Going West: In the Words of the Poets

New to poetry or wanting to discover more? Listen to and find out more about spontaneous, fun and alive New Zealand poetry at Going West 2010 Books and Writers Weekend on Saturday September 11.

Off the Cuff - 12.55 - 1.10pm, Saturday 11 September

Poet Courtney Meredith is already familiar to Going West audiences. In 2008 she won the Going West Poetry Slam. From Samoan, Cook Island and Irish ancestry she always has one or 20 poems up her sleeve. Enjoy 15 minutes of spontaneity with Courtney. 

Courtney Meredith

Her first poem was in awe of suspended inferno (stars) at the bright age of five, almost twenty years later the poet Courtney Meredith is still moved by phenomena, especially love. The daughter of a writer and a sailor, she is swimming with words in search of her true north. Pleased with her degree in English and Politics from the University of Auckland, where she co-edited Spectrum 5 under Emily Perkins, Courtney began performing her poems in 2008.

Which way please? - 3.00–3.45pm, Sunday 12 September

Many of us aspire to read poetry regularly, especially New Zealand poetry, but don’t know where to start. We feel intimidated, or unsure about how to approach a poem, how to make sense of it, what to do with it. It was sentiments like these that inspired poets Paula Green and Harry Ricketts to edit and write 99 Ways into New Zealand Poetry. Paula and poet and creative writing lecturer Jack Ross share their ideas about the many avenues available for finding our direction in New Zealand’s poetic landscape.

Paula Green
Paula Green lives inland from Bethells Beach with her partner, artist Michael Hight and their two daughters. Michael did a series of paintings for her most recent children’s book, Aunt Concertina and her Niece Evalina. She has spent the past two and a half years working on 99 Ways into New Zealand Poetry (with Harry Ricketts) and is now looking forward to the challenge of new projects. She is the poetry reviewer for the New Zealand Herald and enjoys visiting schools through the NZ Book Council and independently. Her new poetry collection (Slip Stream) will be published in October.

Jack Ross
On the one hand I’m a writer. I’ve published several books of poems, three novels, a novella, and a book of short stories. Another collection of stories, Kingdom of Alt, is due out from Titus Books in late 2010. I’ve also edited a number of books and journals, including (with Jan Kemp) the trilogy of audio / text anthologies Classic, Contemporary and New NZ Poets in Performance (AUP, 2006-8). On the other hand I’m an academic. I have a PhD in English from The University of Edinburgh and lecture in Creative Writing at Massey University's Auckland campus.

On the Walls of the Cities

Poet Helen Sword expands the definition of poetry taking it off the page - Sunday 12 September,1.00pm

Books & Writers Weekend:

10-12 September

Titirangi War Memorial Hall

Day & Weekend tickets: Book at Ticketmaster 0800 111 999 www.ticketmaster.co.nz

Saturday 11 September 9pm- 7pm
$85 full price, $70 concession
Includes lunch, morning and afternoon teas

Sunday 12th September 9pm- 7pm
$85 full price, $70 concession
Includes lunch, morning and afternoon teas

Single Session Tickets: $15 adult, $10 conc. Buy 4 sessions and receive 1 free

Door sales available.