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This is Mark's blog.

Mark Pirie in Jacket2, USA

Recently, I appeared along with the Poetry Archive of NZ Aotearoa in Jacket2, USA, in a series of commentaries by Vaughan Rapatahana on the small press and poetry scene in New Zealand.

“One such example of sterling input is the invaluable Poetry Archive of New Zealand. As Mark Pirie points out to us, ‘I co-organise the Poetry Archive of New Zealand Aotearoa (with Dr Michael O’Leary and Dr Niel Wright, the founders) collecting poets back to the nineteenth century. There are more good poets than people realize reading mainstream historical anthologies of New Zealand poetry. I have realized this fairly recently after wasted years of looking at and learning from selective, academic anthologies ever since I was a student. Since 2010, I have edited the quarterly Poetry Archive newsletter Poetry Notes. This has featured many forgotten historical New Zealand poets and presented highly original research by myself, Rowan Gibbs, Niel Wright, and Michael O’Leary. The National Library of New Zealand online research tools like Papers Past have been vital to this rediscovery of early New Zealand poetry too. Poets like Robert J Pope, Ivy Gibbs, and A. Stanley Sherratt have had their work republished.’ It needs to be made clear that these three guys receive no emolument for their earnest endeavours and do rely on donations of both funds and poetry texts to proliferate their resource, ‘so very good historical and contemporary poets don’t get missed.’ Stalwarts all, indeed.”

Vaughan Rapatahana also interviewed me on HeadworX, JAAM and publishing poetry in New Zealand and ran a poem of mine as well as mentioning my featuring of Mahinarangi Tocker in broadsheet no. 10.

It was great to be profiled so prominently overseas, and Vaughan gave me considerable understanding and recognition for my literary work.

Here are the links to Vaughan's articles:

Slam, slam ... & thank you Mams, Vaughan Rapatahana, in Jacket2 Commentaries, USA, 2015 (online).

'Small' poetry publishers and publications, Vaughan Rapatahana, in Jacket2 Commentaries, USA, 2015 (online).

A certain 'Je ne sais quoi' — Percutio with JAAM, Vaughan Rapatahana, in Jacket2 Commentaries, USA, 2015 (online).

Ngā Kaituhi Wāhine Māori — Māori Women Writers,'Vaughan Rapatahana, in Jacket2 Commentaries, USA, 2015 (online).

ESAW Christmas Surprise 2015 released

The latest ESAW Christmas Surprise 2015 has been released by Earl of Seacliff Art Workshop, in conjunction with my press HeadworX and the Poetry Archive of NZ Aotearoa (PANZA).

The booklet includes some of my poems along with works by Michael O'Leary, B. E. Turner and F. W. Nielsen Wright.

A small token of appreciation for our friends and clients at Christmas time.

Click on the link to view the free ebook and download it:
/books/esaw-christmas-surprise-2015

HeadworX releases new books by Michael O'Leary and MaryJane Thomson

In October and November, my publishing company HeadworX released two new poetry books by Michael O'Leary, of Paekakariki, and MaryJane Thomson, of Wellington.

O'Leary’s book is a fine collection of his railway poems that I put together in honour of his 65th birthday. O'Leary did not seek this publication, and it is a special book celebrating a significant writer's contribution to New Zealand poetry in English. The cover features an old photograph from the Turnbull Library by W W Stewart.

Thomson’s book, Lonely Earth, is the second collection by her and shows a major development in her poetic since her first collection Fallen Grace. It's a diverse, edgy read and features a mix of styles from minimalist two-line poems to longer poems. Topical and current, it deals with issues like care of the environment and humanity's history, particularly its wars and consumerism.

I’m very pleased to be publishing both of these titles by two gifted New Zealand poets.

For more details on each book, please visit the HeadworX website:

Main Trunk Lines: Collected Railway Poems by Michael O'Leary

http://headworx.eyesis.co.nz/poetry/maintrunklines

Lonely Earth by MaryJane Thomson

http://headworx.eyesis.co.nz/poetry/lonelyearth

 

ESAW Christmas Surprise 2014 released

The latest ESAW Christmas Surprise 2014  has been released by Earl of Seacliff Art Workshop, in conjunction with my press HeadworX and the Poetry Archive of NZ Aotearoa (PANZA).

The booklet includes some of my poems along with works by Michael O'Leary, Rowan Gibbs, Harry W. Emmet, and F. W. Nielsen Wright.

A small token of appreciation for our friends and clients at Christmas time.

Click on the link to view the free ebook and download it:

/books/esaw-christmas-surprise-2014