My advance copy of Poetry NZ Yearbook 2018

Poetry NZ Yearbook 2018

They arrived last Wednesday, and I picked mine up on Friday morning. Here are some more of the photos Bronwyn took of my advance copy.

Poetry NZ Yearbook 2018

The blurb reads:

Issue #52

Featuring the poetry of
Alistair Paterson

Edited by
Jack Ross

Poetry New Zealand Yearbook, this country’s longest-running poetry magazine, showcases new writing from New Zealand and overseas. It presents the work of talented newcomers as well as that of established voices.

This issue features the winning entries of the Poetry New Zealand competition, as well as over 100 new poems by writers including Albert Wendt, David Eggleton, Johanna Emeney and Bob Orr.

Issue #52 also features essays by Owen Bullock, Jeanita Cush-Hunter, Ted Jenner, Robert McLean and Reade Moore, and reviews of 33 new poetry collections.

If you want to find out more about it, you can go to our page on the Massey University Press website:

Jack Ross, ed.: Poetry NZ Yearbook 2018 (March 2018)

I have to warn you, though, it's pretty huge: 360 pages to last year's 352. There are five essays to last year's three, the same number of reviews, and almost as many poems, as well.

I wrote to the cover designer, Massey design lecturer Jo Bailey, to say: "It pops! Everyone I’ve shown it to so far agrees that not only is it a beautiful piece of design, but that it draws the eye to an extraordinary degree …" She seemed pretty pleased with that, so I went on:

I guess what I found particularly ingenious was the way the white dots have been embossed slightly to signify "18" even to visually-challenged readers. I already admired the design when I saw it as an online image, but tactile details like that are an invitation to pick up the book and fondle it: every author's dream ...

I don't know if the rest of you like it as much as I do, but do feel free to give your views.

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