Iona Winter

Category: NZ Books

• A Counter of Moons CLNZ/NZSA Writers’ Award creative writing Flash Frontier grief NZ Books Reuben Samuel Winter social issues suicide bereavement women writers

  ‘Keep the kōrero open’ book interview

  Recently, I had the privilege to speak with friend and writerly colleague Michelle Elvy at Flash Frontier, about A Counter of Moons (interview link below). https://flashfrontier.com/keep-the-korero-open-iona-winter-talks-with-michelle-elvy-about-her-new-book-a-counter-of-moons-artwork-by-kirstie-mckinnon/ Responding to interviews about this book, while welcomed, hasn’t been easy. A Counter of Moons is the most vulnerable kind of writing I’ve done,…

  August 11, 2025
• A Counter of Moons grief New Zealand NZ Books suicide bereavement

  Companionship in the Hard Places

  Last week at the New Moon, good friend, poet and artist, Kirstie McKinnon had a chat with me about A Counter of Moons (link below). We shared a gorgeous heart-centred conversation about the book, suicide bereavement and its complexities, the coexistence of pain and love, and the importance of breaking…

  July 29, 2025
• A Counter of Moons grief mental health NZ Books poetry suicide bereavement

  A Counter of Moons interview and a new poem

  Heartfelt thanks to Robin Barratt at Poetry for Mental Health (UK) https://www.poetryformentalhealth.org/interview-with-iona-winter In this interview I speak about mental health and my journey with it, including the body of work I’ve done since Reuben took his life. Alongside this, Robin has also published a new poem The sound of raupō…

  July 20, 2025
• A Counter of Moons book reviews grief love NZ Books suicide bereavement

  A Counter of Moons (Art)

  Last week I had a long kōrero (conversation) with my good friend Kirstie McKinnon about A Counter of Moons. In a couple of weeks, she’ll be interviewing me about the book too. Kirstie is a phenomenally talented writer, a loving friend, and also an intuitive and conscious painter. To read…

  July 10, 2025
• A Counter of Moons grief In the shape of his hand lay a river love New Zealand Non-fiction NZ Books poetry Reuben Samuel Winter suicide suicide bereavement women writers

  The book(s)

  Kā mihi aroha ki a koutou, my loving thanks to everyone who has purchased and begun reading A Counter of Moons. In case you missed it, A Counter of Moons is available via Steele Roberts Aotearoa https://steeleroberts.co.nz/product/a-counter-of-moons/ or your local bookshop should have them in stock by now. The feedback…

  July 3, 2025
• A Counter of Moons CLNZ/NZSA Writers’ Award grief loss love New Zealand Literature Non-fiction NZ Books Reuben Samuel Winter Steele Roberts Aotearoa suicide suicide bereavement

  New Book: A Counter of Moons

  Kia ora friends, whānau and writerly colleagues. Today’s news is that my new book A Counter of Moons has been printed and published with Steele Roberts Aotearoa. A Counter of Moons shares my initial grief experiences, after my son Reuben Winter took his life in 2020. Each chapter explores a…

  June 11, 2025
• book reviews grief In the shape of his hand lay a river New Zealand Literature NZ Books poetry

  Book Review

  “In the shape of his hand lay a river is an essential work of poetry for the mournful and benevolent alike.” Siobhan Harvey I’m delighted to share a new review of In the shape of his hand lay a river, by Siobhan Harvey via Landfall Review Online. Siobhan is a poet,…

  February 7, 2025
• a liminal gathering Elixir & Star Press grief multimedia New Zealand New Zealand Literature NZ Books

  Book Anniversary!

  This time last year, with the help of many wonderful people, I launched a liminal gathering in Dunedin and Auckland. I’m proud of the reach this book has received (from New Zealand as far as the UK) for people who were seeking a collection of creative work that spoke to…

  November 22, 2024
• book reviews Elixir & Star Press grief In the shape of his hand lay a river New Zealand Poetry Shelf NZ Books poetry suicide bereavement

  Audio and Review

  Yesterday, Paula Green at NZ Poetry Shelf, posted a deeply moving review about In the shape of his hand lay a river. My gratitude to Paula for the review, and also for asking me to read three poems from the collection, that you can listen to via the link below.…

  May 30, 2024
• Elixir & Star Press grief NZ Books poetry suicide bereavement

  Book Launch Invitation

  March 18, 2024