Minarets 14

I didn’t set out with any sort of theme in mind for this issue—all I wanted was to gather together pieces that diverged from current trends, and which were brave enough to be their own thing. I wanted to read things which were unflinchingly honest, which made me sit up and pay attention, which showed me new ways of seeing and held my face toward the light and said “look, here, this is what really matters”. I think all of the poets in this issue do that in their own ways. I hope you feel the same. Some strong common threads have emerged, as they tend to do. Places, ideas of belonging, the natural world and our relationships with it all feature heavily in this issue—maybe these are just the things I’ve been enjoying reading lately, but I suspect it also reflects a growing eco-consciousness, or climate-anxiety. 2023 was the hottest year since records began, and 2024 is already on track to leave it in the dust. The environment is changing rapidly due to our destructive influence and hyperconsumption, and we are living in a time of flux to a degree that few other generations have experienced. Little wonder, then, that so many poets are thinking, in their own ways, about our place in the world.

It’s been a joy and a privilege to steer this issue of Minarets. Long may she ride (sea-levels permitting).

—Niamh Hollis-Locke

Format: Paperback
Imprint: Small New Zealand Publisher
Publication date: 01/04/2024