Rhyme your why, Selina style

[NB: due to the current level 4 lockdown this event is postponed. We will keep you posted with revised details as soon as we have them to hand.]

Not every organisation can claim to have a resident poet laureate, but we do! Aotearoa's 11th poet laureate, the captivating Dr Selina Tusitala Marsh, is one of this year's Ockham Collective residents – and she's hosting a very special free workshop at our Hypatia creative precinct on the evening of Friday 27 August to celebrate National Poetry Day.

“Rhyme Your Why is a quick and easy way to mine your life for its gold using rhyme,” Selina explains. “We'll provide paper and pens, but curiosity and playfulness are yours to bring.”

The workshop is free to attend but you're encouraged to bring food and/or beverages to share afterwards, as that communal aspect is very much part of Selina's ethos. To secure your spot, email Tahnee Vo at [email protected].

If you happen to be in Wellington in August you can catch Selina at two events being held at the National Library of New Zealand. The first is on Friday 6 August when she'll perform alongside her fellow poet laureates to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the award. She'll be returning to the library on Wednesday 11 August for the NZ Book Awards for Children & Young Adults, as her second children's book, Mophead Tu: The Queen's Poem, is a finalist in the non-fiction category. Its predecessor, Mophead, took out the supreme award last year – so we've got our fingers crossed for a repeat.

Poet laureate Selina Tusitala Marsh at the 2021 Ockham Collective launch at Hypatia in February.