Whanganui poet Chris Moisa part of literary festival

Christodoulos Moisa is one of the writers featuring in the Whanganui Literary Festival. Photo/Supplied

Christodoulos Moisa is more qualified than most to talk about the importance of place in poetry - he's a poet with many places in his past.

The Whanganui artist, photographer, poet and novelist will be one of four in a panel discussing place in poetry at the Whanganui Literary Festival. He'll also launch the second novel in his Wolf trilogy there.

The festival runs from September 29 to October 8, and Moisa is one of its local writers.

His places are almost a poem themselves. He was born in Cyprus, grew up in Wellington in the 1950s, returned to Cyprus, then to New Zealand where he lived in Wellington, Auckland, Dunedin, Christchurch and the Kapiti Coast, then Whanganui. He's also travelled in Europe.

"I think what happens is you draw qualities from all of the different landscapes into your work," he said.

Unexpected similarities between places can unnerve him.

"San Francisco had the same coastline, the same colours in the water and sky as Wellington. When I went to Stockholm I felt I had landed up in the middle of Taupo.

"If you're an artist it shakes you a bit, because you think you have exclusive proprietary rights over certain landscapes - but you don't".

Four years ago Moisa retired from his job teaching art at Whanganui Girls' College. Since then he's lived a life of writing and art.

In the past he had applied for grants to support him while he did that, but never received them.

"Then the taxpayer came to my aid with the pension. They're getting their money's worth with me," he said.

He struggled to find a publisher, so started his own One Eyed Press. It has published seven books of his poems and drawings, including the long poem The Desert, reprinted by demand. It's also published the work of poets like Iain Sharp and Peter Olds.

It published his novels The Hour of the Grey Wolf and Overcast Sunday, and his book of short stories, Blood and Koka Kola. The second book in his Wolf trilogy, Wolves in Dogs Clothing, will be launched at the literary festival.

It's set in 1974 Cyprus, during the civil war and Turkish invasion. It features murky political dealings, friendship, fanaticism and the "unromantic" lives of Cypriot peasants.

Moisa is by no means finished writing. There's a third novel in the trilogy to come, a sequel to Overcast Sunday, more short stories and a play.

He's looking forward to the literary festival - especially meeting and talking to other writers.