logo
Author to hold reunion of fellow poets

Author to hold reunion of fellow poets

Local author Jan Hill is searching for poets who contributed to Tom Pepper's Dog and other poems: A Geraldine Anthology which was published 16 years ago. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
A local author is hoping a fundraising event will also act as reunion of sorts.
Jan Hill is organising "Poets and Pots of Tea", an afternoon of music and performance at St Mary's Church in Geraldine next month.
Mrs Hill said the event would be a fundraiser for the Geraldine Academy of Performance and Arts which was seeking to buy the historic Sunday School hall.
She was co-hosting with poets featured in her second Geraldine poetry anthology Counting the Beats.
However, she was searching for — and contacting — poets from the first collection, Tom Pepper's Dog and other poems: A Geraldine Anthology.
It was a collection of poetry — published in 2009 — from poets around the area which she collected and edited.
Sixteen years after the book was first released, she hoped there were enough poets around to celebrate.
Mrs Hill said the anthology grew out of the monthly "Poets and Pints" sessions which they had held at the Easy Way Cafe.
She said of the 37 poets, nine had since died and some had moved away.
"But there are enough of us left to celebrate 16 years later, and bring you our poems once more, both old and new."
The event would be held August 3, 2pm-4pm, with entry by donation.
For further information, email janhazelhill@gmail.com
She said $5 from each copy of Counting the Beats sold would go to the Geraldine Academy of Performing Arts appeal.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Author to hold reunion of fellow poets
Author to hold reunion of fellow poets

Otago Daily Times

time3 days ago

  • Otago Daily Times

Author to hold reunion of fellow poets

Local author Jan Hill is searching for poets who contributed to Tom Pepper's Dog and other poems: A Geraldine Anthology which was published 16 years ago. PHOTO: SUPPLIED A local author is hoping a fundraising event will also act as reunion of sorts. Jan Hill is organising "Poets and Pots of Tea", an afternoon of music and performance at St Mary's Church in Geraldine next month. Mrs Hill said the event would be a fundraiser for the Geraldine Academy of Performance and Arts which was seeking to buy the historic Sunday School hall. She was co-hosting with poets featured in her second Geraldine poetry anthology Counting the Beats. However, she was searching for — and contacting — poets from the first collection, Tom Pepper's Dog and other poems: A Geraldine Anthology. It was a collection of poetry — published in 2009 — from poets around the area which she collected and edited. Sixteen years after the book was first released, she hoped there were enough poets around to celebrate. Mrs Hill said the anthology grew out of the monthly "Poets and Pints" sessions which they had held at the Easy Way Cafe. She said of the 37 poets, nine had since died and some had moved away. "But there are enough of us left to celebrate 16 years later, and bring you our poems once more, both old and new." The event would be held August 3, 2pm-4pm, with entry by donation. For further information, email janhazelhill@ She said $5 from each copy of Counting the Beats sold would go to the Geraldine Academy of Performing Arts appeal.

Dots to showcase local lore
Dots to showcase local lore

Otago Daily Times

time11-06-2025

  • Otago Daily Times

Dots to showcase local lore

South Dunedin is going dotty for fast facts. Dream South D plans to display a series of "Did You Know" dots showcasing interesting stories from the suburb. Project lead Rosie Hill said the aim was to celebrate the area's unique identity. "The idea of the project is to build on that pride of place and connect." About 20 dots will soon appear near the main shopping precinct of King Edward St. "We have tried to do it in a fairly concentrated area of South Dunedin to get a bit of impact." Each circle carries a nugget of local lore: the invention of the chop-suey pattie at Nanking Palace Restaurant; the suburb's claim to patenting Hokey Pokey ice cream in 1896; the first New Zealand hot-air balloon ascent and parachute jump at the former Caledonian Ground by United States showman Thomas Baldwin in 1889. The dots also highlight landmarks such as the Donaghys Industries 320m long rope-walk building and the Dunedin Gasworks site. "We have tried to keep it quite light with some fun facts, but then also highlighting places of significant heritage in South Dunedin," Mrs Hill said. Volunteer "history buff" Patricia McLean helped research information and check facts. "She was very happy to help." The first panels focus on post-settlement facts but the aim is to broaden them to include earlier history. "We would love to get a deep dive more into prior to settlement as well. "We know that this was a big food-gathering area." The project has been designed in two stages. The first stage is the temporary trial of the dots that have been created on corflute and not permanently fixed. Stage two will invite the local community such as residents, businesses and mana whenua to share their own stories. "I feel like we have only just got the tip of the iceberg." Other possible developments include adding QR codes that link to further information about particular sites. Another idea is to create a walking trail or digital trail so people can visit each location. "If it is very well-received by the community, we would certainly like to investigate some lovely permanent signs in the future." Dream South D is a five-year project funded by Department of Internal Affairs — Te Tari Taiwhenua as part of its community-led development programme. "We have got two years left, so now it is kind of 'go time' for us. "It is really time to run and push out a lot of things, we have got a lot of stuff in the pipeline," Mrs Hill said. • To contribute to future 'dots', email hello@

Summer concerts fuel economic growth in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch
Summer concerts fuel economic growth in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch

NZ Herald

time26-05-2025

  • NZ Herald

Summer concerts fuel economic growth in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch

