Catalyst 2018 - the open mic returns plus special guest

Happy New Year and all that. We really mean it, though.

(Isn't it funny how a lack of exclamation marks these days seems to seriously denote a cynical/sarcastic tone. So now I feel I have to use 'em just to be normal...)

Happy New Year! We really mean it!

OK, enough of the formalities - the Catalyst Open Mic is kicking off for the year tonight with a special guest from the UK, by way of Wellington and currently hoboing around the country sharing his spoken word. Let us introduce RikTheMost. He's doing shows and workshops in Christchurch before heading off around the motu (island) this February. Check out the flyer below and his website for more stories...

Catalyst Poetry Open Mic
Wednesday 7th Feb, 7pm
Space Academy, 371 St Asaph St
koha for our guest please

Catalyst Crazy Pre-Christmas, Pre-Launch Book Sale!

Note: actual event may differ (wildly) from image.

Catalyst Open Mic + Pre-Launch Book Sale

Wednesday 1st November, 8pm (note later start time)

Space Academy, 371 St Asaph St

We're getting pretty close to launching volume 14 of Catalyst. Which means we're scrimping and saving every penny to get it over the line (and avoid the eye-rolling of our ever-patient and supportive printers). So to that end, we're bringing our annual December book sale forward a month to November.

Next open mic is coming up on Wednesday 1st November and we'll be selling all available issues of Catalyst, and other Republic of Oma Rāpeti Press publications, at our infamous, never-to-be-repeated prices.

This year we're also inviting our wonderful community of poets, writers, scribblers and friends to come along and donate books for sale towards the cause of fundraising for the next volume. Thank you to everyone who has already offered up books, we salute you!

Speaking of the next volume, issue number 14 will be launched on Thursday 23rd November at Space Academy. Stay tuned for further posts about this as Catalyst navigates into its awkward teens heroically unearthing literary lava in the twenty-first century.

Christchurch Poetry Slam 2017 - a new champion!

It was a full house at Space Academy for the 2017 Christchurch Slam. Every seat in the house and a fair few empty kegs pressed into service along with cushions and blankets on the floor as the enthusiastic crowd cheered on a smaller than usual field of poets - not that you'd notice from the intensity.

The audience judges had to use fingers and toes due to a certain MC's forgetfulness but this just added to the hilarity as scores and half-points were demonstrated in a variety of dextrous gestures. Names were drawn out of the teapot of glory by various audience members including former slammers. 2016 ChCh Slam Champ Ray Shipley gave a guest appearance before the final announcments to cap off a pretty thrilling and intense night of poetry.

In the end it came down to three in the final round, all new to the pressure of the final but all saving their best till last. No slam-off required this year after two in the previous two years, the new champ picked up a near perfect score including four 10's to take out the 2017 title. Without further ado:

2017 Christchurch Poetry Slam Champ
Daisy Speaks

Second Place: Isla Martin

Third Place: Josh Watson

Christchurch Poetry Slam 2017

Just reposting this (many thanks to Melanie McKerchar for once again making a pretty fantastic poster!)



The year rolls around so quick! The New Zealand Poetry Slam is on again in November, in Hamilton. So it's time to find Christchurch's champion to take on the unruly northerners.

Once again we're pleased to be hosting the Christchurch Poetry Slam at Space Academy.

Christchurch Poetry Slam
Thursday 12th October, 7pm registration, doors open.
Space Academy 371 St Asaph St
$10 entry (all proceeds towards travel for the winner to the national final)

Remember: to compete you must be available to travel to Hamilton for the 4th November.

For the official rules see here.

NZSA Canterbury - Free Writing Workshops This Week!

Pulled together by the New Zealand Society of Authors - Canterbury Branch, this Creative New Zealand-funded series of workshops are FREE! Don't miss out on the chance to work with some very fine NZ authors.

Full details are here: October Writing Workshops

Facebook event page

The Writers' Tea Party - Hurunui

A notice in support of this event, happening in Amberley and chaired by Bernadette Hall.

The event features performance/readings by Tusiata Avia, John Newton and Holly Ford. Entry is just $2 per person or $5 for a family including afternoon tea! Splendid!

Sunday 1 October, 2pm

Hurunui Memorial Library, Amberley

$2 entry or $5 family entry

 

Canterbury Poets Collective - Spring Season 2017

Catalyst Open Mic - Unfinished Business

Following on from successful 'Christmas' themed open mics and the original one-off 'Juvenilia' night, this year we've been having the occasional themed open mic. They're always optional so people don't have to play, especially if they weren't prepared for it. We've enjoyed 'Heroes', 'Erotica', and even 'The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul' (thanks Douglas Adams!)

Sometimes they are decided by the participants but October's theme came to me out of a moment of frustration. Unable to complete a half-baked poem, I wondered if I could read it anyway. It occurred to me that probably most people have unfinished works that may or may not see the light of day and this could be fun.

So here it is! 'Unfinished Busi-'

Catalyst Open Mic - Unfinished Business
Wednesday 4th October, 8pm
Space Academy, 371 St Asaph St
Note - later start time due to Canterbury Poets Collective

Christchurch Poetry Slam 2017

The year rolls around so quick! The New Zealand Poetry Slam is on again in November, in Hamilton. So it's time to find Christchurch's champion to take on the unruly northerners.

Once again we're pleased to be hosting the Christchurch Poetry Slam at Space Academy.

Christchurch Poetry Slam
Thursday 12th October, 7pm registration, doors open.
Space Academy 371 St Asaph St
$10 entry (all proceeds towards travel for the winner to the national final)

Remember: to compete you must be available to travel to Hamilton for the 4th November.

