There's quite a bit going on in the poetry world at present. Here are a few selected snippets for the next coupla weeks.

At the end of this week – Friday the 18th at 6pm to be precise – in Wellington, there’s ‘Poets on Ice’. Antarctic Arts Fellows Bernadette Hall (who must be recently back from the ice) Bill Manhire and Chris Orsman will celebrate the Antarctic in fiction and poetry at the City Gallery. It will be chaired by Fergus Barrowman of Victoria University Press. And it’s free. Sigh. One of these days I’m just going to get on a plane to that there capital, I swear …

Next up, next week, ‘Poetry Live’ starts again at Grand Central at 126 Ponsonby Road, Auckland. Another great event, it must be said, it involves poets gathering to read their work with interludes of live NZ music. All poems may be submitted for ‘Tongue In Your Ear’, (see an ear, above – I have to give you something to look at don't I?) an annual anthology. The first poet for the year is Penelope Shadbolt, who will launch Still Life. This is also free, but some kind of koha would be appreciated.

Finally, for this instalment, Blackmail Press has some news for Issue No. 13 in the form of Tania Brady. Over to you, Tania:

Blackmail Press (bmp) is a very funky online poetry publication. Doug Poole, the hardworking and talented editor of bmp has asked me to be his guest editor for an issue that will specifically include the works of female poets. This is a first for bmp (our issue is number 13 – what great luck!) and a first for me. We will launch our issue sometime in March, so submissions will need to be made by 28 Feb to be considered.

To submit (up to 7 poems per poet) please email MS Word attachments to Tania Brady, powwow@wave.co.nz or send poems in the bulk of your. Any enquiries can also be directed to this email address.

Please forward this to any other female poets or writers that you feel might be interested. I look forward to hearing from you.

There you go. Rattle your dags and get those poems in, youse girls.