Friday, July 10, 2009



Martian poetry spices up this year’s Writers on Mondays in Wellington

From The Hobbit to The Angel’s Cut, from Baxter’s Jerusalem to UK poet Christopher Reid’s Martian poetry, the 2009 Writers on Mondays programme offers an exciting and varied line-up of writers for screen, page and stage.

From mid-July each year, the International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML), home of Victoria University’s renowned creative writing programme, runs a series of events highlighting writers active in and around Wellington, as well as guests from overseas.

This year the popular series will be hosted by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, with one of the highlights being the presence of award-winning British writer Christopher Reid, (pic right), author of 13 collections of poetry and a former editor at Faber & Faber, where he edited the Letters of Ted Hughes and worked with many major poets.
Reid is often cited as co-founder with Craig Raine of the 'Martian School' of poetry, which employs unusual metaphors to render everyday experiences and objects unfamiliar. He talks with Bill Manhire about his career on Monday July 27.
Other highlights of the programme include Elizabeth Knox talking about her new novel The Angel’s Cut on Monday August 17. The Angel’s Cut is Knox’s sequel to The Vintner’s Luck, which is soon to hit the big screen as a film directed by Niki Caro.
On Monday August 31, screenwriter Philippa Boyens, who has worked with Peter Jackson on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, King Kong, the adaptation of Alice Sebold's novel The Lovely Bones, and is collaborating on The Hobbit, will talk to Ken Duncum about her scriptwriter’s dream run.
September will be dedicated to the writers of the future, with four events that showcase the talent coming through the MA (Script and Page) programme at the IIML.

Writers on Mondays opens this Monday with Victoria University Writer in Residence Paula Boock talking with Kate De Goldi about her novel-in-progress and her work as both an award-winning writer for young adults (Dare, Truth or Promise), and as a scriptwriter whose credits include Insiders Guide to Love, bro’Town and the recent tele-feature Until Proven Innocent.
A full programme can be viewed at http://www.victoria.ac.nz/modernletters/activities/monday-writers.aspx

For more information contact the IIML on (04) 463 6854

What: Writers on Mondays, July – October 2009
When: Mondays, 12.15-1.15pm
Where: The Marae, Level 4, Te Papa
Entry: Free

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