Eek! We’ve been most remiss – the 2nd International Poetry Festival in Wellington is underway! It’s all go in the windy city; poetry right, left and centre at a range of venues around town.

Festival director and poet Ron Riddell and Mark Pirie, publisher of HeadworX and JAAM magazine have put together an extremely diverse programme, with lots of overseas talent from Colombia, Estonia, India and Sweden to name a few. Some will be requiring on-the-spot translation! Wild!

The inspiration for the festival came from the Festival of Poetry held in Medellin, Colombia, which is now the largest in the world, drawing an audience each year of some 150,000. NZ poets have attended: the late Alan Brunton in 2000, and Ron Riddell in 2002. Two Maori poets, Te Kupu and Katarina Kawana have also attended, reading in Maori and English.

The mission statement for Wellington’s event is based around individual, ethnic and cultural diversity. They also want to pursue a theme of international human rights development and to raise the profile, readership and appreciation of poetry – well, globally, really.

All before breakfast on Tuesday! The festival’s going 'til then, and it started this morning. It’s happening up to 9pm and it’s free today, so head on down to the Pataka Museum in Porirua if you feel like braving the weather.

Otherwise, tomorrow is lining up to be a good 'un, with a whole bunch of Americans before lunch at Te Papa Marae and Kiwis after at the City Gallery; Saturday has Womens’ Voices before lunch and Australasians after, and, and … best you look at the calendar listing really. Mark Pirie will be publishing a festival anthology, so there's always that if you, like us, hail from somewhere sans poetry this weekend.