New Zealand Poets

Bill Manhire has published many collections of poems since his first book "The Elaboration" in 1972. Bill Manhire was the inaugural Poet Laureate in 1996/97 and among his many accomplishments was the Prime Minister's Award for Poetry that he received in 2007. He directs the now famous creative writing programme at Victoria University of Wellington.

The 48 poems on this CD come from his "Collected Poems" (VUP,2001) and "Lifted" (VUP,2005). "Lifted" won the prestigious 2006 Montana NZ Book Award. The poems are recorded in approximately chronological order ... Love Poem, The Voyage, The Wind, The Elaboration, The Prayer, Vidyapati's Song, Wulf, The Spell, The God Who Watches Over All Perhaps, On Originality, The Song, The Incision, Last Sonnet, Contemplation Of The Heavens, Summer, The Collaboration, A Song About The Moon, Party Going, Night Windows Carey's Bay, Zoetropes, Water: A Stopping Place, Legacies, The Caravan, Children, Miscarriage, Milky Way Bar, Magasin, Masturbating, Jalopy, Out West, Hirohito, Brazil, Phar Lap, My Sunshine, The English Teacher, Moonlight, Blood Falls, Some Frames, Deep Field Song, The Polar Explorer's Love Song, Scavenger, Song, Millennial, The Next Thousand, Without Form, Death Of A Poet, Erebus Voices and Hotel Emergencies. 

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Robbie Duncan at Braeburn Studio (i.e. the sound is top shelf).

Artwork by Gregory O'Brien and Layout by Fergus Barrowman (i.e. the packaging is very classy).