Divine Muses X : an evening of poetry was held at the Gus Fisher Gallery
as part of this years National Poetry Day, Friday August 16th, 2013.
To open the
evening the winner of the National Schools Poetry Award, Emma Shin, a year 13
student from Auckland’s Pakuranga College, read her winning poem “inadequately
blue".
Reference: http://www.schoolspoetryaward.co.nz/?page_id=6
Reference: http://www.schoolspoetryaward.co.nz/?page_id=6
Rosetta
Allan, MC, set the theme by reading two of her own poems then introduced Riemke
Ensing, Siobhan Harvey, C. K. Stead, Albert Wendt, Kiri Pihana-Wong who each read
a selection of their own poems and one from a fellow poet they admired.
At the
close of the evening the Auckland University Press and Divine Muses emerging
poets competition NEW VOICES, 2013 winners were announced and the winner
Elizabeth Morton invited to read a poem.
Many thanks
go to all this years poets, the entrants to the competition, to the Gus Fisher
Gallery for the venue, Auckland University Press for their wonderful support of
the competition and to Booksellers NZ for promoting poetry through their
National Poetry Day programme.
Judge’s
remarks:
I was very pleased again this year to be asked
to judge this Emerging Poets Competition, run under the aegis of The Divine
Muses and Auckland University Press and open to past and present students of
the two universities in Auckland. A great array of poems greeted me as I dived
into the folder of entries, and I was heartened by the emerging poetic talent
on display there. But after shuffling and ordering and considering, a few poems
stood out.
I want to highly commend poems by Tessa Forde
and Rosetta Allan, whose entries showed a real facility with the craft of
poetry. Coincidentally they both entered poems, Rosetta’s ‘New moon’ and
Tessa’s ‘Red Light Diptych’, which both treated the moon, that classic subject
of poetic obsession, in fresh ways, which is a tough thing to do. So
congratulations to them.
In the second place I chose a poem by Jack
Spicer, ‘Before I go to bed’, that was appealing in its simplicity of voice and
will resonate with anyone who has sat staring at certain computer screensavers
for too long! I understand that Jack is studying writing and Spanish at
Auckland University and I wish him all the best with both.
And finally in first place I would like to
congratulate Elizabeth Morton on her entries which showed vividly the different
places poetry can take one to – one being set in a post-earthquake New Zealand
city and one in early-morning Iraq. The poems were different in tone and
register, but both showed a commendable attention to the details of the world
and an ability to expand on those concrete details with metaphor, and in
precise language that sang memorably on the ear. I think Elizabeth is here with
us tonight, so I’d like to welcome her up to the stage to read ‘Breakfast in
Iraq’ for us. And my warm congratulations to her.
Anna Hodge
Senior
editor, Auckland University Press. August 2013.
NEW VOICES 2013 winner.
Elizabeth Morton is a poet and student from Auckland. She has a keen interest in neuroscience and philosophy. In her spare time she likes to forage for obscure words. She has been published in JAAM, Poetry NZ and Takahe.
Elizabeth Morton is a poet and student from Auckland. She has a keen interest in neuroscience and philosophy. In her spare time she likes to forage for obscure words. She has been published in JAAM, Poetry NZ and Takahe.
To read her
winning poem go to: http://www.artagent.co.nz/poetry/poetry2013.htm
Preview – look out for Elizabeth Morton, Jack
Spicer, Rosetta Allan and co-founder of the Emerging Poets competition, Siobhan
Harvey who will be in the session, New Voices at the 2013 Going West Literary
Festival on Saturday 14th September.
No comments:
Post a Comment