A motif is a recurring idea. We had one of those. That an organisation could bring opportunity and support to poets in Aotearoa.
We are a registered charity based in Wellington, running events in five regions around Aotearoa. Our community is led and nourished by volunteers, and the poets who share their work at our events. We are passionate about poetry and the communities that gather around it.
Our name in te reo Māori, Ruri Tūtohu, was translated and gifted to us by Jeremy Tātere Macleod (Ngāti Kahungunu) and Scotty Morrison (Ngāti Whakaue). Ruri Tūtohu marks poetry as important, and brings it to people.
Our work in education, leading workshops and guiding young New Zealanders from viral videos to pen and paper, sits alongside touring, collaboration and commission opportunities for poets.
Check out our kaupapa, sign up to our newsletter, get involved at one of our events, drop us a line, or head along to one of our regular events.
We are a registered charity based in Wellington, running events in five regions around Aotearoa. Our community is led and nourished by volunteers, and the poets who share their work at our events. We are passionate about poetry and the communities that gather around it.
Our name in te reo Māori, Ruri Tūtohu, was translated and gifted to us by Jeremy Tātere Macleod (Ngāti Kahungunu) and Scotty Morrison (Ngāti Whakaue). Ruri Tūtohu marks poetry as important, and brings it to people.
Our work in education, leading workshops and guiding young New Zealanders from viral videos to pen and paper, sits alongside touring, collaboration and commission opportunities for poets.
Check out our kaupapa, sign up to our newsletter, get involved at one of our events, drop us a line, or head along to one of our regular events.
our team
Ben Fagan Artistic Director, tauranga & Hamilton producer |
Sara Hirsch Education director, Otago & Wellington producer Sara is a London grown poet and spoken word educator. She is a former UK Slam Champion, third ranked in the World Slam Championships 2014, winner of the European Poetry Slam in Madrid 2016 and a 2017 BBC Slam Finalist. Sara has performed at Glastonbury, is a TEDx speaker, has featured on the BBC and toured extensively both in the UK & internationally. |
Rosheen FitzGerald Hawke's Bay Producer |
Amy Grace Laura Wellington producer Amy is an award-winning theatre-maker and writer. Her poetry has been featured on Noise Medium, in Poems4Peace, and in the 2014 New Zealand Poetry Society Anthology. You can discover her other work, which includes puppetry, creative art, theatre, and events on her website. But, most importantly Amy loves to play and launch herself down the Central Park flying fox in Te Whanganui-a-Tara! |
Rose Northey Wellington producer Rose is a TEDxAuckland Alumni, placed second at the 2020 National Poetry Slam, and is the reigning champion of the Going West Writers Festival slam. Rose is a Wellington-based Auckland-grown poet and therefore tends to sidestep between the communities in both cities. She was raised in an amateur theatre where she acted, directed, constructed sets, produced, and managed the facilities as a part of a committee. Rose found poetry while she was working full time as a mechanical engineer. She fell head over heels and left her job completely to be an artist full time. She now spends her days drawing birds from her home in Karori and writing poetry with authors all around New Zealand. |
Travis Cottreau Wellington producer Travis is an IT/technical guy who found a creative outlet in poetry when randomly arriving at Poetry in Motion's first ever event at Happy Bar in 2011. Blown away by the experience, he began performing at and now running PIM's monthly events. Short poetry suits his attention span, and he was runner up in Poetry in Motion's 2012 Haiku Death Match and then the winner in 2013. He was also runner up at PIM's only Limerick Death Match in 2013. |
Trustees
Sara Hirsch
Ben Fagan
Nicole Hawkins
Michael Gray
Ray Fagan
Sara Hirsch
Ben Fagan
Nicole Hawkins
Michael Gray
Ray Fagan
