Translations of the fourth-century Greek Anthology will become works of art under the skilled hands of University of Otago printer in residence Brendan O'Brien.
Mr O'Brien, from Wellington, will be at the university for a month, collaborating with current poet laureate Vincent O'Sullivan and artist-engraver Barry Cleavin.
''Vincent's such a great writer - he's the poet laureate at the moment - and Barry Cleavin's just a master printmaker; he really is an extraordinary artist,'' he said.
''It's going to be fantastic to help them bring together the text and the poems.''
The printer in residence scheme began in 2003 and Mr O'Brien is returning for the second time as printer after his first stint in 2005.
''It's great to be back,'' he said.
Mr O'Brien became involved in printing as his father ran a bookshop and had some customers who were printers and bookbinders.
''For some reason, I was just fascinated by what they could do.''
Like most printers, he said, he could not make a living out of printing full-time so he also worked at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington, in the conservation lab.
He said many printers struggled to afford to print and promote their work, due to the cost.
''Not many bookshops want to sell these books, because they're so expensive.''
But with only 100 copies of Eighteen: Poems from the Greek Anthology available, he hoped people would recognise the amount of work that had gone into creating the limited edition.
Eighteen: Poems from the Greek Anthology is available to order from the university for $150.
- by Greta Yeoman
