Poetry New Zealand, this country's longest-running poetry magazine, showcases new writing from New Zealand and overseas. This issue, #55, features 182 poems by 129 poets, including Elizabeth Morton, Michele Leggott, essa may ranapiri, Bob Orr, Kiri Piahana-Wong, Jordan Hamel, David Eggleton and Mere Taito, the winning entries in the Poetry New Zealand Prize, essays, and reviews of 25 new poetry books. Compiled in a time of pandemic, these are poems written -- in the words of editor Tracey Slaughter -- when 'the only line to follow was deeper in, darker down, to poetry. The page was the only safe place our breath could go.'

The collected critical writings of one of New Zealand's major poets and critics, covering half a century of his work. Of the thirty-eight items (reviews, essays, lectures, interviews, and letters) included, his controversial introductions to his anthologies of New Zealand verse are the best known. There are also incisive essays on Curnow's New Zealand contemporaries, and on writers from further afield, such as Olson and Thomas. For students of English literature, particularly of New Zealand.

Each year Poetry New Zealand, this country's longest-running poetry magazine, rounds up new poetry, reviews, and essays, making it the ideal way to catch up with the latest poetry from both established and emerging New Zealand poets. Issue #54 features 133 new poems (including by this year's featured poet, rising star essa may ranapiri, and C.K. Stead, Elizabeth Smither, Kevin Ireland, Chris Tse, Gregory Kan, Fardowsa Mohamed, and Tracey Slaughter); essays (including a graphic essay by Sarah Laing); and reviews of new poetry collections. Poems by the winners of both the Poetry New Zealand Award and the Poetry New Zealand Schools Award are among the line-up.

Louis Johnson (1924-1988) published many volumes of verse over 45 years. This selection comes from all phases of his career, with reprints of many difficult to obtain works. Includes a biographical introduction and many of Johnson's own comments on the origins and inspirations of his poems. Terry Sturm is Professor of English the University of Auckland, a friend and colleague of Johnson.