New Zealand Writers
POWELL-CHALMERS, Jenny
A poet with a highly imaginative way of seeing, and listening to the curves of the imagination.
POWELL-CHALMERS, Jenny (1960- ) is a poet, performance poet and creative writing tutor.
Jenny Powell-Chalmers was born in Dunedin. After a brief sojourn in Wellington, Powell-Chalmers returned to Dunedin where she continues to live.
In 1996 she graduated from John Dolan's Poetry Class at Otago University. Her poetry has been published in literary magazines, including Sport, JAAM, Takahe, Glottis and Poetry NZ.
Powell-Chalmers’ collections include Sweet Banana Wax Peppers (HeadworX, 1998), Hats (HeadworX, 2000) and Four French Horns (HeadworX, 2004). As an artist interested in collaborative work, Powell-Chalmers has published Double Jointed (Inkweed, 2003) with ten poets of her choice, and, recently, with the poet Anna Jackson, Locating the Madonna (Seraph Press, 2004).
Writing in New Zealand Books Michael Harlow describes Powell-Chalmers first collection, Sweet Banana Wax Peppers, as,’ strikingly provocative and insightful, and nicely judged in the way language is deployed largely in counterpoint to the rush of sentiment and the edgy dance of feelings.’
(LK)
Writers in Schools Information
Jenny Powell-Chalmers takes part in the Writers in Schools programme. She currently works as a part-time teacher and arts coordinator. She is happy to work with any age group, and willing to discuss writers and writing, teaching writing, and poems and how to write them. She will work with anything from a small group to a full class, and is available to run workshops by prior arrangement.
KAPAI: Kids Authors Pictures and Information
General Questions
Where do you live?
Dunedin
What sort of books do you like to read?
Books that are around me where ever I am, and books other people think I would like to read.
How do you think up your ideas?
From things people say, things I see or ideas I’m thinking about.
What is the best thing about being an author?
Learning to see things in a slightly different way. Reading lots is a good thing too.
Some Questions from Primary School Students
What sort of pets do you have?
I have a golden cocker spaniel called Basil.
What is your favourite colour?
Blue
What is your favourite food?
Sometimes chocolate cake, sometimes fruit.
What is your favourite game?
Chase
What is the most fun thing about being a writer?
I like meeting people and travelling to new places.
How do you make books?
I send a whole lot of work to a publisher. They organise it and if its okay, it goes to the printer and then to the shops.
Where do you like to go for your holidays?
I used to go to Twizel a lot. Now I go to different places.
What was the naughtiest thing you ever did at school?
I got the strap once for encouraging my friends to break the teacher’s ruler. It’s what I remember most!
Some Questions from Primary School Students
How did you get started as a writer?
When I was 12 I was at a school camp. We went to a beach and we had to write a poem there.
Who inspired you when you were getting started?
Hone Tuwhare
What advice would you give an aspiring young writer?
Read a lot of other people’s work. Try out different styles and techniques in your own work.
Is it difficult to make a living as a writer in New Zealand?
Yes!
What were you like as a teenager?
Stroppy, and I played lots of music and wrote poems. I didn’t always like school.
Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?
I’m hugely bad at cooking. I don’t seem well organised for it. I do try though. I’ve had a go at a pavlova. But I got mixed up, and the containers weren’t labelled. So I put Epsom salts in it instead of castor sugar. Do you know what Epsom salts do?
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