'Accommodation occupancy peaked at 95.1% on Friday, November 15 – the night of the second Music of the Spheres Coldplay concert." The economic and cultural agency also says the events heavily impacted the vibrancy of the city, as well as supporting small businesses, hotels and restaurants. 'Major events also make Auckland a great place to work, live and play – providing vibrancy to our streets and venues and an uplift in social health and wellbeing," Hill adds. 'Over the summer period, we saw an influx of visitors booking out hotels and flooding into cafes, bars and restaurants, and this is what ultimately helps many businesses get through the quieter periods.' Hospitality NZ chief executive Steve Armitage told the Herald last year that events such as concerts were 'a real boost' for businesses, including hospitality and accommodation operators. 'The run of Coldplay and Pearl Jam concerts in Auckland brought the city to life, filling our venues and restaurants with visitors keen to experience more than just the music." This sentiment was echoed by Claire Baxter-Cardy of the Kingsland Business Society, who said the hospo community had felt first-hand the positive impacts of the big Eden Park concerts. 'We advocated quite strongly for Eden Park to get the additional concerts, because we know from, say, test matches or any of those large sporting events that there's a 500 to 600% increase in business that night.' She said concerts saw a wider demographic of people come to the Kingsland area, with a similar increase in business for the hospitality sector of 500 to 600%. 'If it's a Saturday event, you're getting these groups and families that will be there quite early, like for three or four hours before the event, really experiencing all the offerings around the Kingsland and Morningside area.' For the P!nk concerts in 2024, Baxter-Cardy said the owner of popular pizza joint Papa's sold out. It was their first time opening again after being closed since the Auckland Anniversary floods. 'It was so cool to see that happen. We are a community that is deeply passionate. It might be a husband or wife team, or it might be someone who owns a very small business that's owner-operator driven. 'Every time there's a special event, we're getting more and more involved in the activation side of things to make sure when people come into Kingsland or come into Morningside, that there are things for them to see, things for them to do, and things for them to be involved in, as well as the great hospitality that we have.' Wellington The capital received a $15.9m economic boost between December and March, according to tourism body WellingtonNZ. Between December 2024 and March 2025, the city hosted 72 events. WellingtonNZ reported 211,686 people attending events over that period. This included Jim Beam Homegrown's final outing in the region, as well as sold-out comedy shows at the Michael Fowler Centre from the likes of Sarah Millican, Paul Smith, Jack Whitehall, and three Graham Norton shows. Nineties rave legends Groove Armada also performed to large crowds at the TSB Arena on the waterfront. 'Events bring vibrancy, liveliness and atmosphere to Wellington for both locals and visitors – and this summer was no exception," WellingtonNZ events and experiences general manager Heidi Morton says. Locals are seemingly on board as well, with recent research figures from WellingtonNZ revealing that 90% of Wellingtonians agreed that hosting events made Wellington a great place to live. Guests to the region were also 88% satisfied during their stay in the capital, according to the research. Advertisement Advertise with NZME. 'Events don't just fill calendars – they ignite civic pride and bring communities together. Wellingtonians are strong supporters of our events schedule and it's important that continues,' Morton says. 'The accommodation, hospitality and retail sectors have all seen a benefit from the breadth of events that have taken place over the last few months.' Wellington Chocolate Factory general manager Matt Williams agrees, saying major events and a stacked calendar are great not only for the business, but also for the city. 'It's really important that businesses make the most of the opportunities on offer too, think outside the square about how they can leverage what's happening to drive foot traffic and build up some buzz.' Lydia Suggate, co-owner of hospitality venues Nolita, LBQ, The Botanist, Bebemos and Otto, says events are crucial for business owners during a tough economic climate. 'Events in Wellington make a huge impact for our businesses, especially when people are watching their spending a bit more these days, as they like to plan where they're going to spend their money.' Karaka cafe owner Paul Retimanu adds that events like Matariki and Mana Moana help bridge the gap during the quieter winter months but also give locals a reason to come out and enjoy the experiences. Christchurch For Ōtautahi Christchurch, it was Electric Avenue Festival's two-day expansion in February that saw the biggest economic return over the summer, resulting in a visitor spend of $10.5m in the city. Featuring major headline acts like Empire Of The Sun, The Prodigy, and Chase and Status, the festival was the biggest event for local tourism body ChristchurchNZ and is believed to have produced the largest visitor spend of any Christchurch event since the 1974 Commonwealth Games. This summer, from December to February, there was a $12.4m visitor spend, which was just shy of the $12.8m spend of the 2023-24 December to February period. While the 2024-25 results are still in progress, ChristchurchNZ says the figures should come close to, but may not top, the $35.7m from the full year 2022-23. The FY22-23 period featured events such as an Elton John concert and a one-day Electric Avenue Festival. There were also strong survey figures from FreshInfo on behalf of ChristchurchNZ that supported the city's efforts when it came to hosting large-scale events. The research found that 93% of resident attendees agreed that hosting events like Electric Ave increased their pride in Christchurch, and 96% agreed that hosting events like Electric Ave made Christchurch a more enjoyable place to live. 'Ōtautahi Christchurch has proven the city has the infrastructure, experience, and capability to host major events,' Karena Finnie, ChristchurchNZ head of major events, tells the Herald. 'With new venues coming on stream and the momentum we can can indeed go bigger, although these opportunities require investment.' Various businesses also supplied feedback to ChristchurchNZ about the positive impact of Electric Avenue, including Chiwahwah and Zodiac restaurants' general manager, Amanda Keenan. 'We certainly saw an increase in sales, not just for Friday and Saturday [of the festival] but for the entire week,' Keenan says. 'Overall, [there was] a 5% increase in sales for the week compared to the same week the previous month.' Keenan also says visitors are well-behaved during their visits, adding to the positive community experience. 'Both Chiwahwah and Zodiac saw an increase in numbers through the door both nights, and our security team reported a significant decrease in denials due to intoxication compared to previous weeks, even considering the increase in headcount.' And with the opening of the new One New Zealand Stadium set to draw thousands to the region, there will continue to be more opportunities to draw punters to the region. Elsewhere across the country, events like the upcoming Metallica concert in Auckland and WoW and Peppa Pig's Fun Day Out in Wellington are also set to give these regions an economic boost in 2025.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store