New poetry by Oscar Upperton. Cross dresser I am a pious woman. I watch as the men leave for war. I rake the garden over with my hands. War visits on the roof of the church. She sits like a great owl, hooting. I turn my face away. I pray, Lord I pray. … Read more
The only published and available best-selling book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 best-seller list recorded every week at at Unity Books’ stores in Willis St, Wellington and High St, Auckland. WELLINGTON UNITY 1 Normal People by Sally Rooney (Faber, $33) Let’s all go round to Leah McFall’s house and force her to … Read more
Ashleigh Young talks about her feelings as she steps into her new role as poetry editor at The Spinoff Review of Books. Last week I read some poems from Gregory Kan’s poetry collection Under Glass (forthcoming in March with Auckland University Press). I tried to describe them to a friend, and said, “They’re amazing” in about … Read more
All week this week we present the 20 best books of the year. Today: the 20 best collections of poetry. Poūkahangatus by Tayi Tibble (Victoria University Press, $30) The best book of poetry published in New Zealand in 2018. Tibble’s debut collection is agile, daring, compelling. The poems draw whānau close and the women who matter … Read more
New poetry by Thames writer Bob Orr. Hawaiki My first university the freezing works at Horotiu – my first professor a tohunga in white overalls and gumboots who worked on the boning floor. One evening drinking beer as the setting sun was turning the Waikato River red … Read more
Only 17 shopping days till Xmas, for God’s sake! Find what you’re looking for by perusing the week’s bestselling books at the Unity stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND UNITY 1 Upcycling With Style by Sarah Heeringa (New Holland, $40) Publisher’s blurbology: “Reclaim unloved objects and improve your home and garden with this inspiring … Read more
New Zealand literature! What is it, who reads it, and why does it exist? Some or none or all of these questions are about to be answered in the third annual Spinoff Review of Books literary awards. Some say 2018 will go down in history as the year between 2017 and 2019, but it’s too early … Read more
New poetry by Auckland writer Steven Toussaint. Yes or No Are you happy with your service provider? Have you contemplated private piety’s competitive prices? Are you in the market for something like but not precisely eternal return? Have you been waiting long in our baffled room? … Read more
New verse by Pt Chevalier writer Jenny Blood. My mother My mother kept eleven glasses of water Beside her bed She would only eat bananas and tinned mandarins Her room stank She said they were trying To kill her I don’t blame them Jenny Blood, 2018 The Spinoff Review of Books is … Read more
Book of the Week: In which Spinoff Review of Books literary editor Steve Braunias commissions Murray Edmond to review an anthology of New Zealand poetry – first appearing on the Spinoff Review of Books – published by Steve Braunias The cover of The Friday Poem: 100 New Zealand Poems is a photo of someone riding a bike … Read more
New verse by Dunedin writer Vincent O’Sullivan. After Lucy Tinakori’s Famous Party I love it that poetry now so possesses the world it is not possible to play ‘pin the tail’ at a children’s party without every child being the winner wherever the tail’s pinned. Space is guaranteed compliant the way thumb’s fumbling’s inevitably … Read more
New verse by Kirikiriroa writer essa may ranapiri. what the poem isn’t allowed to do the poem isn’t allowed to say abolish the police abolish the police abolish the police return their uniforms to the dirt and their sirens to the odyssey tie a leash to a grenade and send it off teach it how … Read more
The star of Wellington’s awesome LitCrawl event this weekend is poet Kaveh Akbar, who has a great haircut. Iranian-American poet Kaveh Akbar will perform at Wellington’s annual LitCrawl event this weekend, and so will his haircut. Many say he has the best haircut in world literature. The evidence certainly strongly supports these claims. He is … Read more
New verse by Auckland writer Ian Wedde. from Ode to Auckland When the weather warms up I swim in the murky Waitemata in the upper basin at the bottom of Hamilton Road. Sometimes my friend Jonathan is there, he’s a composer and swims about in a leisurely fashion shifting his rhythm from time … Read more
New verse by Auckland writer Murray Edmond. A new song of allegiance (apologies to R.A.K. Mason) Curnow Glover Brasch have fled (Stead’s still trying to get in bed) Manhire is my kind of guy It’s hard to say exactly why I bunked with Hunt now he’s drunk Come on mate don’t … Read more
New verse by Auckland writer Courtney Sina Meredith. 1 1 x mother 1 x ‘father’ 1 x shooting star Courtney Sina Meredith, 2018 The Spinoff Review of Books is proudly brought to you by Unity Books.
