Poetry Snaps

We're back baby! Aotearoa's poetry scene is thriving, and Poetry Snaps is back with more yarns and a brand-spankin' new host!

Jamie Trower started writing as a way to help him recover from a skiing accident he had as a child. Since then, he’s published a number of poetry collections, established his career as a magazine writer, and started his own publishing house: Birdboy Press. This week on Poetry Snaps we talk about how we can create worlds with words when we are faced with isolation. We dive into the experience of rejection, and explore the reasons why everyone loves drama class in high school.

Ruby is a poet, storyteller, creative facilitator and current student of law. In this episode we talk about her work with Te Kāhui, a youth arts programme promoting storytelling in communities and corrections. We also explore the way Pasifika poets have influenced her writing, and the deeply flawed nature of a “hierarchy” of needs.

Ōtautahi based poet and Classics nerd, Claudia Jardine, zooms into the studio via the internet in this episode. In the build-up to the release of her first full-length poetry collection, BITER, we talk about IUDs, pelicans, and the caveats of translating ancient love poems.

As part of Auckland Pride, Sarah and Dan hosted an evening at Movespace where queer poets explored the theme of sex in their poetry. The episode was recorded live in front of an audience, and began with a panel discussion. Then each poet showcased their take on the topic of "queer sex" - whatever that might mean to them.