Three Days in a Wishing Well

Here 's a little taster from our latest book of poetry - Three Days In A Wishing Well by Kerrin P. Sharpe. If you're going to be stuck anywhere for three days this is the book to read!

like rain the thunder

 

inside the tall gothic church
a man kisses the pieta

 

max is at the organ
composing a creation hymn

 

called apple and snow
all night the wind

 

wraps itself around the city
like a bell that does

 

not ring in danger but prayer
and genya's voice

 

falls from a clock
as she calls her children

 

kazia, stefan, hendrich, janek
her hand closes around

 

a winter apple
and somebody probably kazia

 

puts the kettle on
then all four children

 

gather their shadows
and become birds

 

New books & recent events

Bill Manhire read to a packed house at Te Papa yesterday from his hot-off-the-press new Selected Poems.  Perhaps the most entertaining part was hearing about an abandoned novel set in parallel universe with Queen Elizabeth getting poetry lessons by post from a certain P Larkin. The reading finished on a stunning reading of 'Hotel Emergencies' that left the audience blinking: "The fire alarm sound: is given as a howling sound do not use the lifts ...."

VUP were thrilled to be part of The Press Christchurch Writers' Festival. You can read write ups of some sessions on the Christchurch City Libraries blog. The weekend ended wonderfully with mulled wine at the launch of Kerrin P. Sharpe's debut book of poetry - Three Days In A Wishing Well, glowing in the GeoDome.

 

Lawrence Patchett was welcomed back to his home town of Lincoln with a run-away-success second launch of I Got His Blood On Me.

Kirsten McDougall's launch of The Invisible Rider was a warm family affair. We watched the sun go down and listened to beautiful words while the kids had their own little party down the end of the hall "I'm a dinosaur with wings!".