The Poetical Lobe Volume 1 is a community poetry anthology featuring the voices of 55 New Zealanders. Launched on November 6th, 2024, at the Centre for Brain Research (CBR) in Auckland, this collection is an educational resource which advocates for New Zealanders living with neurological conditions, and also a testament to the power of poetry and creativity in an uncertain world.
What’s in the book?
The book contains over eighty poems by 55 New Zealanders. Contributors include people directly affected by neurological conditions (including strokes, motor neuron disease, Parkinson’s, epilepsy, migraines, and mental health conditions) and also doctors, nurses, speech-language therapists, and many others. Some contributors whose work is published elsewhere locally and abroad include Ruth Arnison, Glenn Colquhoun, Piers Davies, Dixie Dolejs, Michael Gould, Paul Hartigan, Sarah Ingram, Renee Liang, Art Nahill, Sarah Quigley, and Reihana Robinson.
How was The Poetical Lobe produced?
The book is printed locally in Nelson by CopyPress. Credit for cover art goes to Suzanne North, and proofreading was done by fellow New Zealand poet and writer Sarah Quigley. Project coordination, editing, formatting, and poet liaison, were led by myself over the course of two years from November 2022 – November 2024.
Poetry meets brain research
In the spirit of using poetry to change the world via science, 100% of the royalties from sales of The Poetical Lobe are donated directly to the Centre for Brain Research in Auckland, supporting neurological research aimed at improving health outcomes for New Zealanders and individuals globally facing similar challenges. In the first eight months since the launch of Volume 1, over $2000 in royalties was raised for brain research.
I dream of a world where neurological conditions are a thing of the past, and I believe we all should. I can’t wait to see what the Centre for Brain research discovers for us next.
What’s next?
The book has featured in the Ashburton Courier, the Bay of Plenty Times, interviews by Bookenz on PlainsFM and The Community Arts Project, Art Muse Podcast, University of Auckland student magazine Craccum, and the Neurological Foundation Headlines magazine.
The Poetical Lobe Volume 2 is slated to commence production in 2027.
To buy a copy, visit RealNZBooks or speak to your local bookstore.