Siobhan Harvey | ARC Artist in Residence 2009
_0.JPG "Siobhan Harvey at Awhitu Regional Park")
.JPG "Siobhan, a keen swimmer, runner and walker made the most of her residency environs. Time out in the park observing, listening, researching and note taking provided material for later wordsmithing.")
Night at Awhitu - Siobhan Harvey
Hine-nui-te-Po sprinkled night
upon us, sooty as sand
upon Kauritutahi Beach.
As my son swam into sleep,
I thought of the still waters
of the Harbour, nearby,
the lighthouse standing above
with its glassy eye.
Watching over us,
the land breathed
deeply, slowly,
my son stirred
and I imagined
the plaintive cries of ruru,
matata tail-feathers fluttering
and the bleat of a lamb
pining for its mother.
Kawau -Siobhan Harvey
Everywhere, a bird sees suggestions.
That bruise upon the headland
is a stray magpie prowling
through chechian grass.
That finger of sand
is Kauritutahi Beach parted
by the movement of water.
Those flashes of lightning
are the sun shining
upon the retreating tide.
That ghost across the harbour
is Tamaki Makaurau hidden
beneath a blanket of mist.
And that taniwha disappearing
into the sea is a kawau
pretending he isn't here.
Siobhan is a versatile writer, writing and editing for a range of publications. Her strength is poetry, however she is also a critic, columnist, novelist and anthologist.
Her proposal included working on a cycle of poems which carry the voice of the day; from morning chorus to nightfall.
Siobhan was also in residence for four weeks.
Siobhan's poetry has been published in literary magazines and anthologies in New Zealand and the UK. She has recently edited and launched a book; Our Own Kind, 100 New Zealand poems about animals published by Random House. She is a creative writing tutor, a literary journalist and reviewer, and holds a BA (Hons) and an MA in creative writing.
Main Image: Siobhan Harvey editing her work at the kitchen table at the residency house, Awhitu Regional Park.
Siobhan's poems hang on the walls of Awhitu House (which the public can rent), to help cue people into what they may see and hear on the park. Some poems from the residency also feature on the ARC website.
Commenting on her residency at Awhitu Regional Park, Siobhan Harvey says, "This residency gave me a wonderful opportunity to engage with a vibrant landscape and local animalia. It was a privilege and I'd encourage any artist seeking to strengthen their work's engagement with environment, flora and/or fauna to apply."
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.JPG "Siobhan Harvey at Awhitu Regional Park")
