HOW TO TOUR THE WORLD
ON A FLYING FOX
By Marisa Cappetta
(Steele Roberts, $20)
Christchurch poet Marisa Cappetta's first collection is a must-have. Simultaneously imaginative and beautifully structured, the poems journey to places physical and cerebral. From a neat recipe for apple strudel, tips on wedded bliss and a eulogy to mermaids, to works that travel to Rabbit Island, Rome and Romania, this collection covers an extensive assortment of topics. It's less, however, a travelogue than a voyage into the heart of the family, where the nuanced interactions and remembrances spawned by those we call whanau are lovingly considered.
LUCKY PUNCH
By Simone Kaho
(Anahera Press, $20)
Auckland author Simone Kaho's Lucky Punch is another brave, beguiling first collection. One of the new wave of young Pasifika voices, Kaho composes her book as a heart-wrenching love story between the narrator and protective, impulsive Henry. Lucky Punch is set in a dystopian Waterview, circa 1980s, where Oakley Creek acts as a playground for youthful experimentation. It charts what it's like to grow up feeling different and to learn to like yourself, your faults and flair. Along the way, Kaho explores identity, as well as the triumphs and tragedies of teenage romance.
THE COLLECTED POEMS OF
KATHERINE MANSFIELD
Editors Gerri Kimber and Claire Davison
(Otago University Press, $35)
Kimber and Davison have done a stellar job in bringing together this collection. Gorgeously hard-bound, chronologically ordered and supported by informative contextual information, the book showcases published and unpublished poems. For any fan of Mansfield, New Zealand's most iconic author, or of New Zealand literature generally, this is an indispensable read.
KEEL & DRIFT
By Adrienne Jansen
(Landing Press, $22)
Acclaimed author Jansen's latest is, by turns, playful and well-crafted. The poems provide wise counsel on carrying a knife, the pleasures of surfing, the inspirations discovered in old photographs, the small delights mined sitting in a waiting-room and much more. Everyday experiences transform into singular miracles.
Siobhan Harvey
