Alexandra poet Michael Harlow received the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement in Poetry from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at a ceremony at Premier House in Wellington last month.
Friday’s celebration at Central Stories Museum and Art Gallery was to honour Harlow "in his own community" and recognise him for the literary "hero" he was, museum manager Maurice Watson, who organised the event, said.
"It’s about acknowledging that we have in our midst a very important poet and editor, right here in Central."
Harlow — who also works as a Jungian therapist and a librettist in collaboration with New Zealand-Swiss composer Kit Powell — is a former Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellow and Robert Burns Fellow, and has published 10 volumes of poetry.
He has lived in Central Otago for almost 20 years and is now prominent on the international poetry stage, regularly representing New Zealand at international poetry festivals. Harlow recited several of his poems at Friday’s event and described poetry as "one of the songs of our species". Harlow said the $60,000 prize would allow him to work on his next project, a book of essays, memoirs and poetry that would include an autobiographical element.
Friday’s event also featured the opening of the "Wednesday Group" art exhibition and Alexandra artist Lynley Brownridge’s latest iris and peony paintings.
