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Poetry for Real is...urban poetry in action. The words are deft and intelligent. The poems are well-crafted and gritty. Spend a night with the Poetry For Real crew and you will laugh, you'll dab at your eyes with your ticket stub, you will inhale sharply in astonishment. Select a category...
Poetry For Real was conceived in June 1999 by Helen Lehndorf and Sarah Laing. The two young poets had a burning desire to bring together Wellington's newest, bravest poetry talent and present the work in an entertaining fashion that transcends the usual poetry reading experience. "I think people are sometimes reluctant to go to poetry events because they can be heavy or confessional. Poetry For Real sees poetry performance as an opportunity to really communicate with the audience. Our performances are lively, honest and fast-paced" said Helen Lehndorf. Since June, the group has shaped and strengthened. They took poetry to the streets on National Poetry Day 1999, giving out free poems and writing poems at an impromptu poetry booth, and in November were the guest poets at the Poetree 123 at the Treehouse - Wellington's most popular open-mike poetry event. In 1999, Poetry For Real received a grant from Creative Communities for publishing and performance production. They are supported by the Poetry Society of New Zealand. |