The nation's poets laureate will feature in a ground-breaking literary feast at the newly-refurbished Hawke's Bay Opera House in Hastings.
Te Mata Estate will host the event on Saturday, May 6, in association with Victoria University's International Institute of Modern Letters.
The featured poets are Bill Manhire, Elizabeth Smither, Brian Turner and
Jenny Bornhold.
The fifth Poet Laureate, Hone Tuwhare, will be unable to make the evening, but his good friend Glenn Colquhoun, who was awarded the prestigious Prize in Modern Letters in 2004, will be reading Hone's poetry on his behalf.
The poets will be joined on the night by young Hawke's Bay poet, Russell Kale, who was a 2005 finalist in the Bell Gully National Schools Poetry Award.
John Buck, Executive Chairman of Te Mata Estate, believes the Opera House's renovation has resulted in a stunning venue that is ideal for an annual literary festival.
Festival director, Keith Thorsen, said he was delighted to able to assemble such an outstanding group of poets for the first festival.
"We have been running literary events at Te Mata Estate for the past eight years. The personal support of John Buck and his team has helped to establish this festival and we are delighted that we now have an outstanding permanent home in the Opera House complex. * Tickets $30, include a complimentary glass of Te Mata Estate Wine and finger food. Tickets are available from Creative Hastings, phone 06 878 9447 or artcentre@clear.net.nz ; Te Mata Estate, phone 877 4399 or shop@temata.co.nz ; Beattie and Forbes Ph 835 8968; and at the Hastings, Napier, Flaxmere, Havelock North and Waipawa libraries.
