer, Ans Westra, Anne Noble and Laurence Aberhart all are represented, along with more contemporary practitioners such as Fiona Pardington, Gavin Hipkins and Yvonne Todd.”(Adapted from Catalogue)

Towards Aotearoa : a short history of 20th century New Zealand art / Eggleton, David
“A handsome hardback illustrated collection of the very best examples of art (painting, sculpture, printmaking and photography) produced in New Zealand over 100 years from 1901 to 2001. David Eggleton gives a short, informative and accessible history of NZ art to accompany his selection of 101 artworks.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

Vunimaqo and me : mango tree collections / Kamali, Daren
“This collection centres on a mango tree – Vunimaqo – that was the focal point of his youth. Vunimaqo stands by the Tubou Street Barracks, Samabula North, Suva, Fiji … at the intersection of a community’s life, overseeing and sharing the stories of its people … A collection of poems, coupled with images that deepen the words, channelling the many voices and the stories of those who found connections and shelter by the mango tree” ( adapted from Catalogue)

 

Squid out of water : the evolution / Kamali, Daren
“Honoring the Pacific Ocean and its many cultures and stories, Squid Out of Water is the second poetry collection of Daren Kamali, a poet, artist, and teacher of Fijian and Wallis and Futuna descent.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

 

Niu voices
“Niu Voices: Contemporary Pacific Fiction 1 is a collection of poetry, short stories and novel extracts by selected Pacific writers, edited by Dr. Selina Tusitala Marsh, lecturer in English at the University of Auckland. Niu, the life-giving coconut of Pacific nations, has become symbolic of many styles that are growing in Aotearoa New Zealand, but rooted in island soils. These Pacific influences flavour creativity and strengthen the fibre of Pacific cultures and customs as lived in this new/niu context. They tell stories of New Zealand homes, of love, relationships and identity.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

 

It’s National Poetry Day!

It’s National Poetry Day and our exciting poetry event is happening today at 1pm! See below for the event details, and you can find more information on our blog.
Today’s fantastic featured poet is Janis Freegard. Enjoy, and we hope to see you in the library this afternoon!

Honey

It was manuka honey, the best kind
in a big, white plastic bucket, given to you
by someone with bees, because you’d been helpful,
so much honey, it might last a lifetime
and you being you, and maybe why I love you,
you spooned it out into carefully washed jars
for your uncle, your mother, your brothers,
our friend with the little boy, your mother’s neighbour
who had the birthday, all that honey, and after all
that you gave away, there was still so much left for us.

Janis Freegard

 

Details:

Friday 24 August, 1–3.30pm
Central Library, 65 Victoria Street

You can RSVP to this event on Facebook

Come along to hear poets from Mākaro Press, Fitzbeck Books and The Cuba Press bewitch, berate, busk and bewilder!

Featuring:
Mary Cresswell, Nicola Easthope, Jamie Trower, Janis Freegard, Tim Jones, John Boyd, Rob King, Richard Langston, Mary Mccallum, Anne Powell, John Howell, Peter Rawnsley, and Stefanie Lash.

Janis Freegard poem