Wellington poetry continued to shine strong on Tuesday 1st October, 2019, as Unity Books Wellington played host to the launch of Jane Arthur’s poetry collection Craven (published by Victoria University Press). Jane is a Wellington based poet, ex-bookseller, editor, co-founder of The Sapling (a website dedicated to children’s literature) and winner of the 2018 Sarah Broom Poetry Prize. This is her first book of poetry.
Fergus Barrowman warmly introduced the book before handing over to fellow author and poet Ashleigh Young, who officially launched the book. Young described the book as “salty” – residing well outside the realm of the modern colloquialism, however. This collection is salty like the blasted wooden figurehead of a women on the bow of a ship, racing and cutting elegantly through the surf, elated. Jane’s poems reveal and speak dark truths. They shout of our innermost thoughts, things we wish we could say but dare not to; tender, acerbic and real.
Craven by Jane Arthur is available now in store and online.
Words & photos by Becks Popham