Poet Rockets Into NZ Top 10

4 April 2002

Wellington-based poet Chris Price’s first book “Husk” has rocketed into the Booksellers New Zealand Bestsellers lists.

It appears on the Top 10 New Zealand Books list for the fortnight ending 28 March 2002, its first two weeks of public life.

"Husk" was launched by poet Bill Manhire, Director of the Institute of Modern Letters, on 15 March 2002 during the Writers and Readers Week of the New Zealand Festival. Publication was assisted by Creative New Zealand.

A Top 10 listing is rare for a book of poetry and virtually unheard of for a debut collection.

“Though a debut collection, "Husk" is polished, elegant, mature work,” says her publisher, Auckland University Press Director Elizabeth Caffin. "It introduces an original new talent. These poems cover a wide range of interests, themes and tones but there is an alertness, a sense of delight about all of them. This book marks the beginning of a very interesting career.”

Chris Price is the New Zealand Festival Writers’ and Readers’ Co-ordinator and a lecturer in Creative Writing at Victoria University of Wellington. She has been the editor of the literary journal "Landfall", an editor at Reeds publishers and has spent many years assessing and selecting the work of others. She at last put her own work under the microscope with the publication of "Husk", which has proved a critical and commercial success.

The Booksellers New Zealand Bestsellers Lists are produced fortnightly from sales data provided by a representative sample of bookshops nationwide. Data is compiled in three categories: New Zealand Books, Fiction and Non-Fiction. The top ten books are listed for each category.

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