HOOPLA 2015 3 poets 3 books 3 launches 16–22 April

Launches at: • Palmerston North City Library – Thursday 16 April, 6.30 pm  • Poetry at The Fringe, The Fringe Bar, Allen St, Wellington –  Sunday 19 April 4 pm  • Dunedin Public Library – Wednesday 22 April 5.30 pm  

Acclaimed trans-Tasman poet Jennifer Compton (right) joins Manawatū’s Bryan Walpert and Dunedin debut poet Carolyn McCurdie in launching HOOPLA 2015, the second in a series begun last year by Wellington’s Mākaro Press. T he three poetry collections will be launched in the home towns of the poets, with all of them attending the events: Palmerston North for Bryan Walpert, Dunedin for Carolyn McCurdie and Wellington for Jennifer Compton, who lives in Melbourne but was brought up in the capital city and returned there recently as a Randell Cottage fellow. 

Walpert’s Native Bird observes life in New Zealand as a new settler and through the prism of birdwatching, McCurdie’s Bones in the Octagon writes of life down south – the domestic cheekby-jowl with the mythical, and Jennifer Compton’s Mr Clean & The Junkie is a love story set in the 1970s, in Sydney and northern New Zealand. Walpert comes well recommended with North American and NZ prizes under his belt, and Compton has won awards both sides of the Tasman including the prestigious Kathleen Grattan. McCurdie has a strong following in the Dunedin poetry community and has won the NZ Poetry Society’s International competition. 

‘All three collections are provocative in their own way and walk the walk,’ says series editor and publisher Mary McCallum.

‘We’re proud to have them. It worked brilliantly last year with the three books and poets supporting each other out in the world: Michael Harlow’s sensuous Heart absolutely I can, Helen Rickerby’s edgy Cinema and Stefanie Lash’s gothic murder story in verse: Bird murder. They sold well to excellent reviews and we needed to reprint. A year later we think people are ready for the next trio of exciting poets.’ 

Hoopla entices people to buy and read poetry books through the quality of its poets, the attraction of a series with three books launching at once, vibrant design and the accessibility of a clear narrative or theme. We like strong work that steps onto the tightrope without hesitation and gives the performance of its life. It’s no accident the word ‘Hoopla’ has connotations of commotion, extravagance and play about it. Hoopla books are published annually in April in sets of three. A new poet joins a mid-career and a late-career poet.