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A Dunedin poet is set to share their craft and star as the special guest of an upcoming open mic poetry night in Timaru.
Eliana Gray is a writer living in Ōtepoti and has had their poetry, essays and short stories widely published both in print, and online publications.
Gray will be starring as the guest poet at the upcoming South Canterbury Live Poets Open Mic Night on October 11 as well as hosting a poetry workshop on October 12.
They said they were first introduced to the fun and creative expression of poetry in primary school.
“[I] used to write a lot of furious, freaky, ‘Beat’-inspired poetry in my blood-red teenage bedroom listening to records with the incense lit, feeling incredibly hip and alternative.
“I didn’t start taking myself seriously as a poet until I was accepted into Emma Neale’s poetry workshop in my last year at Otago University. Emma is a stellar teacher and our cohort that year became very close and had a vibrant energy surrounding it.
“It was also the only thing that ensured I stayed at uni to finish my science degree. That lead to my first performance and my first publications, as well as being the first space that demanded that I pay attention to my creative output in a serious and considered way.”
Since then Gray has been awarded residencies in Ōtepoti, Finland and online; with their most recent poetry collection being longlisted for the 2025 Kathleen Grattan Award.
They also teach creative writing through their Nest writing group, the Athenaeum workshop series.
Creating and sharing art was completely central to their existence, they said.
“It feels essential and inevitable. The connections formed between artist and the audience/reader deeply feeds this, but I would also still create even if I existed in a vacuum.
“I think metaphor and symbolism are our strongest communicators outside of non-verbal communication. I think art changes the world on every level.
“It transforms me every time I create and I think art transforms the world around it every time it is shared. It sounds grandiose but it is genuinely how I feel about it.”
Gray said the Timaru audience could expect to hear a lot about the moon, kelp, spending too much time on the internet and a surprising amount of fruit metaphors.
“My poetry is a limb of myself. A way to make sense of the tea leaves of my experience of the universe.
“It is filled with humour, a commitment to love and beauty, sideways glances and bold claims I completely believe.
“It attempts to unpick life under late-stage capitalism, being raised and viewed as a woman, and to illuminate the oft-forgotten connections between all things.’’
Open mic nights were an essential part of the artistic eco system, they said.
“Not only is it a gift to share your output with others, but reading aloud in front of an audience can give you a different and incredibly useful sense of your work.
“Writing can be very solitary and the ability to connect with your community and experience how others respond to your work is a crucial facet of artistic growth and satisfaction.”
Gray said they were looking forward to working with newer or nervous writers as part of the workshop.
“I am focused on creating spaces that are inclusive, accessible and joy-centred.
“My facilitation practice is all about connecting participants to their own boundless creative energy and unlocking some of the inhibitions we can saddle ourselves with.”
The open mic night will be held at the Bullock Bar and begin at 5pm while the workshop will be held at Squidspace on Beswick St and is limited to a maximum of 15 people.
Anyone interested in taking part in the workshop can contact southcanterburylivepoets@gmail.com for more information.