Michele Leggott
Encyclopedia
Michele Joy Leggott MNZM (born 1956) is a New Zealand
poet, and Associate Professor of English at the University of Auckland
. She was born in Stratford, New Zealand
, and received her secondary education at New Plymouth
Girls High School, before attending the University of Canterbury
where she completed an MA
in English
in 1979. She then moved to Canada
to do a PhD
at the University of British Columbia
. Her dissertation was on the American
poet Louis Zukofsky
and was published in America as Reading Zukovsky’s “80 Flowers” (1989).
Leggott began publishing her poetry around 1980. She published Sound Pitch Considered Forms with two Canadian poets in 1984. In 1985 she returned to New Zealand and took up a lectureship at the University of Auckland. She produced her first book of poems, Like This?, in 1988, winning the International PEN
First Book of Poetry award. In 1991 she published Swimmers, Dancers, with a domestic focus, and in 1995 she won the New Zealand Book Award for Poetry
with DIA. On December 4th, 2007, she was named New Zealand Poet Laureate
for 2008/2009.
Her work has appeared in the Best New Zealand Poems series
in 2002 and 2005.
She was awarded MNZM in the 2009 New Year Honours, for services to poetry.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
poet, and Associate Professor of English at the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
. She was born in Stratford, New Zealand
Stratford, New Zealand
Stratford is the only town in the central Taranaki district of Stratford District, New Zealand. It lies beneath the eastern slopes of Mount Taranaki/Egmont, approximately half-way between New Plymouth and Hawera, near the geographic centre of the Taranaki region. The town has a population of...
, and received her secondary education at New Plymouth
New Plymouth
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
Girls High School, before attending the University of Canterbury
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
where she completed an MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
in 1979. She then moved to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to do a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
. Her dissertation was on the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
poet Louis Zukofsky
Louis Zukofsky
Louis Zukofsky was an American poet. He was one of the founders and the primary theorist of the Objectivist group of poets and thus an important influence on subsequent generations of poets in America and abroad.-Life:...
and was published in America as Reading Zukovsky’s “80 Flowers” (1989).
Leggott began publishing her poetry around 1980. She published Sound Pitch Considered Forms with two Canadian poets in 1984. In 1985 she returned to New Zealand and took up a lectureship at the University of Auckland. She produced her first book of poems, Like This?, in 1988, winning the International PEN
International PEN
PEN International , the worldwide association of writers, was founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere....
First Book of Poetry award. In 1991 she published Swimmers, Dancers, with a domestic focus, and in 1995 she won the New Zealand Book Award for Poetry
Montana New Zealand Book Award for Poetry
The Montana New Zealand Book Award for Poetry is one category of the New Zealand Post Book Awards, given out annually. The award carries a $5,000 prize for each winner of the category awards, including the award for poetry....
with DIA. On December 4th, 2007, she was named New Zealand Poet Laureate
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
for 2008/2009.
Her work has appeared in the Best New Zealand Poems series
Best New Zealand Poems series
The Best New Zealand Poems series, begun in 2001 is an annual online selection of poems chosen by guest editors. The program is run by the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand....
in 2002 and 2005.
She was awarded MNZM in the 2009 New Year Honours, for services to poetry.
Poetry
- 1988: Like This?: Poems. Christchurch: Caxton Press
- 1991: Swimmers, Dancers. Auckland : Auckland University Press
- 1994: DIA. Auckland: Auckland University Press
- 1999: As far as I can see. Auckland: Auckland University Press
- 2005: Milk & Honey. Auckland: Auckland University Press
- 2006: Journey to Portugal. Images by Gretchen Albrecht. Auckland: Holloway Press
- 2009: Mirabile Dictu. Auckland: Auckland University Press
Editor
- 1989: Reading Zukofsky's 80 Flowers, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press
- 1995: The Victory Hymn, 1935-1995, by Robin HydeRobin HydeRobin Hyde is one of New Zealand's major poets. She was born Iris Guiver Wilkinson in Cape Town, South Africa and taken to Wellington, New Zealand before her first birthday. She had her secondary education at Wellington Girls' College where she wrote poetry and short stories for the school...
; with an essay by Michele Leggott; Auckland: Holloway Press - 1995: Opening the Book : New Essays on New Zealand Writing, Edited by Mark Williams and Michele Leggott; Auckland: Auckland University Press
- 1999: The book of Nadath, by Robin Hyde; introduction and notes by Michele Leggott; Auckland: Auckland University Press
- 2000: Big Smoke: New Zealand Poems 1960-1975, edited by Alan Brunton, Murray Edmond, Michele Leggott; Auckland: Auckland University Press
- 2003: Young Knowledge: the poems of Robin Hyde, edited and introduced by Michele Leggott; Auckland: Auckland University Press