News

2022

Learning to love Blue is reviewed at What Book Next? 19th August

Read a Q&A with me from Woman Magazine, 19th August

My latest book – and first ever self-published title – won the Young Adult category of the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults! 10th August

I was interviewed by Kaiapoi High School students in this video put together by Waimakariri Libraries, 9th August

‘Learning to love Blue’ is (amazingly!) a finalist in the NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, 2nd June

2021

‘Learning to love Blue’ was reviewed at Hooked on NZ Books He Ao Ano, 6th October

The Sapling published a co-interview with me and fellow YA author Gareth Ward, 27th September

I am honoured and delighted to be a judge for the poetry category of the 2022 Ockham NZ Book Awards, announced 26th August

My new YA novel ‘Learning to love Blue‘, (Record Press) is now available as ebook and paperback, 1st August

‘Learning to love Blue’, the sequel to ‘Lonesome when you go’, made the longlist of the Michael Gifkins Prize, 15th June

My review of A Clear Dawn: New Asian Voices from Aotearoa New Zealand was published in both Canvas magazine and at the Academy of New Zealand Literature, 19th May

My review of Nina Mingya Powles’ Magnolia 木蘭 was published at the Academy of New Zealand Literature, 16th April

2020

I read my poem March 20th on Radio New Zealand Afternoons, 31st March

Photos of the Sky was reviewed by Emma Shi in the Poetry New Zealand Yearbook 2020 (Massey University Press), 12th March

I was featured as one of 5 Talented Writers From Around The World at Wiki.ezvid.com, 30th January

2019

I was invited to contribute to Poetry Shelf’s Friday Talk Spot, where I discussed Teaching Poetry, 21st June

I had a wonderful time reading from Photos of the Sky at Brunswick Bound, with Kate Richards and Sonia Orchard, 3rd May

A Q&A with Brunswick Bound, 5th April

I launched a Youtube channel with readings from Photos of the Sky! 23rd January

My essay ‘What I learnt from living with men’ was published in Femagogy, 15th January

2018

A recording of ‘Snapshot’ from Photos of the Sky is up at Paula Green’s NZ Poetry Shelf, 22nd November

Photos of the Sky was reviewed by Sarah Lin Wilson at The Reader, 20th November

I read from my latest collection, Photos of the Sky, at Volume in Nelson, 9th November

I thoroughly enjoyed this lunchtime reading at Unity Books, Wellington with Nicola Easthope, 7th November

My third collection of poetry, Photos of the Sky was launched by Tim Jones and The Cuba Press  at Thistle Inn, Wellington 5th November

I was interviewed by Unity Books, Wellington about all sorts marvellous literary things, 30th October

My poem ‘Confession, Confessed’ from Photos of the Sky was featured on Tim Jones’ blog Books in the Trees, 21st October

I was asked to contribute my top 5 stories that shaped the literary world to BBC culture’s top 100, 22nd May

2017

I reviewed two YA novels for The Sapling, 13th November

I ran a poetry workshop through the Melbourne Writers’ Social Group, 3rd October

A piece of writing advice from me will be included in the 2018 Pilot: A Diary for Writers. Available from 25th September

My prose poems The Books of Clouds (from Wit of the Staircase) and Yard Duty will be published in forthcoming anthology Bonsai: The Big Book of Small Stories. Announced 3rd September

My poems ‘(sub)Liminal’ and ‘To the day’ will be published in the forthcoming Women Who Write Melbourne Anthology, A New Beginning.  

I read at the launch of The Melbourne Social Writers’ Group Anthology, The Ties that Bind (which I also helped edit), 22 July

Darebin Libraries featured me in an ‘in conversation with’ article, 11 April

I was part of Cementa 17 Arts Festival in Kandos NSW, reading poetry with Derek Motion and Tanya Thaweeskulchai, 9 April.

Lonesome When You Go spent a week on a rock and roll tour around some of NZ’s top children’s book blogs:

I performed poetry at Melbourne University as part of the Cultural Diversity Week program, 22 March.

In an exciting and unexpected plot twist, Lonesome When You Go was named a Storylines Notable Book 2017! 15 March (with an award ceremony in Auckland, 2nd April)

2016

My story ‘Home Base’ was Episode 11 of the 52 Men Podcast, 19 December.

I was invited to read as “opening act” for Graeme Simsion’s event, promoting his new book The Best of Adam Sharp, 7 December.

My review of two teen novels was published in The Spinoff, 17 August.

I was interviewed on Radio NZ about Lonesome When You Go, 15 August.

Lonesome When You Go was launched rock and roll style at Meow in Wellington, 10 July.

I was invited to be a member of the Academy of New Zealand Literature

2015

I attended and read at the New Zealand Poetry Society Conference at the National Library of New Zealand, 13-15 November

2014

I attended and was part of the final panel discussion at the Truth or Beauty: Poetry and Biography Conference at Victoria University, 26th – 28th November.

I had the great privilege of reading with Harry Ricketts  at the Nelson Arts Festival event at Woollaston Estates Vineyard, 27th October.

I was the guest poet at the NZPS Poet’s Corner monthly event at the Thistle Inn,  19th May.

I was the guest poet at Golden Bay Live Poets hosted by The Mussel Inn, Onekaka, 17th April.

Nelson Live Poets hosted me as the guest poet for April at The Freehouse, Nelson.

I was featured in The Nelson Mail, 16th April.

2013

My poem The First Farewell was published in Cordite Poetry Review.

Porirua poets invited me to read as guest poet at Poetry and Music at the Metro , 1st December.

I read with Mark Pirie and Zarah Butcher-McGunnigle at the Kiwi Art House Gallery in Wellington, 18th September.

My second collection Tear Water Tea was launched at both the Nelson Provincial Museum and Quilters Bookstore in Wellington, August 21st & 30th.

I was interviewed by Tim Jones about my second collection of poetry, Tear Water Tea.

2012

My poem At Midland Park was part of the Eat Your Words: Wellington Cafe Poems competition and publication.

I received funding from Creative New Zealand to complete my second collection of poetry.

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