My Iron Spine publication date/Winter Readings series

One of the other things that took up my time in the last week or was my dad's operation. He had a really long and complicated operation on his back, and so now he really does have an iron spine - sort of - actually, I think it might be titanium bolts that he now has in his spine rather than iron, but you know, close enough. So I plan to dedicate My Iron Spine to him. (He's recovering really well.)

And, as suggested by the heading, I now have a date by which My Iron Spine will be published. It will be launched at the second of three winter readings here in Wellington, at which I'm going to be one of the readers.

The Winter Readings are a co-production of two local publishers, HeadworX and Earl of Seacliff Art Workshop, and also Kwanzaa - the Afrikan Shop.

Here follows the official programme:

This year's readings celebrate 10 years of HeadworX Publishers in Wellington, and are a tribute to The Beatles' White Album, with Beatles music played at the readings.

We will be announcing this year's winner of the Earl of Seacliff Poetry Prize: Will Leadbeater, who will come down from Auckland to read. This will be a rare chance to see Will Leadbeater read, one of our unsung poets who has been writing away for years.

Wine/juice and books for sale.

Venue is the City Gallery Theatre, Civic Square, Wellington.

THE WHITE ALBUM READINGS

AUG 20, Wednesday, 6.30pm-8pm
Reading 1 - Helter Skelter
Mark Pirie
Harry Ricketts
Richard Langston
Rob Hack
MC: Niel Wright
Plus launch of Mark Pirie's new books Slips: cricket poems (ESAW) and Bottle of Armour and Trespassing in Dionysia (both Original Books).

AUG 28, Thursday, 6.30pm-8pm
Reading 2 - Revolution
Niel Wright
Helen Rickerby
Evelyn Conlon
Will Leadbeater
MC: Harvey Molloy
Plus launch of Helen Rickerby's My Iron Spine (HeadworX)

SEP 3, Wednesday, 6.30pm-8pm
Reading 3 - Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Michael O'Leary
Gemma Claire
Marilyn Duckworth
Bill Dacker
MC: Nelson Wattie
Plus launch of Michael O'Leary's Paneta Street (HeadworX)