Wootton, Sue

IN BRIEF

Sue Wootton’s poems and short stories have been published in journals and anthologies, and Hourglass (2005), her first collection of poetry, received wide critical favour. Sue Emms wrote, ‘Wootton’s style is open and accessible…Hourglass contains warm and intelligent writing.’ Wootton was the 2008 Robert Burns fellow, and her second collection of poetry, Magnetic South was published the same year by Steele Roberts. Wootton has won poetry competitions, and has received a range of awards and prizes for her writing. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Wootton, Sue (1961 – ) is a poet and short fiction writer. Born in Wellington and raised in Wanganui, Wootton trained and worked as a physiotherapist in Dunedin and overseas. She graduated from the University of Otago with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature in 2003.

Her first collection of poetry, Hourglass (Steele Roberts, 2005), received strong critical favour. Reviewing the collection in the Bay of Plenty Times, 1 April 2006, Sue Emms wrote that: ‘Wootton’s style is open and accessible. She writes with humour and insight, is often tender but manages to avoid sentimentality, even with those poems that are in response to the death of a friend. Hourglass contains warm and intelligent writing.’

Wootton’s poetry has been widely published in newspapers, literary journals including The Dominion Post, Otago Daily Times, Landfall, Poetry NZ, NZ Listener, Deep South and turbine 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008. Her poetry has also been anthologised in Best New Zealand Poems 2004; Under Flagstaff: An Anthology of Dunedin Poetry (University of Otago Press, 2004); Poetry Pudding (Reed, 2007), a collection of poetry for children; JAFA Just Another Fantastic Anthology (Auckland in Poetry) (Antediluvian Press, 2008), ed Stu Bagby; Swings and Roundabouts: Poems on Parenthood (Random House, 2008); and Nurse to the Imagination: Fifty Years of the Robert Burns Fellowship (University of Otago Press, 2008), ed Lawrence Jones.

In 2006, Wootton won both the Poetry Award for ‘Breakfast with Raymond Carver’ and the Fiction Award for ‘Weight’ at the Aoraki Arts Festival. In her judge’s report for Wootton’s winning poem, poet Bernadette Hall commented that: ‘It takes subtle control, linguistic dexterity and a big heart to come up with such stuff.’

Wootton won the Inverawe Poetry Competition 2007 (Tasmania, Australia) for ‘Temporal’

Wootton was the 2008 Robert Burns fellow at the University of Otago, and worked on her third book of poetry and first book of short stories during her tenure. Past fellows include Janet Frame, Roger Hall, Keri Hulme, James K. Baxter, Maurice Shadbolt, Michael King, Owen Marshall, Ruth Dallas and James Norcliffe.

Wootton has had her second collection of poetry, Magnetic South (2008) published by Steele Roberts. 'This new book persuasively confirms Wootton's growing reputation as one of our most versatile and exuberant poets.' (James Norcliffe, Takahe 65, December 2008) Other favourable reviews included 'This is a fine book, full of strong, ambitious, passionate poetry, worthy of a Burns Fellow' (Joanna Preston, A Fine Line, July 2008) and 'This is poetry that offers a gripping zig-zag between love and loss.' (Otago Daily Times, 5 July 2008)

In 2008, Wootton's short story 'Virtuoso' was included in the competitive publication Six Pack Three (NZ Book Month, 2008). She was also a finalist in the Sunday Star-Times Short Story Competition with her story 'Beyond Pluto'. Wootton also placed in both 2007 and 2008 in the Bravado International Poetry Competition.

Sue Wootton lives in Dunedin.

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Media links and clips

• Interview in Critic, 'Permission to Play', 15 April 2008
• Poems and an article by Wootton in Junctures.
• Sue Wootton’s poem ‘Countdown’ on Best New Zealand Poems 2004
• Poetry by Sue Wootton in Deep South 2008, 2006
• Poetry by Sue Wootton in Turbine 2008,2007,2006,2004
• Blackmail Press 13, Blackmail Press 24

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