A poet I used to live in a share house with many moons ago has won a major literary prize in New Zealand. I haven’t seen him in years but I am extremely pleased to hear this news. David Beach is someone I’d describe as a poet’s poet. The genuine article. A guy who worked as a mail sorter so he wouldn’t have to clutter his head up with useless things that might interfere with his poetry. I’m not big on poetry myself, but I thought his work was pretty hot and I used to wonder at all the rejections he received from major newspapers and the like. I am so pleased his genius has finally been recognised.
{from NZPA) A writer who has spent much of his life working as a mail sorter has
scooped New Zealand’s largest literary prize.
David Beach was last night presented with a cheque for $65,000 as winner
of the biennial Prize in Modern Letters for his book of poems Abandoned
Novel.
“That a book of poems can win a $65,000 prize makes me feel as if I’ve
stumbled into a parallel universe where poetry is considered important,”
Mr Beach said.
New Zealand’s largest literary award, the Prize in Modern Letters, is
sponsored by United States businessman and arts philanthropist Glenn
Schaeffer and administered by Victoria University’s International
Institute of Modern Letters (IIML).
Eligible writers must have published no more than two books.
” It was a very strong set of entries this year,” said IIML director Bill
Manhire.
“It’s great to see poetry come through in a field of such remarkable
books.”
Beach was born in 1959 and grew up mainly in Wellington, attending Onslow
College and Victoria University.
In 1986 he moved to Sydney where he worked as a mail sorter for Australia
Post. He began writing poems while in Australia and these have been
published in various magazines and newspapers.
Beach returned to Wellington in 2002 and worked as a mail sorter for New
Zealand Post.
Abandoned Novel is his first book of poems.
In 2006 Hugh Roberts praised the book in an issue of the Listener:
“…collectively, the poems in the volume stake out new territory in
contemporary New Zealand poetry and make a powerful case for further
exploration”.
The prize was be awarded to Beach at a ceremony in Wellington by prize
judge and New York literary editor Brigid Hughes.
Previous winners of the award are novelists Catherine Chidgey and Carl
Shuker, and poet Glenn Colquhoun.
– NZPA
12 Comments
Good Lord. You really do know everyone! 🙂
Good to see someone finally getting their break.
it really is. I am utterly thrilled for him.
I’m so glad for him, and I only met him once or twice. Isn’t nice when someone who deserves it wins something?
sure is
People are popping out of the woodwork around you at the moment aren’t they?
they sure are. Its kinda freaky
As long as they are people you want to see again….
so far all of them have been
That’s lucky.
There are some people I NEVER want to see again…
and a big fat ditto on that one from me too.
I have to ask: how the Rocky road going?
its almost gone