The Republic of Oma Rāpeti Press is proud to announce the first of a new series of poetry anthologies to complement the on-going publication of Catalyst.
Inspired by the legendary Penguin Modern Poets series, the Republic of Poets will be a showcase of three emerging New Zealand poets, allowing a broader sample of poets' work to be presented beyond the limits of even a 'feature' slot in Catalyst.
We've been working on this idea for a while and it's now time to let the ol' cat out of the bag. Volume One of Republic of Poets is subtitled: 'Pioneers' and features three poets who have been something of latter day pioneers in the renaissance of performance poetry in Christchurch (and is a nicer way of referring to our inaugural feature poets than 'guinea pigs'). Republic of Poets Volume One 'Pioneers' features the work of Ben Brown, Andy Coyle and Doc Drumheller.
It's been a labour of love for Oma Rāpeti and we're pretty proud of the resulting book which has been partly funded by Creative Communites Christchurch City.
The book is being launched with a short tour of the upper South Island by the impressive live show of the three poets. Below is the media release - feel free to spread the word and if you can't make it to see the show, write to us to buy your very own copy.
The Republic is Coming - Long Live the Republic!
Christchurch poets
Ben Brown, Andy Coyle, and Doc Drumheller will raise the flag of a new republic
with poems and songs when they launch a combined collection of poetry and other
writings in June.
The three poets are
part of the crew that performs regularly at the legendary Catalyst Open Mic,
and Catalyst Road Shows and they will be performing their poems and music at
the following events:
Wunderbar Lyttelton, Thursday 12th June
Dharma Bums Club Blenheim, Saturday 14th June
Mussel Inn Golden Bay, Sunday 15th June
The Free House Nelson, Monday 16thJune
The Republic of Oma
Rāpeti Press publishes Catalyst literary arts journal, founded by Drumheller in
2003. The press will publish the new anthology from the three poets as part of
their new ‘Republic’ venture. The
on-going project will produce a high quality literary anthology of three New Zealand poets each year.
Republic of Poets Volume 1: Pioneers, is funded by Christchurch City Creative Communities.
“The project is
inspired by the Penguin Poets series of the past”, explains Doc
Drumheller.
“The launch in Golden Bay and Nelson of this initial
collection will be the Republic’s first venture and will be complete with a
flag, constitution, and national anthem! You won’t want to miss it!
“We have a continuing interest in experimental and
non-traditional forms of poetry and writing often neglected in literary
journals,” says Doc.
“As such you will find song lyrics,
script/screenplay excerpts, spoken word, rap and performance texts, visual
poetry, graffiti, artwork and
design included in the pages of Catalyst and in our live performances.”
Each poet brings
to the performance their own particular take on the literary world. All three
are established writers and performers in their own right who have earned
various awards and have chalked up many accomplishments throughout their
careers.
Such has been
their skill and enthusiasm for their writing and poetry craft, that they have
earned themselves some status as pioneers in the field
of performance poetry in Christchurch and have established themselves on a
national and international level.
Ben Brown (Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Mahuta) was born in Motueka in 1962. He is a
writer, poet and performer. Since 1992 he has published numerous children's
books, short stories for children and adults, poetry and non-fiction, and is an
occasional contributor to Mana Magazine who have also featured him. He tours
and performs regularly around the country. In 2006 he won best picture book
with the artist/illustrator Helen Taylor in the New Zealand Post Book Awards
for Children and Young Adults. In 2011 he was the Maori Writer in Residence at
the Michael King Writer's Centre. He was also writer in residence at Hagley
College, Christchurch, in 2009. He has read and performed at the Auckland
Writers Festival (2010), the APRA Music Awards (2011) the Christchurch Writers
Festival (2006, 2012), the Kaikoura Roots Festival (2012) the Christchurch Arts
Festival (2009, 2013) and the Nelson Arts Festival (2011). He lives and works
in Lyttelton.
‘Ben Brown is a
distinctive original voice’ – Apirana Taylor. See also: http://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/writers/brownben/html
Andy Coyle is a performance poet based in Canterbury, NZ. In 2011
he represented Christchurch in the NZ Poetry Slam finals. He is a regular
contributor to the Catalyst Open Mic Night, The Catalyst Literary Journal, and
the Catalyst Road Show. Career highlights include, a ten date tour of New
Zealand in 2010; writing and performing an epic poem set in Christchurch
accompanied by a 7 piece progressive jazz/rock ensemble for the Dunedin Fringe and
the Wellington Jazz Festival in 2006; a short story filmed; a play performed; a
poem painted as a mural in the seaside suburb of New Brighton and festival
appearances in the Wanaka ‘Outspoken Festival’, the Lyttelton Summer Festival,
and the Newtown Street Festival.
Doc Drumheller: was born in Charleston, South
Carolina and has lived in New Zealand for more than half his life. He has
worked in award winning groups for theatre and music and has published ten
collections of poetry. In 2007 he participated in the 12th Havana
International Poetry Festival, where he was asked to represent New Zealand on
the International Board of Poets in Defence of Humanity.
In 2009
he participated in the 5th
World Haiku Association Conference and The
Druskininkai Poetic Fall in Lithuania, where he became the New Zealand
Ambassador to the Republic of Užupis. In 2010 he participated in the World
Haiku Festival Pécs, Hungary and won first prize in the ginko haiku writing
competition.
In
2011 he travelled to India where his book ‘In Transit’, 100 haiku in 11
languages, was published. He performed poetry and music at the Cyberwit office
in Allahabad and at the Sahitya Akademi in New Delhi and then went on to
represent New Zealand at the 2nd Tokyo International Poetry Festival
and 6th World Haiku Association Conference in Japan.
In
2013 he performed in Sofia, Bulgaria with the Bulgarian Rock Band, La Text
launching a feature of Bulgarian poets in Catalyst Volume 10 and Contemporary
New Zealand Poets published in Sofia’s Literary Newspaper. He represented New Zealand at the 7th
International Haiku Festival Constanta, 2013 Romania. He won 1st
prize for the festival haiku writing contest, 2nd prize in the
festival anthology contest and was awarded a diploma for excellence in haiku, from
the Constanta Haiku Society.
He
lives in Oxford, where he edits and publishes the literary journal Catalyst and teaches creative writing at
the School for Young Writers.
