The NZ Electronic Poetry Centre, in association with Auckland University Press, are having NZ’s first ever Digi-Poem competition. Six works by NZ poets have been selected from their new book and CD Contemporary New Zealand Poets in Performance, edited by Jack Ross and Jan Kemp – you may choose one or more of these to do wild things with on-screen. Choose from such recent luminaries as Bill Manhire, Bob Orr, Vivienne Plumb, Apirana Taylor, Ian Wedde and Fiona Farrell (whose latest book The Pop-Up Book of Invasions we’ve dipped into deliciously, it’ll be reviewed by our new poetry reviewer soon). A tempting array, as I’m sure you’ll agree.

The first AUP book was Classic New Zealand Poets in Performance, which sold out its first print run last year in a ridiculously short time, and managed to get people listening to poetry as well as reading it. NZEPC wants the experiences in the new book to be further extended by actually watching the poetry come alive on screen as well. (Next up: tasting? Scratch and sniff? Whilst wearing angora/rubber? Whatever blows your skirt up I guess. Poetry as full sensory experience, why not? Spend Montana Poetry Day in the privacy of your own home... or not?)

The idea is, once you've chosen your poem, to transform it for the web using audio, visuals and/or animation.There are some great examples here. (Scroll down and check out Brian Flaherty’s stuff – he’s one of the organizers of the competition). You’ll need to get cracking though as it’s got to be in to Brian on a CD by July 4.

Contemporary NZ Poets in Performance is to be launched on Montana Poetry Day (Friday 27 July), and that’s also when the winners of the Digi-Poem competition will be announced, as part of the nzepc/AUP event ‘Poetry Central’ at Auckland Central City Library.

Shortlisted entries will be posted on the nzepc website on 20 July. The winning designer will receive a prize of an iPod Nano, donated by The University of Auckland Library, a copy of Contemporary New Zealand Poets in Performance and its companion Classic New Zealand Poets in Performance. Shortlisted entries will become part of a permanent exhibit on nzepc digital.

Everything else you need to know is here, including conditions of entry, the poems themselves, MP3s for downloading and address to send. How inspiring – can’t wait to see what comes of this.