New verse by Wellington writer Chris Tse. Release Not before I stir you from your sleep, and ask whether this is the last time I’ll see you before you hop that plane for Sydney. We’ll hold each other, cheek to cheek, when we both hear the answer. Not before you slip on your trousers, hunt … Read more
New verse by Featherston writer Sam Duckor-Jones. People from the Pit Stand Up by Sam Duckor-Jones (Victoria University Press, $30) is available at Unity Books.
New verse by Christchurch writer Jeffrey Paparoa Holman. Kei te whakaako au i taku kurī/I am teaching my dog Māori I am teaching my dog Māori. Nobody will object outside the supermarket when I tie Tiaki to the bike stand and bark, “E noho!” tenderly. “Enoho, what a lovely name!” … Read more
The dear old Book Council has released its annual survey of New Zealand reading habits, and claims that on average we read 35 books a year. Thirty-five! Danyl Mclauchlan asks what the devil is going on. What do other people read? I wonder about this all the time. If I see someone reading a book on … Read more
New verse by Auckland writer Tusiata Avia, who will appear at the Christchurch WORD Festival this weekend. Some notes for critics 1. Yeah, sometimes my poems are dark 2-5. Get over it 6. Maybe life 7. I could write about landscape but it fucken bores me 8. Monet drews … Read more
It’s Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day! All week this week we’ve presented new verse on the delicate subject of fucking; today, we present a poem of much greater significance and importance, by Michael Hall of Dunedin. Constructive Criticism Awww come on ref The guy’s clearly offside Aww come on ref That’s not a penalty Aww … Read more
All week this week we present new verse, to celebrate National Poetry Day on Friday. Today’s poet: Tracey Slaughter of Thames. breather 1. * The only thing left of god by then was the key to a hotel room. Is it worth saying the room was turquoise & smelt like us coming in an … Read more
All week this week we present new verse, to celebrate Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day on Friday. Today’s poet: Sam Hunt of Kaipara. The further you look ‘The further you look the less you see’ she said as she smiled & went down on me. She talked of her marriage a contract … Read more
All week this week we present new verse, to celebrate National Poetry Day on Friday. Today’s poet: Tayi Tibble of Kelburn. Assimilation they consider themselves to be a modern couple they take turns giving and receiving oral they split the bills evenly and they share the chores but when he … Read more
All week this week we present new verse, to celebrate National Poetry Day on Friday. Today’s poet: Paula Harris of Palmerston North. if I were a queen, I would start wars out of sexual frustration I wouldn’t be a virgin queen – obviously – but I would be known to become incredibly tetchy … Read more
New verse by Scottish poet Robin Robertson, who will appear at the Christchurch WORD literary festival and at LitCrawl in Wellington. Beside Loch Iffrin for Catherine Lockerbie Late January, and the oak still green, the year already wrong. The season miscarried – the lambs in the field, and the blossom blown – the … Read more
New verse by Wellington writer Helen Heath. That’s it We kiss goodbye in the morning – a peck on the cheek and that’s it. Then the phone call, like a bad movie. The next time I kiss you goodbye you are cold and still, and that’s it. Afterwards it’s mostly paperwork – the … Read more
New verse by Auckland writer Carin Smeaton. Our Lady every noon moses calls to our lady of the rosary she jus ‘round the corner eyes always 2 her heart that gurl ‘cept for the time she set the methodist church on fire feeding it all the dreams she ever held bright & o … Read more