‘Forever is composed of nows’ Emily Dickinson
2024
Dan Davin Literary festival
NEW PUBLICATION:
My third novel I, Said The Lark is available as paperback and as an e-reader on Amazon.
2023
EXCITED! to announce an upcoming J&K event in May:
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2022
My novel Quick Blue Fire is available as paperback or as an e-reader through Amazon, or by emailing me at kmckcooke @ gmail. com (without spaces).
September 9th. With Jenny Powell J&K reading poetry in Tapanui at the library. Go HERE to read all about it.
2021
Jenny Powell’s ‘Meeting Rita’ Book Launch
In partnership with Dunedin Public Libraries and Cold Hub Press, Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature was proud to host a well-attended free event celebrating the publication of Jenny Powell’s Meeting Rita in the City Library on Tuesday 3 August 2021.
After an opportunity to mingle over refreshments, guests were warmly welcomed by Nicky Page, Director UNESCO City of Literature. Roger Hickin, Publisher at Cold Hub Press and responsible for this beautifully produced book, opened the evening’s festivities and introduced Jenny Powell and Kay McKenzie Cooke. Roger provided a history of his professional relationship with Jenny, and it was clear that he holds her and her poetry in very high esteem.
Meeting Rita is a wonderful collection of poetry, filled with many references to Rita Angus’ prolific career. Hearing Jenny read poems from her book, alongside an intimate conversation with friend and fellow writer Kay McKenzie Cooke about how the idea was planted in Jenny’s mind and similarities she found interesting between her life and that of Rita Angus, made the evening extremely memorable. The amount of research Jenny described together with some quirky coincidences along this journey were fascinating and added to the mana of the evening.
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National Poetry Day
Poetry and jazz fuse as a dozen pitch-perfect poets pit their prose against an intoxicating set of instrumentalists. Be entertained, be wined and dined, and immerse yourself in the joy of poetry.
Our special guests this year include:
Emma Neale – Sophia Wilson – Megan Kitching – Majella Cullinane – Liz Breslin – Talia Marshall – Lynley Edmeades – Emer Lyons – Richard Reeve -, Victor Billot – Jenny Powell – Kay McKenzie Cooke – Diane Brown
With music by the Bill Martin Jazz duo
2020
November 13th
J&K Rolling Reading at Tapanui Library (Postponed because of Covid restrictions.)
November 5th
Ten Perspectives at Dunedin Public Library
October 29th – November 1st:
Reading at WORD Christchurch Spring Festival 2020.
For all of October in Wellington for various events yet to be announced.
October 11th – 13th
Invited by present Aotearoa poet laureate David Eggleton to be a support poet (along with Jenny Powell and Michael O’Leary) at his tokotoko ceremony, October 2020 at Matahiwi Marae. As well to take part in the follow-up poetry reading for ‘Poets Night Out’ in Havelock North.
September 28th
Reading at Gore Public Library (Sadly postponed until November because of SNOW!)
September 11th
Dan Davin Literary Society Lecture
Sunday August 23rd (Cancelled because of re-entering Covid Level 2)
Reading with Jenny Powell and Xiaomin (Demi) Chen at Poems From A Landscape Near and Far on Sunday,
My poetry book was launched June 25th. Titled, ‘Upturned’ and published by The Cuba Press, Wellington.
My novel, ‘Craggan Dhu: Time Will Tell’ is available on Amazon as a paperback or E-reader.
Saturday, March 7th
J&K Reading at The Bakehouse, Millers Flat
2019 …
November 23rd:
Reading at Eastern Southland Art Gallery with Jenny Powell, Cilla McQueen, Richard Reeve and David Eggleton.
November 1st:
J&K Rolling reading at Glenorchy Camping Ground Lodge.
October 23rd:
Featured poet (along wth poet Rob Allan) reading at Dog With Two Tails.
September 6th:
J&K Rolling reading at Glenorchy Camping Ground Lodge. (Re-scheduled for November 1st)
September 3rd:
Reading in Dunedin Public Library with other Dunedin poets at the Dunedin launch of Wild Honey – an anthology of women poets from Aotearoa New Zealand written by Paula Green.
