Welcome!

Poetry NZ 38 (2009)

This blog is intended as a a gathering place for information about Poetry NZ: a place to make announcements, to ask questions, and generally to promote the journal and its community of subscribers, contributors and readers. I'll begin by quoting the "about" section in the magazine's dedicated website, run by Warren Olds of Studio Ahoy, which is where you should continue to go to renew subscriptions, find out about our submissions policy, and see back-issues.

Poetry New Zealand, also known as PNZ or Poetry NZ, began in 1951 with the publication of Louis Johnson's New Zealand Poetry Yearbook. It is therefore this country's oldest and most distinguished poetry magazine, but is still interested in new and younger writers trying to have their work recognized. It also contains reviews and articles concerning poetry in New Zealand and elsewhere.

Louis Johnson

Since Johnson ceased his editorship in the 1960s, Poetry New Zealand has been edited by some of New Zealand's most distinguished poets and academics, including Frank McKay (James K. Baxter's biographer), Elizabeth Caffin (formerly Managing Editor of Auckland University Press), Riemke Ensing, Grant Duncan, Elizabeth Smithers, Brian Turner and Harry Ricketts.

The magazine was edited from 1993 to 2014 by Alistair Paterson – a well-known New Zealand poet, novelist, anthologist, editor and literary critic – with help from guest editors including Owen Bullock, Siobhan Harvey and Nicholas Reid. The present managing editor is Jack Ross, of Massey University's School of English and Media Studies.

Alistair Paterson

The magazine's policy is to support poetry and poets both in New Zealand and overseas. Each annual issue features a substantial selection from a developing or established poet in order to draw attention to that poet's work. The rest of the issue is comprised of a selection of poetry from New Zealand and abroad, as well as essays, reviews and general criticism.

While New Zealand poets receive the most attention, PNZ is always looking for high quality work from other countries. Overseas poets printed in PNZ have included: Robert Creeley, Charles Bukowski, Charles Bernstein, Eugene Dubnov, Virgil Suarez, Tom Clark, Libby Hart, Les Murray, August Kleinzahler, Wanda Coleman, Blair Ewing and many others.

If you're interested in submitting to PNZ, please see our Submit page. Any other enquiries should be directed to the webmaster.

Our personnel are as follows:

Managing Editor: Jack Ross

Administrator: Bronwyn Lloyd

Advisory Board: Thom Conroy, Jen Crawford, John Denny, Ingrid Horrocks, David Howard, Alistair Paterson, Tracey Slaughter, Bryan Walpert

Website: Warren Olds, Studio Ahoy.

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James Ko: "Jack"