Hugh asked: 'how did New York, Oxford, Sydney, London go?'
All of the readings in New Zealand were successful,
although the capital Wellington enjoyed the largest turn-out: around 200 [!]
people braved an autumnal night to hear former 'Te Mata Poet Laureate of New
Zealand' Bill Manhire and eight equally strong if diverse readers, supported
by three bands, in a retail lane for which a street liquor license had been
obtained. [I regard this as pragmatic planning rather than an appeal to
alcoholism.] Christchurch's Central Library had a capacity audience (around
50) for the venue, as did Auckland's Dead Poet's Bookstore (around 60). The
smaller centres, Nelson and Dunedin, attracted more modest audiences,
although neither gagged for lack of patronage. Nelson also distinguished
itself by having the most diverse audience, with patrons ranging from 8
years to 70 years (this in part was due to the scheduling of two 'underage'
readers in order to reflect the area's emphasis
on 'family values').
The challenge now is to develop this series into an annual international
event.
David Howard
(New Zealand Co-ordinator)
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