brief

The other New Zealand literary journal

Year: 2017

Launch: Carin Smeaton, Tales of the Waihorotiu

Book launch for Tales of the WaihorotiuTales of the Waihorotiu (Titus Books, 2018)

The Waihorotiu Stream ‘Queen Street River’ used to run down the centre of Auckland’s main road before it was first turned into a canal, and then later diverted into a sewer, where it now flows beneath Queen street.
The Tales of the Waihorotiu tell the story of another Auckland, one that lives beside and underneath capital investment and economic growth. It captures the hardships and humour of people who are forced to navigate WINZ case managers, homelessness, violence and ill-health.

The evening will also celebrate the release of Vaughan Rapatahana’s latest book, ternion.

Who: Carin Smeaton, Vaughan Rapatahana. Murray Edmond, Laurice Gilbert, Rata Gordon, Jiaquio Rosalie Liu, Alexandra Fraser
When: Wednesday 11 October, 6.pm
Where: St Heliers Community Library, 32 St Heliers Bay Rd, Auckland.

 “These poems are full of Ulysses-like cartographic wanderings through the byways of inner-city Auckland, creating purely localised, truly New Zealand fairytales..” — Vivienne Plumb

National Poetry Day Events

Events featuring brief writers on or around National Poetry Day 2017 include:

National Poetry Day 2017The Divine Muses XIV Poetry Reading (Auckland)

The Divine Muses will bring together a mix of emerging and established poets to celebrate National Poetry Day 2017. Free event.

Who: Michael Giacon, C. K. Stead, Simone Kaho, Paula Green, Vana Manasiadis and Siobhan Harvey. Annual Emerging Poets Competition  judged by Maris O’Rourke.
When:
Friday 25 August, 6.30pm – 8.00pm
Where: St Paul Gallery, St Paul Street, Auckland CBD

Waiheke Poetry Love Jam (Auckland)

Waiheke Song and Poetry Thing proudly presents a Love Jam 2017. $20 waged, $10 unwaged.

Who: Rata Gordon, Sophia Johnson, Sue Fitchett, Michelle Chote and others.
When: Saturday 26th August, 6.30-8.30pm
Where: Waiheke Library, 133/131 Oceanview Rd, Oneroa, Waiheke Island

Reservations recommended, contact Kathyvoyles@gmail.com

Kings Theatre Creative Poetry (Northland)

Poets from Fast Fibres Poetry 4 and open mic. Entry $5.

Who: Piet Nieuwland, Olivia Macassey, Aaron Robertson, and many others.
When: Sunday 27 August 1.30pm – 4.00pm
Where: Kings Theatre, 80 Gillies Street, Kawakawa

Where the Wild Words Are (Wellington)

Poets from Mākaro Press. Free entry.

Who: Mary Cresswell, Harvey Molloy, Lindsay Pope, Janis Freegard, Tim Jones, Maggie Rainey-Smith, Keith Westwater, Pete Carter, Peter Stuart, Robyn Cooper, Helen Rickerby, Julie Hanify, Peter Rawnsley, Robin Peace, John Howell
When: Friday 25 August, 1.00pm-3.00pm
Where: Wellington Central Library, Victoria Street, Wellington.

Manifesto Aotearoa Poetry (Wellington)

Poets reading from Manifesto Aotearoa: 101 Political Poems edited by Philip Temple & Emma Neale. Free entry.

Who: Nick Ascroft, Mary Cresswell, Anahera Gildea, Liang Yujing, Keith Westwater.
When: Friday 25th August, 12.00-1.00pm
Where: Unity Books Wellington, 57 Willis Street, Wellington

Best New Zealand Poems (Wellington)

Poets from IIML Best NZ Poems. Free entry.

Who:
Nick Ascroft, James Brown, John Dennison, Adrienne Jansen, Bill Manhire, Bill Nelson, Claire Orchard, Kerrin P Sharpe, Oscar Upperton, Tim Upperton, Airini Beautrais, Marty Smith and Ashleigh Young.
When: Monday 21 August, 12.15-1.15pm
Where: Te Papa Marae, Te Papa, Wellington

The Perfect 10 (Dunedin)

Gala evening hosted by the Otago-Southland NZ Society of Authors. $5, booking essential, contact Kay Mercer library@dcc.govt.nz

Who: Victor Billot, David Howard, Peter Olds, Fiona Farrell, Liz Breslin, Sue Wootton, Jenny Powell, Kay Cooke,  Brian Turner, Jillian Sullivan. Bill Martin on Piano.
When: Friday 25th August, 5.30pm
Where: Dunningham Suite, Dunedin City Library, 230 Moray Place, Dunedin

Book launch: Ted Jenner, The Arrow That Missed

Book Launch for The Arrow That Missed (Cold Hub Press, 2017)

The Arrow That MissedWho: Author Ted Jenner. Introduction by Scott Hamilton.
When: Wednesday 16 August, 5.30 pm
Where: Auckland Central Public Library, Whare Whananga (Level 2), Auckland

New collection of poems and prose poems from the author of  The Gold Leaves and Writers in Residence and Other Captive Fauna.

