Real Journeys is a poetry reading (with music) to celebrate Mark Laurent's recently published anthology. As Mark is a professional musician there'll be a few songs as well, and Brenda Liddiard will be joining in with some nice mandolin.

Real Journeys Poetry and other writing, 1975-2024 by Mark Laurent

Mark Laurent is a professional musician, composer and writer, having recorded over 20 albums, worked as a recording producer and session musician, as well as touring NZ, Australia and the UK for several decades.

Real Journeys is his sixth book - part anthology, part newer writing, mostly poetry, with a few short prose pieces.

“I write these things, hoping to change myself a little, so that I can change the world a little. If these words, set down in lines, mean something to you, then that would be worthwhile - that would amount to some kind of real journey.”

Mark has previously published 4 collections of poetry; Perhaps... (1995); THRoW AWAY THE SToNES (2005); Snapshot Of A Soul In Transit (2010); Redemption Songs (2016). In 2008 Scholastic NZ published his children’s book, Rufus And The Rain, illustrated by English artist Chris Liddiard, and for several years Mark and musician wife Brenda travelled to schools around Aotearoa for Duffy Books In Homes, doing shows based on the Rufus story.

Mark has also written numerous articles and reviews for New Zealand and international magazines. His poetry has appeared in a number of anthologies. He is currently putting the finishing touches on a candid memoir of the 1970s hippie scene in Auckland, provisionally titled An Age Of Miracles.

👂 This event is a part of our on-going Ears Wide Open series, bringing poetry, music and local voices to the Ponsonby community.