LIFE LINES // DEADLY PONIES & POETRY

Culture

Standing on the precipice of an artificial age, we look to living, breathing artists, to light our way, to articulate movement and wonder, to tether us to humanity.

Standing on the precipice of an artificial age, we look to living, breathing artists, to light our way, to articulate movement and wonder, to tether us to humanity.

Our tradition, now in its third year, of printing poetry on ribbons to adorn your chosen pieces, celebrates and honours poets whose works speak directly to and of life, offering a moment to pause and reflect.

Helping us to bring our love of art to you - our dear Deadly Ponies patrons - are outstanding New Zealand Poets Chris Tse, James Norcliffe and Ruby Solly, who provide words of tension, release, need and awe, words to grace your future keepsakes, to be treasured for years to come.

Current NZ poet Laureate, Chris Tse writes poetry, short fiction, and non- fiction. Widely-published, Tse frequently makes best-of lists, and his most recent collection, Super Model Minority, was long listed for the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry at the 2023 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.

"when asked to explain the lines that lead to now, you describe / the shape of your body as it hits water / the shape of cold water shocking muscle / the shape of fleshy chambers forced to loosen"
James Norcliffe, Ruby Solly and Chris Tse
James Norcliffe, Ruby Solly and Chris Tse

Novelist James Norcliffe, who also writes short stories and poetry, and works as a teacher, was awarded the Margaret Mahy Medal in 2023 for his contributions to children’s literature. Alongside his own published works, his writing has appeared in many publications, and in 2022 his poetry won him the Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement.

"The cat was a bruiser, a street fighter, a prowler howling and yowling in the night."
"The creaking of ancient trees that predate their maker; they are only the thought of trees, the potential of growth"

Alongside her lauded career as a writer, Ruby Solly (Kai Tahu, Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe) is a musician and practitioner of taonga pūoro. Her first book of poetry, Tōku Pāpā, was longlisted for the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards in 2021. Currently, she is completing a PhD in public health, focusing on the use of taonga pūoro in hauora Māori.

We are honoured to incorporate the words of such esteemed writers into our own tradition, and we hope your unfurling ribbons lead you to discover more of these poets’ inspiring works.