POETRY IS SEXY
And so is my friend Chris. In the first of my 'Five minutes with...' profiles I'm honoured to feature Chris Tse, longtime friend and now New Zealand's Poet Laureate. Chris is the youngest person ever to be appointed to the role of Poet Laureate. These written and visual portraits are my excuse to showcase people that I'm fortunate enough to get to know and to photograph.
When I approached Chris with this profile idea he responded with an enthusiastic yes. I honestly believe he doesn't know how to say no. He's well-known for being generous with his time and talent for many people in the arts community. This really struck me during the celebrations at Chris' inauguration as Poet Laureate. In every speech admirers spoke of his giving nature and how much his support means to them. I've always been a fan: his work ethic and generosity, his wit and calm determination is inspired. It's a delight to kick off my 'Five minutes with...' portraits with Chris.
How would you describe yourself and your mahi in the world in 2024?
The vibe I’m manifesting for 2024 is one of calm productivity. I’ve been given the gift of a year’s extension to my term as Poet Laureate so I can (hopefully) slow down a bit and use this year to get some writing done.
What brings you joy on a regular basis (big or small)?
Watching my almost-three-year-old niece grow and discover new things has reminded me to take my time to enjoy the world. Instead of chasing new highs I’m trying to find joy in things like re-reading my favourite books or taking the time to cook dinner after a busy day at work.
What’s been a recent rewarding work experience you’ve had?
In February I took part in the Embassy of Ireland’s Summer School, which is an Irish tradition of bringing people together to openly discuss a topic of mutual interest. This year the theme was LGBTQIA+ activism in Aotearoa, but the conversations we had covered a lot of ground, from queer history to the importance of language. It was a very enriching and thought-provoking two days, and I met so many people from different parts of the LGBTQIA+ community. It reminded me that we all contribute to activism in different ways, and I left feeling inspired by the incredible work that people are doing.
What’s one favourite thing about living in Wellington?
I’ve just had some friends visit from Melbourne and it was really cool taking them to my favourite bars and restaurants, and exploring the south coast. It often takes having visitors to remind you how picturesque our city is, and that it doesn’t take long to get out of the city to experience our beautiful natural surroundings.
What was your experience of being photographed by me? (feel free to be
overly generous and lengthy in your answer here, ha!)
Every time we get together for a shoot it’s so much fun and I always feel relaxed. I’m
quite self-conscious in front of a camera (I much prefer to be behind it!) but you always make me feel comfortable and give good direction about what to do with poses.
Bonus question: any recommendations for podcasts / books / music that you’ve enjoyed recently that I should make time for?
My current musical obsession the Australian girl group Blusher, who I’d recommend for fans of Robyn, Charli XCX and MUNA. Their song ‘Dead End’ was one of my favourites of 2023. My friend Saraid de Silva’s debut novel Amma is extraordinary and will definitely be one of the most talked-about books of the year. We’ve already had some great poetry collections published in the first few months of the year, including Josiah Morgan’s i’m still growing, Sylvan Spring’s Killer Rack, and Stacey Teague’s Plastic. And if you want a sampler of excellent poetry from the past year, I edited Ōrongohau | Best New Zealand Poems 2023, which contains what I consider
to be the best 25 poems published by New Zealand poets last year.