March 14th:
J&K Rolling are reading at Port Chalmer’s library.
February 24th:
Reading and discussing my poem, ‘some time’, at Knox College Chapel’s opening service. An excerpt from this poem is featured on a sculpture in the College quadrangle.
2018 …
November: J&K Rolling reading at Waikouaiti Library (Details to be posted nearer the time).
August 31st: Launch of Rob Allen’s Port Manifold, Port Chalmers library. Guest reader with Jenny Powell and Richard Reeve,
July 31st – Writer in School – at Waikaka School, Southland
March 3rd – Owaka Cavalcade Market and Family Entertainment Day – 500 horses and riders will ride into Owaka township midday Saturday March 3rd and Outrider Poets, J&K Rolling (myself and Jenny Powell) will be there with our poetry stall. As well as poetry cards, books and other poetry craft novelties, J&K will be reading poetry every hour on the half-hour, with an open invitation to anyone with a poem to share, to join in.
February 18th – Online interview with Katherine Dolan found HERE
2017 …
September 13th
Reading at Dog With Two Tails cafe with Michael O’Leary, Jenny Powell, Peter Olds, Bill Dacker, David Eggleton …
August 25th
I will be one of ten invited readers reading at a New Zealand National Poetry Day event being held at Dunedin Library.
July 27th
In memory of John Dickson
Reader at a Poetry Reading at The Crown with Richard Reeve, Jenny Powell, David Eggleton and others
June 21st
Guest reader at Dog With Two Tails Octagon Collective event
April 22nd
At Graeme Furness’s Workshop, ‘Exit’ in Lawrence; reading with Jenny Powell as part of J&K Rolling’s first event of 2017, and with guest poet Jeanne Bernhardt. Graeme Furness and musician friends also to be a part of this mix of music and poetry.
March 24th (Friday) I will be reading, along with other local poets and musicians, at Dog With Two Tails cafe, for a Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen Tribute evening.
2016 …
August 26th (Friday) New Zealand’s National Poetry Day, I will be reading with Jenny Powell (as part of a National Poetry Day, J&K Rolling event) in Wanaka.
August 23rd (Tuesday) I will be reading poetry at Dog With Two Tails along with Murray Edmond 8.00 p.m.
August 1st – Book reviews for three poetry books, written for Landfall and found on-line at Landfall (NZ) site.
May 9th (Monday) Writer’s Salon at Thistle Cafe, Octagon, Dunedin – writers read extracts from their work. I will read poetry as well as prose.
April 28th, reading poetry at Queenstown District Library Poetry reading – Outrider poets J&K Rolling (Jenny Powell and myself) .
2015 …
August 28th: With poets Jenny Powell and Richard Reeve, I am reading poetry at ‘8 on 87’ cafe in Outram. This is a J and K Rolling National Poetry Day event. (As a follow-up to National Poetry Day, Jenny Powell and I will be reading at Gore Library, Sept. 4th).
June: MC for poets Jocelind Dunford and Jenny Powell as guest readers for Octagon Collective’s Circadian Rhythm poetry readings. These readings are held once a month at Circadian Rhythm, St Andrew Street, Dunedin. Open mic each reading.
May: ‘Poetry in the Pub’ event is being held on May 7th at the Leviathan Hotel as part of Dunedin Writer’s and Reader’s Festival. I am reading along with poets Michael Harlow, the 2015 Burns Fellow Louise Wallace, Rogelio Guidea and Peter Olds.
April: My poem, ‘sacred days’ was selected by the present poet laureate, Vincent O’Sullivan, to feature in the Best NZ Poems site for 2014.
March 7th: J&K Rolling Whistlestop reading at Orepuki Beach Cafe in Western Southland. Myself and Jenny Powell will be reading poetry, along with local poets.
January: Co-judge (along with Burns Fellow, Majella Cullinane) for the Robert Burns Poetry Competition, an annual competition run here in the Edinburgh of the South. Prize giving held on the poet’s birthday, at the library, on January 25th. In the evening, attendance at a dinner at ToiTu Museum; ticket courtesy of DCC library.
11th Letter In 