Would love to see you at the Thistle next Monday (3rd September 2018 at 6pm), if you can make it, where there will be readings from this little beauty from Canterbury University Press – an anthology of flash fiction (very short stories), prose poems and things in between. I have two pieces in there and am delighted to find myself in such fine company. I’ve been dipping in and out of my copy since it arrived and it’s full of gems. There are some interesting essays in there too – from Tim Jones and others, some of whom will be discussing the “small form” on the night. Congratulations to editors Michelle Elvy, Frankie McMillan and James Norcliffe, and all the contributors.
Hope to see you there!
Can’t wait for National Poetry Day? I’ll be reading at this event along with Kerry Hines, Adrienne Jansen, Vivienne Ball, Keith Johnson, Trish Harris, Peter Farrell, Marg Ranger, Reinhold Kittelberger and anyone who wants to read at the open mic!
Lots going on for the 20th anniversary of National Poetry Day! Full list of events here: POETRYDAY.CO.NZ
I will be reading at two events:
Where the Wild Words Are |
Come and hear Mākaro Press poets bewitch, berate, busk and bewilder at the Wellington Central Library.
Mary Cresswell • Lindsay Pope • Janis Freegard • Tim Jones • Harvey Molloy • Maggie Rainey-Smith • Keith Westwater • Pete Carter • Peter Stuart • Robyn Cooper • Helen Rickerby • Julie Hanify • Peter Rawnsley • Robin Peace • John Howell
Entry details: Free
Date/times: Friday, 25 August, 1-3pm
Location: Wellington Central Library, Victoria Street, Wellington.
Contact: makaropress@gmail.com
Further info: www.makaropress.co.nz
Poetry Ngaio
An evening of poems by some of the terrific NZ writers with connections to Ngaio and Crofton Downs. Readers include Kerry Popplewell, Kate Spencer, John Howell, Janis Freegard, Carmen Downes and more. Includes open mic. Light refreshments provided. (You’ll also be able to see/add to a display of poems responding to local photographs, which runs at Cummings Park Library 14-28 August.)
Entry details: Admission free, all welcome
Date/times: Friday 25 August, 7.30-9.30pm
Location: Cummings Park Library, Ottawa Road, Ngaio, Wellington
Contact: Kerry Hines poetryngaio@hotmail.comFurther info: https://poetryngaio.wordpress.com/
I’ll also be calling into the Upper Hutt Library for this:
Competition Awards Night
Upper Hutt Library’s annual poetry competition returns this year on the 20th year celebration of National Poetry Day (to enter, see competition calendar). Join us on National Poetry Day to celebrate our competition winners and all things poetry!
Entry Details: Free, all welcome.
Date/Times: 25th August, 6.30-8.30pm
Location: Upper Hutt Central Library
Contact: Danny at Danny.Tiata@uhcc.govt.nz
Further Info: http://upperhuttlibrary.co.nz/upper-hutt-poetry-competition/
Happy Birthday National Poetry Day!
Something to go to on National Poetry Day – hurrah!
I’ll be reading a very short story at the pretty flash Thistle (3 Mulgrave St, Thorndon) and so will some other writerly Wellington folk. It happens on 22nd June 2017 aka National Flash Fiction Day – the shortest day for the shortest stories. Might see you there!
I’m Big Jimmy Bang and I can ride the fastest mustang.
You’re a liar and a loser, Jimmy Bang.
I’m Big Jimmy Bang and I can shoot sharper than any sharp-shooter that ever shot.
You’re not even big, Jimmy Bang.
I’m Big Jimmy Bang and I can build the highest wall that’s ever been built in this town.
I’m putting on my hat, Jimmy Bang.
I’m Big Jimmy Bang and I’m the grabbiest grabber that ever grabbed.
You’re a grubby little man, Jimmy Bang.
I’m Big Jimmy Bang and my wife’s so pretty, I had to lock her up in a big, gold tower.
Set her free, set her free, Jimmy Bang. I’m putting on my coat and I’m lacing
up my boots and there’s thousands of us coming Jimmy Bang. Millions of us coming for you, swarming the streets. We’re wearing our hats and we’re stomping on down and sure as kittens are kittens we’ll stop you, Jimmy Bang. Get outta town and don’t ever come back. Do you hear us, Jimmy Bang? You’re yesterday’s yesterday man.
*Sincere apologies if your name is Jimmy Bang – this is so not about you.
…and here is the breakdown of fiction published in New Zealand in 2015, by the gender and ethnicity of the authors (as far as I can make out).
In terms of gender, women dominate in the fiction stakes, with 44 fiction books by women published in 2015 (59% of titles) compared with 30 men (40%). The ‘Other’ category refers here to a book jointly authored by a man and a woman.
Here is the pie chart:
In non-fiction, the proportions are reversed, with 13 titles (62%) by male writers and 8 (38%) by female writers (see below). So it kind of balances out. If you add fiction, non-fiction and poetry together, 82 titles were by women, 83 by men and one by both. Yay, right? (Note: I’ve left out a few categories, like Drama and Criticism, but included Letters & Autobiography).
An analysis by ethnicity, however, tells a miserable little tale indeed. Here is the pie chart for fiction:
Yep, that’s right, with 68 titles, Pakehā writers got 91% of the pie; Māori writers and Asian/Indian writers got 4% each with 3 titles apiece and Pasifika writers got 1%, with a single title (ie Albert Wendt wrote a book).
By way of comparison, in 2014, 88% of fiction titles were by Pakehā writers, 7% by Māori writers, 5% by Asian/Indian writers and none by Pasifika writers.
And for non-fiction, 85% of titles (18 in total) were written by Pakehās and 5% (1 title each) by a European/Jewish writer, a Māori writer and a Pasifika writer.
How do I know what ethnicity everyone is, I hear you cry. Well, I don’t know for sure. I visit at least 3 websites (author pages and so on) and look for clues. So there may be some undercounting. If a writer does not describe themselves as Māori, Asian or Pasifika and does not mention an iwi affiliation, I have counted them as European/Pakehā.
One last pie: all fiction, non-fiction & poetry titles for 2015. 90% of titles were by Pakehā, 4% by Māori and 2% each by European/Jewish, Pasifika and Asian authors. What a lot of pie…
For the record, I’m female and Pakehā (I was born in the UK and grew up in England, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand; I’ve lived in New Zealand since I was twelve.) Two of the books published in 2015 were mine.
I put this analysis together because it matters to me. Fairness matters. Having a national literature that represents our national population matters. Being able to read a diverse range of voices matters. Also, I’m curious (in more ways than one) and like playing with spreadsheets 🙂
My source for the books published in 2015 is the Journal of Commonwealth Literature. Previous posts on this subject can be found here:
https://janisfreegard.com/2017/01/07/nz-poetry-2015-by-gender-ethnicity/
https://janisfreegard.com/2011/07/29/poetry-gender-in-new-zealand-publishing-part-2/
https://janisfreegard.com/2012/04/03/poetry-gender-in-new-zealand-publishing-2008-2010-4/
https://janisfreegard.com/2013/03/23/poetry-gender-in-new-zealand-publishing-an-occasional-series/
https://janisfreegard.com/2014/10/19/poetry-and-gender-in-new-zealand-publishing-the-latest/
https://janisfreegard.com/2015/12/30/poetry-published-in-new-zealand-by-gender-ethnicity-to-2014/
https://janisfreegard.com/2016/02/08/nz-fiction-non-fiction-by-gender-ethnicity-2014/
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