New Zealand Writers
PIRIE, Mark
'...stylish, ironic and often a bit subversive'
Pirie, Mark (1974 -) is a poet, a fiction writer, an editor and critic.
Pirie grew up in Wellington and San Francisco. He studied at Victoria University and in 1997 finished a BA with Honours in English. While a student Pirie spent time working as a DJ on radio Active 89FM.
He also began co-editing JAAM (1995-1998) a pamphlet that under his editorship grew into a quality literary periodical. Pirie then edited The NeXt Wave (1998) an anthology of new New Zealand writers. In 2000 Pirie completed an MA in English at the University of Otago.
Pirie is a self-described member of Generation X and his work reflects a fascination with popular culture, particularly comics, pop lyrics and movies.
Pirie is a prolific writer and his poetry has appeared in The NeXt Wave (1998), In Our Own Words: Generation X Poetry (2000), Essential New Zealand Poems (2001) and Subversions; generations of contemporary poetry (2001).
He has published three books of poetry. His first, Shoot (1999) was described by Bill Direen as "reveal[ing] a wicked sense of humour and a cunning sense of style". His second, No Joke (2001) was again reviewed by Direen, who wrote, "here the form allows the poet's fragility and sensitivity to be heard". The Blues was published in 2001.
In JAAM (1995-) Pirie has published short fiction, essays and reviews. Much of this work deals with contemporary New Zealand poetry and fiction and reflects Pirie’s ongoing interest in contemporary New Zealand writing. He serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of Antipodes (USA) and is the New Zealand editor for papertiger, Australia's first CD-ROM journal.
Pirie is currently the editor and publisher of HeadworX. HeadworX has, so far, published 25 books of poetry and fiction. Pirie, through HeadworX, supports both established and new New Zealand writers.
(LK)
Updated Information
Swing and other stories (2002) is a collection of stories which represents a comic and dark view of urban living in '90s New Zealand.
Reading the Will was published in 2002.
Dumber (2003). Pirie's collection laments that our culture is getting 'dumber' and thus presents poems that are both parodic and purposely 'dumb'.
Gallery (2003) brings together the best of Pirie's early work from his first five books published in New Zealand. "A 'stubborn integrity' characterises these poems as it does Pirie's admirable work as publisher and editor." from the Foreword by Harry Ricketts.
In 2003 Pirie edited two anthologies of poetry, Bookmarks (in memory of Wellington bookshop proprietor Neil Rowe) and The First International Wellington Poetry Festival Anthology (a collection of 35 poets who appeared at the inaugural Wellington festival) which was co-edited with festival organisers Ron Riddell and Saray Torres.
In 2004, Pirie co-edited, with Michael O'Leary, JAAM 21 Greatest Hits: an anthology of writing from 1984-2004, drawing on work included in HeadworX and Earl of Seacliff Art Workshop publications as well as retrospective material from the first 20 issues of JAAM magazine.
Bullet Poems (2004) is Mark Pirie’s seventh collection of poems. Structured into four rounds, Pirie takes aim at a wide variety of contemporary issues and debates, particularly war, politics and world events.
An impression of the sea (2004) is an experimental piece written for the Australian poet Ken Bolton.
The Angel Bus (2004) is a collection of song lyrics (1992-1994) that were written by Pirie in his late teens.
Poems for Poets (2004) is Pirie's ninth book of poetry and is a collection of dedications and elegies to many New Zealand and international poets such as William Shakespeare, Dylan Thomas, Alistair Te Ariki Campbell, Allen Curnow and John Kinsella.
Tupelo Hotel (2004) is an anthology, edited by Mark Pirie, of poets involved in the annual HeadworX/ESAW winter readings in Wellington.
The Second Wellington International Poetry Festival Anthology (2004) is the second in a series of anthologies covering the Wellington festival participants, edited by Pirie with festival organisers Ron Riddell and Saray Torres.
Giving Poetry A Bad Name: selected early poems (Earl of Seacliff Art Workshop, 2005) is a collection of Pirie's earlier work which also includes 36 pages of memorabilia and photos, and over a dozen new poems.
Blues for Sam is a broadsheet containing a dedicatory poem to poet Sam Hunt, printed by poet Peter Olds' The Broadsheet Company in 2005.
London Notebook (2005) is an 'album of chance experiences and events' recorded during the author's time spent travelling in London, Paris and Cambridge, England.
The Manuka Tree (2005) is an anthology, edited by Mark Pirie, of poets involved in the annual HeadworX/ESAW winter readings in Wellington.
Mahones (2005) is an anthology collection of four poets, featuring Pirie with Bill Dacker, Michael O'Leary and Iain Sharp.
Pirie had a poem included in Shards of Silver (Steele Roberts, 2006), a book investigating the interplay between photography and poetry.
Wellingon Fool (Earl of Seacliff, 2006) is a mini collection of Pirie's poetry published in the Earl of Seacliff Art Workshop mini-series.
Poetrymath (2006) was edited by Mark Pirie to celebrate the annual Winter Readings in Wellington.
Sounds of Sonnets (2007), is a collection of sonnets by Mark Pirie and Michael O'Leary. Each poet has 25 sonnets to depict their style and content, usually elegiac and satirical. In doing so the two poets combine to produce a substantial volume that will entertain and bring notice once again to the sonnet form in New Zealand.
The Search (2007) is a collection of 'lost' poems and two stories unearthed from Pirie's early folders, notebooks and journals. Showing his early experimentation with form, they usher in the influence of generational movements like grunge and hip-hop. Many of Wellington's well known street people and personalities feature in Pirie's poems, including elegies for Robert Jones, Paddy O'Dowd and a tribute to busker legend 'Kenny.'
Private Detective (2007) is a hand-bound collection of poems by Pirie published in a limited edition booklet of 70 copies, by Dunedin handcraft press, Kilmog Press.
Mark Pirie edited Poetrywall, Anthology of the Poetrywall, with Gemma Rowsell, a collection of the poems written on the Poetrywall at Winter Readings 2007. He has also been anthologized in a major international anthology Che in Verse, eds Gavin O'Toole and Georgina Jimenez, Aflame Books, UK, 2007.
Selected texts may be purchased in a variety of ways through our Purchase New Zealand Books page.
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