Iona Winter

Last month I was invited back to Ōtepoti Dunedin, to participate in National Poetry Day, and to celebrate 10 years since Dunedin was made a UNESCO City of Literature. It was a packed-full event, with two hours of poetry readings from Dunedin writers (past and present), interspersed with collaborative music and dance responding to the poems; keeping us on the edge of our seats.

Eliana Gray and I collaborated on an epic poem From Hills to Harbour, crafting individual stanza via email and geographical distance, which I’d do again in a heartbeat! It was a total pleasure to read our poem together. And I came back home to the West Coast with a printed copy (to pin on the wall) of Ara Toi from my recent collection In the shape of his hand lay a river.

The culmination of the night was the presentation of Perch to Nicky Page, Director of the City of Literature. Nicky is a fantastic human being who has worked tirelessly, for the past decade, promoting work by Dunedin writers. Inside Perch are poems from the event.

I’m looking forward to my return to Ōtepoti Dunedin next week, for the New Zealand Young Writers Festival https://youngwritersfest.nz/2024-programme/ who are also celebrating 10 years. You may be wondering why on earth an ancient crone like myself is attending a young person’s festival? Let’s just say it’s in the role of an aunty on a few panel discussions!