Joanna Preston: Tasmanaut Poet, Editor and Creative Writing Tutor
At last, I'm allowed to tell people. I won the inaugural Kathleen Grattan Award for Poetry! I actually found out about it a week ago, but was sworn to secrecy (with words like "embargoed" and "trappist") until the official announcement was made on Radio National yesterday afternoon. I still can't quite believe it. Joy, delight, …
Continue reading "Jubilation, joy and undeserved good fortune"
Back from the launch of Before the Sirocco in Wellington. It was a good night – heaps of people turned up, and included a large junior contingent from Christchurch. (Well done everyone!) Met lots of people who's names and poems I've been familiar with for the last few years, and generally had a ball. …
November is National Novel Writing Month. The idea is simple – you have from November 1st to November 30th to write a 50,000 word novel from scratch. Straight through. Why do something like this? Or, as their FAQ puts it: If I'm just writing 50,000 words of crap, why bother? Why not just write a …
Yesterday I said goodbye to a poetry group that I've been a member of for the best part of ten years. And I do mean the best part – these guys have taught me so much, seen me through so many writing phases and stumbles and growth spurts and dry spells ... they were my …
Well it's finally done: the 2008 NZPS anthology Before the Sirocco is now officially out of my hands. I've even submitted my expenses claim. It's been an interesting task. Certainly much easier this time around – you always forget just how much donkey-work there is. Things like checking names and addresses, entering data onto lists. Printing. Posting. …
A Dark Feathered Art 