“It is a labyrinthine house of language with many rooms that Jenner inhabits and what he finds there is never less than (ordinarily) surprising and provocative.”  Michael Harlow, Landfall 

Poetry reading, Auckland

Kanohi Ki Te Kanohi – Face to Face

Face to Face Poetry reading
Who: Bob Orr, Iain Britton, Ruby Porter, Makyla Curtis, Vaughan Rapatahana, Olivia Macassey, Selina Tusitala Marsh
When: Friday 11 August, 7-8.30 pm
Where: Time Out Bookstore, 432 Mt Eden Rd, Auckland.

 

 

Unique, original and incredibly gifted!

Book Launch: David Lyndon Brown, White City

Book launch for White City (Titus Books, 2017)

Who: Author David Lyndon Brown. Speakers include Olwyn Stewart, Tony O’Brien, Tim Leath
When: Thursday 27 July, 5.30 pm
Where: Albion Hotel – downstairs function room, 119 Hobson Street, Central Auckland.

White City by David Lyndon BrownWhite City is a collection of short stories set mostly in and around Auckland’s Albert Park.

 ‘No booze, no nothing for a week,’ I told her. ‘Just you and me and the good air and the sun and the sea.’

I can still see her curled up on that bed, the sound of the waves coming in through the window, peacefully sleeping like a little girl. We only lasted four days, but it was the best four days of my life.

Now Melissa’s fucked. We don’t get together so much. She’s too busy working the parlours for white.

“Brown treats his characters with clear-eyed generosity, but never condescension. They are often resourceful though lacking in resources, and tender, if tenuous, connections are made between characters that are not firmly connected to the mainstream grid.”

Poetry reading, Auckland

Lounge #54
illustration by Marc Conaco

Illustration by Marc Conaco

When: Wednesday  29 March, 5.30-7 pm
Where: Old Government House, cnr Princes St and Waterloo Quadrant, CBD, Auckland.
Who: Makyla Curtis, Chad Faries, Murray Edmond, Kelly Malone, Bob Orr, Ruby Porter, Blackfriars, Lisa Samuels, Frankie McMillan

Number 54 in a popular series of poetry readings hosted by the University of Auckland in the Old Government House lounge.

Conference and CFP: Poetry and the Essay

Conference: Poetry & the Essay

When: 6–8 December 2017 (Proposals due 17 July, 2017).
Where: Kelburn Campus, Victoria University of Wellington
Who: Organizers: Anna Jackson, Helen Rickerby, Angelina Sbroma. Confirmed keynote speakers include Jenny Bornholdt and Ian Rae.

“They forsake narrative line, discursive logic, and the art of persuasion in favor of idiosyncratic meditation.”
John D’Agata on the lyric essay.

“… some people might think it’s not poetry. Well …”
Jenny Bornholdt, from “Fitter Turner”

This three-day conference will bring together poets and scholars to explore the space where poetry intersects with the essay.

To view the call for papers please visit the conference website.

JNZL Special Issue: New Writing 1975-2000

NZJL special issue: new writingThe Journal of New Zealand Literature (JNZL) has a special issue which is likely to be of interest to brief readers.

Entitled New Writing 1975-2000 and edited by John Geraets, it contains essays by Owen Bullock, Wystan Curnow, Makyla Curtis, Murray Edmond, John Geraets, Roger Horrocks, Jack Ross, and Robert Sullivan.

For more details, visit the JNZL website.

“Talking queer, writing queer, seeing queer” literary festival panel, Auckland

Talking queer, writing queer, seeing queer

SameSame But Different LGBTQI festival panel. How do we think, how do we speak? How does a queer sensibility influence what to say, what to intimate, when to be blatant and when to be silent?

When: Saturday 18 February, 4-5pm
Where: AUT, Sir Paul Reeves Building, room WG126.
Who: Michael Giacon, David Herkt, Douglas Lloyd Jenkins, Urzila Carlson. Chaired by Peter Wells.

How do we think, how do we speak?

Full details and ticket prices are at the available here.

Also of note at the SameSame But Different festival: Michael Giacon will MC the Pride Poetry Speakeasy, Wednesday, 15 February, 5.30pm-7pm, (free entry). Leys Institute Library Courtyard, 20 St Mary’s Road, Three Lamps, Ponsonby.

Call for submissions: issue 56

“Passion is the rope kept taut between ourselves and Genius, the rope on which life, the tightrope walker, balances.”
Georgio Agamben [trans. Laurence Simmons], Profanations

The 56th issue of brief will be a general issue. Surprise yourself; surprise us!

brief unicornSubmissions are to be received by March 31, 2017, and can be emailed to brief.the.journal[at]gmail.com. Non-electronic submissions up to A4 in size can be mailed to the editor (Olivia Macassey) by prior arrangement.

View our submission guidelines here.

Brief, a biannual print journal (founded in 1995), is a space for new experimental writing, work that does something interesting, adventurous, challenging, or exploratory. Brief publishes poetry, prose, essays & criticism, hybrid forms, and occasionally visual art. Contributors receive an issue of the journal as payment.

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