11 October 2016

Notes From A Reading: Dunedin


Harvey Molloy and I were both in Dunedin for a Coal Action Network Aotearoa hui this past weekend, and we took the opportunity (with the very much appreciated help of Mākaro Press, Dunedin Public Libraries and University Book Shop Otago) to have a joint poetry reading, with Bruce from the University Bookshop selling our two latest collections:

Here are some photos from the launch, used here with the kind permission of photographer James Dignan.

Harvey Molloy at the lectern

"I was sure there was a poem in here somewhere!"

Using my inside voice


So how did the reading go? Very well. 12 noon on a Sunday is a weird time for a poetry reading, but it was the only time both of us were available that didn't clash with Dunedin Arts Festival events. So we were very pleased that around 20 people turned up, and that, after Harvey and I finished reading, we had an open mike session of amazing quality - Carolyn McCurdie, Sue Wootton, James Dignan and Linzy Forbes were the open mike readers.

The whole reading had a really nice feel to it: warm, open and inclusive. Plenty of books were bought and signed, and all in all, it was a great time. I hope to get down to Dunedin again - to read, and to visit all my lovely friends there - next year.

NEXT WEEK: I've been reading and enjoying P. S. Cottier's new chapbook Quick Bright Things: Poems of fantasy and myth, and I'll be posting a poem from that - I enjoyed the whole collection, but this one stood out to me.

4 comments:

Harvey Molloy said...

Thanks for the report which I've linked to in my blog. Thanks for being the MC on the day.

Tim Jones said...

No problems! Apart from Taylor Swift's lawyers descending from the rafters when I said "This sick beat", I thought my time on the wheels of steel went pretty well. Hope you had a good trip back!

Kay Cooke said...

Glad it went well Tim. Hope to get to see you next visit. A bit far from Berlin this time round!

Tim Jones said...

Thanks, Kay. I hope Berlin is treating you well!