Blog

This is Mark's blog.

Mark Pirie included in More than a Roof, a housing anthology

In November I was included in a special volume of poetry and prose relating to the subject of housing in New Zealand. The book is published by the Landing Press team in Wellington. They received 450 poems for it and I was lucky to have a poem included. Here is some info about it from their website:

“More than a roof is about housing.

It’s about nostalgia, anger, contentment, longing, fear and much more. It brings together voices from across the spectrum – from those with no homes, those in emergency accommodation, in caravans, in cars, on boats, in rentals, or in their own houses.

Drawing together well-known writers and first-time poets, it’s a unique and timely collection.”

Weblink: https://www.landingpressnz.com/.

Recommended to check out at your local bookstore or order online.

I attended the launch at St Peter’s Church in Willis Street, Saturday 20 November 2021.

ESAW publishes Mark Pirie’s Bono Mato Poeia rock poems and drawings

In July 2021, my new collection of rock and roll poems and drawings, Bono Mato Poeia, was published by Earl of Seacliff Art Workshop.

It presents new poems on rock written since my previous music collection Electrimotive in 2018.

Artists included: Lauryn Hill, Leonard Cohen, Ryan Adams, songwriter Jimmy Webb, Van Halen, Jim Morrison, Mark Knopfler, Billy Joel, Ronnie Van Zant, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, David Bowie and more.

It also includes some B&W line drawings of Sammy Hagar, Leonard Cohen, Bono (cover), Bob Dylan, and Anthony Kiedis previously featured in my artbook Folk Punk.

This will be my final mini book in the ESAW Mini Series (being No. 42) which ESAW publisher Michael O'Leary intends to end at No. 50.

HeadworX publishes Mark Pirie’s Cricket Poems

In June 2021, my publishing company HeadworX released Slips: Cricket Poems in paperback and hardback.

The book contains 145 pages of my poetry on cricket written from 1994-2021. It captures many moments in cricket history including the ICC World Test Championship Final in England as well as the more social aspects of the game and imaginary fictions like Outer Space Cricket.

Slips includes a nice foreword written by The Cricket Society’s News Bulletin editor John Symons, also a MCC Cricket Book of the Year Judge. John writes that: “Our summer game is fortunate to have found such a good and talented friend and chronicler in Mark Pirie.”

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

Slips: Cricket Poems by Mark Pirie

https://headworx.co.nz/poetry/slips

Mark Pirie featured in Flapper Press Poetry Cafe USA

In early 2021, four of my poems and a mini interview was featured in the Flapper Press online Poetry Café.

The article was contributed by the North American poet Annie Newcomer, of Kansas, by invitation.

It was nice to receive the coverage for my poetry in America.

Here is the link:

Flapper Press Poetry Cafe: Mark Pirie