For the official rules see here.

Christchurch Poetry Slam 2017 - The Rules

Here are the official rules of the Christchurch Poetry Slam as per the NZ Poetry Slam.

Rules for NZ Poetry Slam

• 3 minutes or less with no minimum time (10 second grace period before points deduction)

• Time starts when poet speaks, however while poets can have time to settle and adjust microphone etc, this time is not limitless; ideally a poet should start before 10 seconds.

• Original (i.e. your own) poems only

• No props no music no costumes (i.e. clothing related to the content of your poem)

• In the case of a tie a slam-off will be required

• Random draw, for performance order.

 
Judging and scoring:

• 5 Audience Judges (chosen by MC and/or organiser) display score cards 0-10 (Decimal points allowed)

• Top and bottom scores drop off and total of remaining 3 scores is the total

• If Poet goes over grace period MC or Timekeeper to ask scorer to mark down points after the judges score… (Half a point penalty for every 10 seconds over time)

• After 4 minutes the MC can shut down the poet

• 'Sacrificial Poet' (non-competing) to start the night, to help calibrate scores.

• Slams are equally about writing, performance and audience response.

• Slammers should have at least 3 poems, as there will be three rounds for the Regionals and NZ Slam
  …

Deadline! 1st April for submissions to Catalyst volume 14

Catalyst, a literary arts journal - accepting submissions NOW, until 1st April 2017.



Hit the tab above, called helpfully: 'Submissions' for info on how to do it.

Or click here.

Coming up next week on Wednesday 1st March.  Join us at Space Academy, 371 St Asaph St for tasty beverages and poetical ramblings. Koha please.

2017: at Space Academy - Catalyst, a poetic odyssey

2017

Christchurch Poetry Slam 2016 - it's on!

Christchurch Poetry Slam
Wednesday 12th October, 7pm sign up, 7.30 lift off
Space Academy, 371 St Asaph St, Christchurch
Entry $10 (proceeds towards flights to the NZ Poetry Slam for the ChCh Champ)

And here are the rules of engagement:

Rules for NZ Poetry Slam

• 3 minutes or less with no minimum time (10 second grace period before points deduction)

• Time starts when poet speaks, however while poets can have time to settle and adjust microphone etc, this time is not limitless; ideally a poet should start before 10 seconds.

• Original (i.e. your own) poems only

• No props no music no costumes (i.e. clothing related to the content of your poem)

• In the case of a tie a slam-off will be required

• Random draw, for performance order.

Judging and scoring:

• 5 Audience Judges (chosen by MC and/or organiser) display score cards 0-10 (Decimal points allowed)

• Top and bottom scores drop off and total of remaining 3 scores is the total

• If Poet goes over grace period MC or Timekeeper to ask scorer to mark down points after the judges score… (Half a point penalty for every 10 seconds over time)

• After 4 minutes the MC can shut down the poet

• 'Sacrificial Poet' (non-competing) to start the night, to help calibrate scores.

• Slams are equally about writing, performance and audience response.

• Slammers should have at least 3 poems, as there will be three rounds for the Regionals and NZ Slam
  …

Canterbury Poets Collective Spring Season

It's haiku time in playland! Doc Drumheller's Haiku Hike

Haiku & Photo credit: Doc Drumheller

 

Margaret Mahy Family Playground Haiku Hike

When: Saturday, 27 August 1.30pm

Who: Doc Drumheller

What: A haiku workshop in the Margaret Mahy Playground!

Venue: Margaret Mahy Family Playground, cnr Armagh & Manchester Sts, Christchurch

Price: $10 - Limited to 20 places. Booking essential.

The Haiku Hike

Margaret Mahy Family Playground, Saturday August 27, 1.30pm

For hundreds of years Japanese haiku consisted of three lines of verse containing 17 syllables (5+7+5 syllables per line). Doc Drumheller invented the Haiku Hike, to show how traditional Japanese haiku walks or ginko can become more relevant in the 21^st Century. Join Doc, an internationally award winning haiku poet, on a hike through the Margaret Mahy Family Playground! Learn to carefully observe your surroundings, open your imagination, and discover the magic of words. 

WORD Christchurch listing

Book launch! Catalyst Volume 13, Instant Chemistry

Yes it's that best of all times for us - when we get to announce the launch of the latest volume of the flagship publication from our Republic of Oma Rāpeti Press.  That's right, it's the arrival of a brand new, bouncing baby Catalyst - lucky volume 13.  And this one carries those rarest of rare Catalyst things - a subtitle!

Catalyst 13: Instant Chemistry
launching Thursday 25th August
in two sessions: 6pm-6.30pm & 6.45-7.15pm
at The Last Word, New Regent St

Catalyst 13 features poetry from our sister city Seattle, China, Bulgaria, Slam Poetry, and some of the leading poets from New Zealand.

We're excited to be featured in this year's WORD Christchurch programme in the New Regent Street Pop-Up Festival. The event will feature: Lady Poets, Catalyst poets, sci-fi and fantasy, erotica, flash fiction, live storytelling and more, in a variety of bars, cafés and shops on the evening of Thursday 25 August.  The book launch of Catalyst 13 will run with two sessions at 6pm - 6.30pm & 6.45pm - 7.15pm, at The Last Word.

The MC for the launch will be Ciaran Fox, with readings by contributors, featuring: Doc Drumheller, Mohamed Hassan, Ken Arkind, and Carrie Rudzinski. 

For more awesome literary action check out the rest of the programme for: WORD Christchurch